The Kindle Paperwhite is one of the best e-readers in the world. It has a brilliant E Ink display with excellent contrast, the backlight allows for uniform illumination of the display while performance too is fast enough to not make one feel stuck at any point in time. Then it is quite affordable too.
However, not many might be knowing the e-reader comes with some nice accessibility features as well that, as PCMag stated make it great for those with different forms of disabilities. Read on to find on those.
VoiceView for Screen Readers
The VoiceView feature is available only for the Kindle Paperwhite and is aimed at those who rely on screen readers. This way, the feature can pair with a screen reader to read aloud all that is on the display. One will have to invoke the pairing mode on the Kindle to pair with an assistive device.
- For this, press and hold on to the power button for nine seconds.
- Thereafter, hold two fingers pressed apart on the display for a second.
- Once pairing with a Bluetooth device is complete, there is going to be a message read aloud saying ‘Hold two fingers on the screen to use this audio device with VoiceView screen reader on Kindle.’
Amazon also has on offer more than 12 million books that support screen reader tech, which means ample of content to keep you engaged.
Word Wise for Definitions
This is a great feature for those who aren’t proficient in the English language but are eager to read books in English. This might be great for Children too who may have just started learning the English language. The way it works is this – any difficult words that you encounter are accompanied by a simple definition that is shown on the top. Taping on the word will open up another menu showing more definitions.
The point to note here is that Word Wise only supports the English language at the moment.
- To activate Word Wise, tap on the top of the page for the drop-down menu to appear.
- Select the Aa icon
- From the option that appears, select the More option.
- Under More, select Word Wise
- You have different options here which you can select depending on the level of support that you need.
X-Ray
X-ray feature provides users with sort of a character map within the book so that you can have an overview of where within the book that particular character appears. The above also applies to images, phrases, and such. This way, readers can also have an overview of the story plot as well.
Activating C-Ray is simple.
- Just open a book and tap on the three dots in the upper right corner.
- From the drop-down menu that appears, tap on X-Ray.
- The support is available for Notable Clips, People, Terms, and Images.
OpenDyslexic Font
The OpenDyslexic Font has been specially designed for those who suffer from dyslexia. For those who might not be knowing, dyslexia is a form of learning disability where people have trouble understanding letters, numbers, and symbols. Fortunately, there are several tools available to help those with dyslexic conditions. The OpenDyslexic Font is one of them.
For turning on OpenDyslexic Font on a Kindle:
- Open any book and tap on the top to launch the drop-down menu.
- From the menu, tap on Aa.
- In the menu options that appear, select Font Family > Font Family.
- Select OpenDyslexic Font from the several shown.
Increasing Font Sizes
Some might just be suffering from limited eyesight. e-Reader devices can be great for them given how one can change the font size to suit their requirements. Apart from increasing the font size, one can also increase or decrease the word spacing, or adjust margins. Apart from this, one can easily change the display orientation – portrait or landscape – to set up what suits them best.
- All font and page layout options can be accessed by tapping on the Aa icon.
Invoking Dark Mode
The E Ink display on a Kindle is already known to be the most eye-friendly display you can have on an electronic device. They cause the least strain and offer the same feel as that of real paper. However, research has revealed reading light words against a dark background can be easier on your eyes and is especially true for those with sensory processing differences.
To invoke Dark Mode:
- Tap on the three dots at the top right corner and select Settings from the menu that appears.
- On the Settings page, select Accessibility.
- On the Accessibility page, toggle the button against Invert Black and White to invoke Dark Mode and Light Mode.
The point to note here is that Dark Mode is only available in the following Kindle versions – Kindle Paperwhite 11th Gen. Kindle Paperwhite 10th Gen. Kindle Oasis 10th Gen (2019).
With a keen interest in tech, I make it a point to keep myself updated on the latest developments in technology and gadgets. That includes smartphones or tablet devices but stretches to even AI and self-driven automobiles, the latter being my latest fad. Besides writing, I like watching videos, reading, listening to music, or experimenting with different recipes. The motion picture is another aspect that interests me a lot, and I'll likely make a film sometime in the future.
