In January, Unified Technology Services presented at the GOLD program, a professional development series by the Graduate School. Their session, Read, Write, and Study Better with Tools from Digital Accessibility Services, highlighted digital tools that enhance productivity and learning efficiency for students. 

The presentation emphasized universal design, showing how tools initially designed for accessibility benefit a larger audience. Featured tools included Read and Write, which reads PDFs and extracts text; LibKey Nomad, providing journal access without paywalls; and Canvas Integration, syncing calendars with Outlook. They also addressed some misconceptions about accessibility tools, exemplifying how they are essential productivity enhancers, not just accommodations. 

“Being able to impart knowledge of resources, services, and support available in Information Technology for BSU students is what we enjoy doing,” Assistant Director of UTS, Marchal Hudson, stated. “Presenting on these technology topics and many others shows our dedication and respect for diverse environments, experiences, and needs here at BSU.”

Graduate students often struggle with research and organization, making these tools invaluable. Most of their time in school is filled with daunting research and tight schedules, so having tools that help organize and decipher information faster will help create a more efficient study routine.   

In fact, studies show that 52% of Americans use audiobooks, physicians use speech recognition 2:1 over writing notes, and 30% of new car owners consider CarPlay a dealbreaker—all technologies initially designed for accessibility but now mainstream. That said, this session reinforced the idea that leveraging these tools can improve efficiency for everyone, especially students.