ReadSpeaker Partners with Jisc to Expand Inclusivity in UK Higher Education

The agreement, facilitated by ReadSpeaker’s UK partner Aventido (opens in a new tab), enables universities and colleges to access TextAid through Chest’s trusted, cost-effective licensing framework, helping institutions to provide inclusive learning while managing tightening budgets.

“By offering TextAid through Chest, institutions can provide inclusive support that reaches a wider range of learners and staff, including neurodiverse people, those learning in a second language, and others who benefit from assistive technology without needing a formal diagnosis or disclosure,”
Jay Giddens, dyslexia advocate and Sales Manager at ReadSpeaker.

Supporting inclusion at scale 

TextAid is ReadSpeaker’s personal literacy support tool designed to help students read, write, research and study more effectively. It combines:

• Natural-sounding Text to Speech
• Real-time highlighting
• Proof-listening while writing
• Translation tools for multilingual learners
• Optical Character Recognition (OCR) and document support
• Note-taking and research tools
• Mp3 downloads

TextAid also includes Exam Mode, enabling secure, approved assistive support during assessments. This ensures consistent accessibility through the entire learning journey: for neurodivergent students, second-language learners, and anyone who benefits from hearing text read aloud.

A timely step for higher education

The agreement comes at a time of fast-changing trends in higher education. At BETT 2026, we discussed these shifts with Hannah Lawrence, Software Licensing Manager for Teaching, Learning and Assessment at Jisc, who highlighted the ways in which AI could be increasingly used to enhance student support and improve learning outcomes.

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As institutions balance accessibility commitments with financial pressure, this collaboration reflects a shared commitment to practical, sustainable inclusion.

Partnership across the sector

The agreement reflects the collaboration of ReadSpeaker, Aventido, and Jisc, in improving inclusivity across education.

“We understand that universities are under considerable pressure to provide meaningful support to students while operating within strict budgets, so we are pleased to have supported this agreement via Jisc and Chest,”
Matt Dean, Chief Operations Officer at Aventido.

Jisc (opens in a new tab) is the UK’s not-for-profit digital, data and technology agency for education and research. Through Chest, Jisc negotiates cost-effective agreements for software and digital resources, helping institutions reduce costs, streamline procurement and invest more effectively in tools that support teaching, learning and inclusion.

“We’re proud that independent analysis has highlighted the economic impact of Jisc’s work, with members receiving more than £3 in savings for every £1 invested,”
Hannah Lawrence, Software Licensing Manager for Teaching, Learning and Assessment at Jisc

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We’re looking forward to working closely with Jisc and the higher education community to help institutions provide meaningful, scalable, and inclusive support to every learner.

Find out more

Learn more about ReadSpeaker TextAid
Find out more about TextAid via Chest here (opens in a new tab)