Guide
Mainstream eReader apps and low vision accessibility
List of options for display customization and accessibility settings available in popular mainstream eReading apps.
Mainstream eReader apps have several low vision accessibility features that allow users to access digital books they have purchased from an online retailer or borrowed from a digital library service. While some applications have limits on what books can be read on their platform (i.e an Amazon Kindle title cannot be read on the Barnes and Noble Nook app), mainstream eReader apps provide enhanced accessibility features and cross-platform support that give users even more options for how to customize their reading experience. Here is a round-up of mainstream eReader apps and their available accessibility features that benefit low vision users. All apps listed are free to use, but require users to create a free account or purchase books separately.
Wait, how are these settings helpful for low vision?
This post provides a list of features available within mainstream eReader apps, but does not go into detail about what these features are or how to enable them. For an in-depth breakdown of what each feature does, read my post “A to Z of Assistive Technology for Reading Digital Text” for additional details.
Related links
- A to Z of Assistive Technology for Reading Digital Text
- My Favorite Free Fonts For Print Disabilities
- File Formats For Low Vision and Print Disabilities
Amazon Kindle
The Amazon Kindle app offers several features for users with print disabilities, as well as extensive sideloading support- users can upload files up to 200 MB for reading with their Kindle application or eReader. The Send to Kindle feature allows approved users to send files directly into the Kindle app, and automatically displays the content with the user’s pre-defined display settings. Files can be sent over email, uploaded from the web, sent from Microsoft Word, or added with a web extension.
Platforms supported
- Android
- ChromeOS
- iOS
- iPadOS
- Mac
- Windows
- Web browser
Accessibility features available
- Fonts: Amazon Ember Bold, Baskerville, Bookerly, Caecelia, Georgia, Helvetica, OpenDyslexic, Palantino
- Slider with 18 font sizes
- Supports default system font size
- Page colors: White, Sepia, Light Green, Black
- Continuous scrolling
- Adjustable spacing, alignment, margins, and columns
- Option for highlighting and annotating text
- Built-in dictionary
- In-app reading ruler (line guide)
- Read aloud/text-to-speech with word-level highlighting (Assistive Reader)
- Sideloading with file browser
- Read audiobooks with accompanying text (audio-supported reading) or titles purchased from Audible
- Customize brightness in-app
How I use it personally
- I love the Send to Kindle feature because it has a large size limit, and I can ask people to email documents directly to my Kindle app by sharing the email address.
- Many of my college textbooks were purchased from the Amazon Kindle store, and I would read them on my tablet or my computer when working on assignments.
- I also will check out books from my library with Libby/OverDrive and read them in the Kindle app
Related links
Apple Books
Also known as iBooks, Apple Books can also save PDFs and other sideloaded content in iCloud, as well as play audiobooks purchased from the Audiobooks store. Users can also select text and the Books app can translate, search, copy, speak, or spell the selected area for improved comprehension.
Platforms supported
- iOS
- iPadOS
- Mac
Accessibility features available
- Fonts: Original, Athelas, Avenir Next, Canela, Charter, Georgia, Iowan, Palatino, Proxima Nova, Publico, San Francisco, New York, Seravek, Times New Roman
- Slider with 15 font sizes
- Option for bold text
- Supports system font size
- Page colors: White, Black, Light gray (silver), Sepia, Ivory
- Continuous scrolling
- Adjustable line spacing, character spacing, word spacing, text justification, and columns
- Option for highlighting and annotating text
- Built-in dictionary
- Compatible with VoiceOver and Speak Text/Speak Selection for text-to-speech
- Keyboard Access
- Sideloading with file browser
- Support audiobooks downloaded from Audiobooks Store
- Customize brightness in-app
How I use it personally
- I like the San Francisco font for reading because it is very similar to my preferred Arial font, and it works great for reading documents with VoiceOver or similar tools.
- When saving a PDF to my iPad, I will use the Apple Books app to open it and enlarge visual content with a pinch-to-zoom gesture.
Related links
- How To Make iPad Accessible for Low Vision
- Enabling Temporary Accessibility Settings For iPad
- Choosing An iPad Keyboard For Low Vision
- Low Vision Accessibility Settings For MacBooks
BARNES AND NOBLE NOOK
I have owned Nook eReaders since they first came out in 2009, and this was the first reading app I ever used on my tablet and phone. Nook offers a surprisingly high number of display customization options, including custom background colors and font colors, more than a lot of the other apps on this list, though it does not offer built-in read aloud or text-to-speech.
Platforms supported
- Android
- iOS
- iPadOS
- Mac
- Web browser
Accessibility features available
- Fonts: Original font, Century Schoolbook, Georgia, Ascender Sans, Gill Sans, Trebuchet, Dutch, OpenDyslexic.
