Apps with special features for vision impaired

Tarana · 02-11-2014, 10:36 AM

New problems with my vision are prompting me to start looking at options to read my ebooks that I don't have in audiobook. I'm wondering if someone can suggest a text to voice app for Android (I have a nook HD). I remove DRM from all of my ebooks and convert in Calibre, so certain problems associated with Nook books shouldn't be there. I do have this option in my Kindle Keyboard and am figuring out how to use it, but the speaker isn't all that great and I'm not sure that it works with sideloaded ebooks. I will also need an app that works for pdf files for those books that don't convert (but only have text). Thanks.

Katsunami · 02-11-2014, 10:56 AM

Google has it's own app TTS for Android

I have never tested it though. It can be used to read text on screen, such as reading the books in Google Play Books; can you sideload books and then open them with Google Books? I've never tested this.

Maybe I should. I can understand English spoken at blistering speed if I have to; much faster than I could ever read. Maybe using TTS, I could "read" more books...

Take a look at this also

TTS apps, specifically for books, or ebook apps that can do TTS as well.

The big mama's are in there I see: Mantano, Moon+, Coolreader...

jackie_w · 02-11-2014, 07:36 PM

If you've got full access to Google Play store then the Ivona text-to-speech app is the best I've used and it's free. I use the Amy voice (UK English) but there is also Kendra if you prefer US English. You'll need a fair amount of bandwidth to download each voice as they're around 250Mb each (last time I looked). Ivona works pretty well with Mantano and Moon+. It also works with CoolReader but I do get paragraphs repeated sometimes in CoolReader. Mantano and Moon+ both have TTS for both epubs and PDFs, but CoolReader doesn't support PDF at all.

tomsem · 02-11-2014, 11:39 PM

Google Play Books also has TTS (and highlights phrases as it reads out), and you can upload your own ePub to your personal Play Books storage.

The Kindle app works fairly well with Android accessibility features, and with those turned on it will read out text, though it does not have plain old TTS.

Tarana · 02-12-2014, 02:20 PM

Thanks so much!! I'm going to try these options this afternoon.

nikkie · 02-12-2014, 07:32 PM

For what it's worth, the daisy format is specifically designed to be read aloud by software. I don't know of very many retailers that ship it yet except O'Reilly, which is for technical books.

If you learn more, let me know!

meeera · 02-12-2014, 09:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nikkie

For what it's worth, the daisy format is specifically designed to be read aloud by software. I don't know of very many retailers that ship it yet except O'Reilly, which is for technical books.

Libraries tend to use it a fair bit though (IME), and if you're American there are heaps of DAISY books at openlibrary too.

02-11-2014, 10:36 AM	#1
Tarana Wizard Posts: 4,040 Karma: 38840460 Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Minneapolis Device: PWSE, Voyage, K3, HDX, KBasic 7 & 8, Nook Glo3, Echos, Nanos	Apps with special features for vision impaired New problems with my vision are prompting me to start looking at options to read my ebooks that I don't have in audiobook. I'm wondering if someone can suggest a text to voice app for Android (I have a nook HD). I remove DRM from all of my ebooks and convert in Calibre, so certain problems associated with Nook books shouldn't be there. I do have this option in my Kindle Keyboard and am figuring out how to use it, but the speaker isn't all that great and I'm not sure that it works with sideloaded ebooks. I will also need an app that works for pdf files for those books that don't convert (but only have text). Thanks. Last edited by Tarana; 02-11-2014 at 10:55 AM.

02-11-2014, 10:56 AM	#2
Katsunami Grand Sorcerer Posts: 6,111 Karma: 34000001 Join Date: Mar 2008 Device: KPW1, KA1	Google has it's own app TTS for Android I have never tested it though. It can be used to read text on screen, such as reading the books in Google Play Books; can you sideload books and then open them with Google Books? I've never tested this. Maybe I should. I can understand English spoken at blistering speed if I have to; much faster than I could ever read. Maybe using TTS, I could "read" more books... Take a look at this also TTS apps, specifically for books, or ebook apps that can do TTS as well. The big mama's are in there I see: Mantano, Moon+, Coolreader... Last edited by Katsunami; 02-11-2014 at 11:00 AM.

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02-11-2014, 07:36 PM	#3
jackie_w Grand Sorcerer Posts: 6,252 Karma: 16544692 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: UK Device: ClaraHD, Forma, Libra2, Clara2E, LibraCol, PBTouchHD3	If you've got full access to Google Play store then the Ivona text-to-speech app is the best I've used and it's free. I use the Amy voice (UK English) but there is also Kendra if you prefer US English. You'll need a fair amount of bandwidth to download each voice as they're around 250Mb each (last time I looked). Ivona works pretty well with Mantano and Moon+. It also works with CoolReader but I do get paragraphs repeated sometimes in CoolReader. Mantano and Moon+ both have TTS for both epubs and PDFs, but CoolReader doesn't support PDF at all.

02-11-2014, 11:39 PM	#4
tomsem Grand Sorcerer Posts: 6,955 Karma: 27060153 Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: USA Device: iPhone 15PM, Kindle Scribe, iPad mini 6, PocketBook InkPad Color 3	Google Play Books also has TTS (and highlights phrases as it reads out), and you can upload your own ePub to your personal Play Books storage. The Kindle app works fairly well with Android accessibility features, and with those turned on it will read out text, though it does not have plain old TTS.

02-12-2014, 02:20 PM	#5
Tarana Wizard Posts: 4,040 Karma: 38840460 Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Minneapolis Device: PWSE, Voyage, K3, HDX, KBasic 7 & 8, Nook Glo3, Echos, Nanos	Thanks so much!! I'm going to try these options this afternoon.

02-12-2014, 07:32 PM	#6
nikkie Guru Posts: 614 Karma: 73700 Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: WA, USA Device: Android, Kindle Paperwhite, lots of ancient readers	For what it's worth, the daisy format is specifically designed to be read aloud by software. I don't know of very many retailers that ship it yet except O'Reilly, which is for technical books. If you learn more, let me know!

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