Description of App
Dolphin EasyReader is a free reading app that enables people who are blind, visually impaired (VI) or dyslexic to read text and audio books in ways that suit their vision and preferred reading style.
EasyReader offers convenient access to your favourite accessible book libraries and talking newspaper stands, in one place.
Neurodivergent readers – especially readers who have dyslexia – can customise their reading experience with dyslexia-friendly fonts, adjustable colour schemes and word highlights that synchronise with audio.
Designed for accessibility, EasyReader enables blind and partially sighted readers to read with magnified text, with audio, or a combination of both - where each word is highlighted on screen as it’s read aloud. It also links to braille displays for braille readers.
EasyReader is fully optimized for use with iOS VoiceOver and iOS supported Braille displays.
EasyReader Features:
Open a World of Accessible Books
EasyReader provides global access to millions of books from accessible book libraries around the world. Log in to your favourite library to read accessible versions of classic books, the latest bestsellers, non-fiction, school textbooks and children’s storybooks.
Customise to Read Your Way
Text magnification in EasyReader is easy to adjust. Simply pinch in and out on the screen to find the text size that’s best for you. With EasyReader the text is always sharp and visible on screen. It’s an exceptional experience for readers with visual impairments.
Read in fonts that work best for you, including dyslexia-friendly fonts. In EasyReader you can customise the colour of text, background colour and contrast. Adjust letter and line spacing to make your reading experience even better.
Audio Books & Text-to-Audio
Listen to narrated audio books or listen to text-only books and newspapers, which EasyReader converts to human-sounding synthesised speech. Audio perfectly synchronises with on-screen text highlights, so you can read along as you listen.
In EasyReader, you can modify pronunciation, choose the reading voices you prefer and adjust reading speed and volume.
Read a Range of Formats
EasyReader reads a wide range of book and document formats, including:
• HTML
• Text files
• DAISY 2 and DAISY 3
• Microsoft Word (DOCX only)
• PDFs (with RNIB Bookshare)
• Any text copied to clipboard
Easy to Navigate
Access your favourite libraries, then browse and download books easily, with intuitive navigation and accessible controls.
In EasyReader you can move around books quickly. Skip forward or back when reading and skip to any page or chapter.
Type keywords in the search facility to quickly find the information you need.
Add Bookmarks & Notes
To help navigate books, readers can bookmark favourite pages and sections. To help with study or reference, readers can also add text notes.
Libraries & Talking Newspaper Services in EasyReader
Global:
• Project Gutenberg
• Bookshare
UK:
• Calibre Audio
• RNIB Bookshare
• RNIB Newsagent
• RNIB Reading Services
USA & Canada:
• Bookshare
• NFB Newsline
• CELA
Sweden:
• Legimus
• MTM Taltidningar
• Inläsningstjänst AB
Europe:
• DZDN
• Eole
• Anderslezen
• ATZ
• Bookshare Ireland
• Buchknacker
• CBB
• DZB Lesen
• KDD
• Libro Parlato
• Luetus
• NBH Hamburg
• NCBI Overdrive
• NKL
• NLB
• Nota
• Oogvereniging
• Passend Lezen
• Pratsam Demo
• SBS
• UICI
• Vereniging Onbeperkt Lezen
Rest of World:
• LKF
• Vision Australia
• Blind Low Vision NZ
Please note:
Membership is required for most accessible libraries. It’s easy to set these up on the library websites. To help, we have listed all of these in the EasyReader app.
You can apply for membership with your diagnosis of a print impairment - which includes dyslexia and other neurodiverse conditions, vision impairments and other physical disabilities.
Comments
RNIB overdrive
I tried to access RNIB overdrive today after downloading the app, but found that it didn't appear in the library section, or the manage my libraries section. I'm running the latest version of IOS on an iphone 6s +. has anyone else had this issue. I really hope there is a fix, as I just tried to log into the overdrive app and also found that inaccessible :( I find it so sad that RNIB have this system that is meant to be accessible and yet it is so difficult to access.
