Assistive Technology Resources

Assistive Technology Resources and Support

Below are Assistive Technology resources and support that you might find helpful

Kurzweil 3000 is a literacy software that is available to eligible students for the duration of their attendance at SF State.

Installation Instructions – Windows

  1. Make sure you have already uninstalled previous versions of Kurzweil
  2. Download the installation file of Kurzweil for Windows.
  3. Run the file you downloaded 
  4. At the installation screen, choose “Install Web Licensing Software”
  5. Click “Next” and choose “I accept the terms in the license agreement”.
  6. Click “Next,” fill in your information at the customer information prompt and select “Next”
  7. Choose “Complete installation,” then choose “Next”
  8. After the installation is complete, click the “Finish” button
  9. Restart your computer when prompted
  10. The installation is now complete. Locate and open the “Kurzweil 3000” shortcut on your desktop
  11. At the prompt, type your username and password, and then select the “OK” button

Installation Instructions – Mac OS

  1. Download the latest version of Kurzweil for Mac
  2. When the window opens, drag the “Kurzweil 3000 Web License” folder to the Applications folder
  3. After the installation is complete, open the “Kurzweil 3000 Web License” folder under the Applications folder
  4. Click on “Kurzweil 3000”
  5. If you receive an error message "Kurzweil 3000 can't be opened because it is from an unidentified developer" you will need to go to System Preferences then Security & Privacy and find the Open Anyway button on the bottom (ensure the unlock icon is showing on the bottom left).
  6. Once Kurzweil opens, type in your user name and password, and then select the “Login” button

Training videos

DPRC has created training videos for Kurzweil 

A Smart Pen is a pen device that can record audio from your lectures, in addition to recording the handwritten notes that you take in class. The pen is designed to allow students to be strategic with their time and only review selected portions of the recorded lecture after class to fill in any gaps of the written notes. This and other functionality can be learned about at a training to be provided on using the Smart Pens as needed. 

Echo SmartPen
More information and training on Smart Pens

Many computers and devices have built-in assistive software that helps people with disabilities use them more effectively. Some of the most common are listed below

The Accessible Media Quick Converter can be used to quickly convert your electronic files into popular accessible formats. After you complete the steps, the file you requested will be emailed to you in a few minutes depending on the length and complexity of the source materials. All SF State students, faculty and staff are eligible to use this tool.

Note: This tool works very well for text based documents but does not use human verified optical character recognition (OCR). As such, we do not recommend its use for critical or poorly scanned and photo-copied documents. In addition, please note that the resulting output does not produce structurally accessible PDF or Word files (ex. marked up headings, tables, etc.). If you need additional support with these files, please contact the Accessible Media Program.