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Tips for using VDWrite in the classroom with low vision

Strategies for using VDWriter (formally Voice Dream Writer) including how to convert documents to TXT and turning in completed assignments.

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Some of the students I’ve worked with find the feature-rich layouts of applications like Microsoft Word or Notability to be visually overwhelming and prefer a simpler layout for authoring and editing text. Many of them prefer the VDWrite application for iPad as it provides several accessibility features for low vision and print disabilities, but it does require some planning for accessing assignments in plain text formats instead of using .docx file formats. Here are my favorite strategies and tips for using VDWrite in the classroom with low vision students, and how to incorporate VDWrite into digital workflows for students with print disabilities.

What is VDWRite?

VDWrite (formerly known as Voice Dream Writer) is a text-to-speech enabled text editor app for iOS/iPadOS that offers several features for displaying text in large print and reading text out loud with text-to-speech or VoiceOver. In addition to providing options for customizing the display, VDWrite also offers access to writing tools such as dictionaries, advanced spellcheck features, and options for exporting documents to external folders or applications. VDWrite is available on the App Store for a one-time purchase of $9.99 USD.

File formats supported by VDWrite

VDWrite supports the following file formats:

Import files with VDWrite

Markdown is a lightweight markup language used for creating formatted text such as headings or lists using a plain text editor. To learn more about how to write with markdown syntax, I’ve linked a blog post from Oregon State University below.

Export file to external location with VDWrite

Importing files from cloud storage (Google Drive, Dropbox, etc.)

One of the most important things to remember when importing files from cloud storage tools like Google Drive, Dropbox or similar is that VDWrite does not allow users to import any file type other than plain text (txt) files. By default, applications like Microsoft Word and Google Docs use the .docx file format, which is not supported by VDWrite, and attempting to import these files into VDWrite directly will not work.

For users that want to edit a document created with Microsoft Word or Google Docs, they will need to convert the file to a plain text format first.

To convert Google Docs .docx files to plain text:

  1. Open a .doc or .docx file in Google Docs
  2. Select File from the toolbar
  3. Select Download, followed by Plain Text
  4. Save the Plain Text file to Google Drive or the file location of choice
  5. By default, the file will be exported without markdown syntax, such as headings, text formatting or ordered/unordered list

Once the file is downloaded, users can import it into VDWrite by selecting the Add menu (plus icon) and selecting Import From External Location to select the file from the File Explorer.

To convert Microsoft Word .docx files to plain text:

Note that the Microsoft Word application for iPad does not support exporting plain text files, so users will need to use a desktop application for this

  1. Open a .doc or .docx file in Microsoft Word
  2. Open the File ribbon
  3. Select Save a Copy
  4. From the drop-down menu below the file name, select Plain Text (.txt)
  5. Save the Plain Text file to cloud storage
  6. By default, the file will be exported without markdown syntax, such as headings, text formatting or ordered/unordered list

Once the file is downloaded, users can import it into VDWrite by selecting the Add menu (plus icon) and selecting Import From External Location to select the file from the File Explorer.

Using a markdown conversion tool

To preserve markdown syntax and formatting, users may prefer to use a markdown conversion tool to ensure formatting is preserved when importing a document into VDWrite. For Google Docs, I have used the free and open-source Docs to Markdown extension, which displays the markdown syntax in a sidebar that the user can then copy/paste into a .txt file or directly into VDWrite. For Microsoft Word, I’ve used the free online Word to Markdown successfully and copy/pasted markdown text directly from the browser window into VDWrite or into a .txt file.

Change display color settings

One of the benefits of using VDWrite for low vision is the option to customize color settings for display features such as text, background, highlighted text, spoken word (word-level highlighting) and spoken line (line-level highlighting). By default, VDWrite has a light color mode and dark color mode, though users can also select their own colors using a grid, color spectrum, or RGB/Hex slider. This can be helpful for students who get eyestrain from looking at bright white displays or that have preferred colors for different tasks.

Options for completing assignments with VDWrite

VDWrite offers a minimalist interface for both reading and authoring text, with options to customize the appearance of text, find text in a document and check spelling. Students have a few options for how they complete assignments for school with VDWrite, depending on their digital workflow.

Importing existing file and turning in assignments

Students can access assignments and import existing files from cloud storage or another external location as long as they are in a plain text (.txt) file format. Unless it was exported with markdown syntax, the file will not have formatting such as headings, text formatting, or ordered/unordered lists by default, though this can be added within VDWrite.

When students write answers to assignments in a file, it helps to add some sort of text formatting to indicate where their answers are, such as using **bold text** (markdown syntax) to indicate where they have added text.

Files are not automatically saved to cloud storage or to the original document, so students will need to export the file to an external location in the Action/Share menu, or select Send Text to save it to a shared folder or other location. I recommend exporting files as Microsoft Word, RTF or Plain Text with markdown to preserve the formatting.

Typing answers in a separate VDWrite document

Another option for students with low vision to type answers to an assignment is to create a new document in VDWrite and type answers in this separate document, which can include re-typing questions or just writing answers. I prefer using this option for tasks like notetaking or copying questions/answers from the board or a presentation, as I can read what I am writing in large print or listen to it with text-to-speech.

Files are not automatically saved to cloud storage other than iCloud, so students will need to export the file to an external location in the Action/Share menu, or Send Text to a different location to save it to a shared folder or other location. I recommend exporting files as Microsoft Word, RTF or Plain Text with markdown to preserve the formatting.

Proofreading text with VDWrite

VDWrite supports both large print and text-to-speech/VoiceOver for reading and proofreading text. The following features and settings can be used for proofreading text with VDWrite:

Composing emails and short text with VDWrite

VDWrite isn’t just for writing assignments or documents – it can also be used to compose emails, texts and other short content that can then be shared with Send Text or copy/pasted into another application. One of the students I worked with found it especially helpful for writing out emails as it marked misspelled words with a color they could see more easily than the thin red underline in other programs.

More tips for using VDWrite in the classroom with low vision

By Veronica Lewis/Veronica With Four Eyes, www.veroniiiica.com

Original post published September 2024

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