#1 RNIB overdrive
Hi Jasmine. EasyReader v2.2 does includes first support for RNIB OverDrive, but we have discovered an intermittent bug where the RNIB OverDrive library vanishes without reason! This has been fixed and is currently in beta, so I suggest you hold fire until the next EasyReader update, v2.3, which is due quite soon. V2.3 will also have some extra 'features' of the library available so browsing will be simpler, rather than just having to search for a title.
Sorry for the inconvenience. Do give 2.3 a try when it comes out, as I think you'll be pleasantly surprised how easy & accessible the access is!
Many thanks
Hazel
I have a couple of questions
I have a few questions about this app. I'm a member of Overdrive and Ntnm and my questions relate to NTNM because I understand from above comments that Overdrive's not quite there yet. Here's the questions:1. How can I manually refresh NTNM subscriptions. It's been very hit or miss and the only way I can force a refresh is to quit the app from within the app switcher UI.2. When are read issues deleted? I have a couple of Guardian issues that have been ran through but they don't seem to self-delete. Is there an option to remove individual issues after completing them?The app is very handy though and I am genuinely looking forward to full Overdrive support.
#1 RNIB overdrive - Fix
Hi Jasmine. Good news. The case of the disappearing RNIB OverDrive library is now resolved. It seems our firewall was being a little over zealous. EasyReader v2.2 should now 'see' the RNIB OverDrive library. Let me know if you're still having problems. Sorry for the inconvenience.
Hazel
I have a couple of questions
Hi James
Sorry for the delayed response.
1. The subscriptions are 'fetched' when you enter 'My Newspaper'. However if you have recently been into My Newspapers, it won't keep checking.
2. If you have more than 5 issues of a particular newspaper, it will be removed after 1 month. Currently there is no manual delete option currently.
Hope this helps? As always we welcome your feedback - good or bad - we're keen to hear what you think!
Many thanks
Haze
well, just wow!!
hazel, i just wanted to say, one word ... wow!!! the overdrive experience is so seemless and effortless, compared to the official overdrive app it has put me off using the service but now, given that it's free, it's superb! can i just make a suggestion? that the audio controls button is actionable using voiceover, as in the voicedream reader application, so that a swipe up, and down, when focused on the audio controls button, will speed up, or slow down the book as a result of this action. do the newspapers work the same way still when navigating, or have improvements been made to navigating RNIB newsagent?do you also support the audio content from RNIB newsagent? look forward to the next release. will it allow us to browse overdrive and see new releases etc? Will
Very Nice App
I downloaded this app earlier today, and did just a little bit with it. I have a question about registration on the support forum. Is it separate from the activation upon downloading the app? I attempted to register in the forum last week, but never received my activation link. But other than that, I really like your app. I read part of a Project Gutenberg item, and it worked very well. I don't see BARD in the list, but I think that's just as well since I've got one of the NLS players and just listen to material on there. Also, the "Back" button is unlabeled in some areas. Will this be fixed in a future update?
EasyReader issues
Issue #1: When I enter a search keyword into any book, when no results are shown, and I swipe right to hit the Keyboard button, the app crashes.
Issue #2: Sometimes while scrolling through search keyword results in a book, or even just after typing something in and then pressing the space bar, I will get thrown out of the search field.
Issue #3: When searching for a book in the search field, then deleting it, the book will still be in the search results until I close the search. If I click on it will say "Warning: Failed to load book", much like the alert that used to come up on some random bookshare books when they didn't download properly (which is fixed now thankfully).
Issue #4: When I'm panning through the navigation bar fast on a braille display (like when the book is long and has lots of navigation points) I'll sometimes get thrown out of the navigation bar.
Is anyone else experiencing this?
Reading local files
I can't figure out how to quickly load a local text or Word document into EasyReader. Any suggestions?