- Slider with 15 font sizes
- Supports system font size
- Eight background colors with default themes: White, Black, Orange, Silver, Pale Yellow, Gray, Sepia. Twelve additional color options available in themes, with option for users to pick their own color using HSB slider
- Customize colors for background, font, links, and highlights
- Adjustable margins, line spacing, justification, and columns (configured in Reader Settings menu)
- Option for highlighting and annotating text
- Built-in dictionary
- Compatible with screen readers (i.e VoiceOver), but not read aloud
- Sideloading with file browser
- Supports audiobooks downloaded from Nook store
- Customizable brightness in-app
How I use it personally
- I love using the Nook app for cookbooks I download from Bookshare, because there are so many options for customizing the display and background colors so I can read it wherever I am in the kitchen.
- Even though it doesn’t offer the same color customization options as the app, I love my Nook eReader for reading novels or other leisure material.
Related links
Libby/OverDrive
The Libby app by OverDrive provides readers with the option to check out eBooks, magazines, and audiobooks at no cost with a library card. Libby is available 24 hours a day and is available from over 90% of public libraries in the USA/North America, as well as 78 different countries.
Platforms supported
- Amazon
- Android
- ChromeOS
- iOS
- iPadOS
- Mac
- Windows
- Web browser
Accessibility features available
- Fonts: Palatino, Georgia, Old Style, Cochin, Serif, Sans Serif.
- OpenDyslexic font is also available under book design settings
- Option for bold (heavy weight) font
- Slider with 15 font sizes; additional font options available by enabling accessibility settings
- Page colors: Bright (white), Sepia, Dark (Black)
- Adjustable line spacing (1.0, 1.5, 2.0) and justification
- Button for enabling single column or double columns for text
- Option for highlighting and annotating text
- Built-in dictionary
- Keyboard access
- Screen reader support, but no option for read aloud
- Supports audiobooks from Libby/Overdrive, but audiobooks cannot be played simultaneously with eBooks
How I use it personally
- I use the Libby app to read magazines, enlarging text either with a pinch-to-zoom gesture or with the Article View option
- The OverDrive service is extremely useful for finding digital copies of books that are not available on Bookshare, and I can read titles either within the Libby app or with the Kindle app.
Related links
Google Play Books
Google Play Books offers options for sideloading up to 2,000 titles at no charge, and synchronizes annotations and highlights to Google Drive, making it easier to search for notes or text content. Reading progress is also synchronized across applications, making it easy for readers to pick up where they left off.
Platforms supported
- Android
- ChromeOS
- iOS
- iPadOS
- Mac
- Windows
- Web browser
Accessibility features available
- Fonts: Original, Helvetica, Verdana, Literata, Georgia, Baskerville, Cochin, Palatino, Times New Roman
- Text size can be enlarged up to 200% on web applications, and up to 800% on mobile applications
- Page colors: Bright (white), Sepia, Dark (Black)
- Adjustable line spacing with up to 200% on web applications and 300% on mobile applications, configured in 10% increments
- Option for highlighting and annotating text
- Built-in dictionary
- Keyboard access
- Screen reader support, but no option for read aloud
- Sideloading with file browser
- Supports audiobooks downloaded from Google Play
- Customizable brightness in-app
How I use it personally
- I really like using Google Play Books if I have to take a lot of notes/annotate content because I can synchronize the notes to my Google Drive and easily search for them later.
- Some of my favorite or most-used books are backed up to Google Play Books in case I can’t access one of my other reading applications, which was helpful when I got temporarily locked out of another account. I also back up textbooks I received from my college’s assistive technology office.
Related links
Chegg
Chegg specializes in print and digital textbooks and offers several reading display options for reading their digital content. Their textbook marketplace offers competitive pricing for textbooks, as well as options for renting or buying titles that may not be available from other stores.
Platforms supported
- Android
- iOS
- iPadOS
- Web browser
Accessibility features available
- Fonts: Default, Sans Serif, Old Style, Modern, Humanist, Monospace, OpenDyslexic, Atkinson Hyperlegible
- Slider with 4 font sizes: Small, Medium, Large, and Extra Large
- Page colors: Day (white), Night (dark), Sepia, Cyan
- Adjustable margins and line height with three options for each: Small, Medium, and Large
- Single column layout displayed by default
- Option for highlighting and annotating text
- Built-in dictionary
- Built in read aloud and text-to-speech, with multiple options for configuring voice settings and level of detail
How I use it personally
- Chegg displays tables, charts, and graphs phenomenally well in large print or large display scaling, keeping structures and other formatting intact.
- I’ve also purchased digital textbooks on Chegg that were not available on other websites or that were much more expensive.
Related links
More resources on eReader apps and low vision accessibility
- One of my other favorite tools for reading digital text with low vision is a simplified reading display, which I write about more in Simplified Reading Displays and Low Vision
- Looking for more posts on reading and writing with low vision? Check out the post category Reading And Writing Archives | Veronica With Four Eyes (veroniiiica.com)
By Veronica Lewis/Veronica With Four Eyes, www.veroniiiica.com
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