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Getting Started with AssisT

Install AssisT and discover accessibility features personalized to your learning style.

Welcome to AssisT!

You’ve just installed augmentative learning technology designed to superpower how you read, write, and learn.

Beyond Accessibility: Technology That Empowers

AssisT isn’t just an accessibility tool - it’s designed to help everyone learn better.

You might think “accessibility tools” are only for people with disabilities. But think about it differently:

  • Text-to-Speech isn’t just for dyslexic students - it’s for anyone who learns better by hearing. Speed readers. Multitaskers. Auditory learners.
  • AI Summarization isn’t just for ADHD students - it’s for anyone tackling dense textbooks, research papers, or overwhelming reading lists.
  • OCR isn’t just for visual impairments - it’s for anyone who needs to extract text from images, PDFs, or scanned documents.

Augmentative technology levels the playing field. Everyone has different learning strengths. AssisT helps you leverage YOUR strengths instead of struggling with your weaknesses.

Whether you’re neurodivergent, neurotypical, a visual learner, an auditory learner, or just someone who wants to learn more efficiently - AssisT is for you.

Important: Where AssisT Works

This is the most important thing to know before using AssisT.

AssisT doesn’t work on every website by default

To protect your privacy, AssisT only works on educational platforms out of the box:

  • Canvas LMS (*.instructure.com, *.canvas.com)
  • Moodle (*.moodle.org, *.moodlecloud.com)
  • Google Classroom (classroom.google.com)
  • Google Docs (docs.google.com)

If you try to use AssisT on other websites, nothing will happen. This isn’t a bug—it’s by design.

How to Enable AssisT Everywhere

Want to use AssisT on Wikipedia, news sites, research databases, or any other website? Here’s how to enable it (this only takes 30 seconds and you only need to do it once):

Step 1: Click the AssisT icon in your Chrome toolbar

Step 2: Look for the “Enable Everywhere” button (you’ll see a yellow banner)

Step 3: Click the button. Chrome will show a permission dialog that says:

“AssisT wants to: Access your data on all websites”

Step 4: Click Allow

Step 5: Reload any tabs where you want to use AssisT

That’s it! AssisT now works on every website you visit.

Why does Chrome show that scary message?

Chrome requires all extensions to ask permission before they can access websites. This is a privacy protection—it ensures you know exactly where an extension can run.

AssisT never collects or sends your data anywhere. Everything runs locally in your browser. We just need Chrome’s permission to add accessibility features to web pages.

You can revoke this permission anytime in Chrome Settings → Extensions → AssisT → Site access.

Step 1: Basic Setup

Now that you understand permissions, let’s set up AssisT.

Opening AssisT

Click the AssisT icon in your Chrome toolbar. You’ll see:

  • Quick Start presets at the top (one-click setup for common needs)
  • Feature sections organized by category
  • Settings button (gear icon) for advanced options

Choose a Quick Start Preset

The fastest way to get started is to pick a preset that matches your needs:

PresetBest ForWhat It Enables
ADHD FocusStaying on taskPomodoro timer, progress tracking, simplified interface
Dyslexia SupportEasier readingOpenDyslexic font, wide spacing, reading progress bar
Sensory SensitiveReducing overwhelmNo animations, muted colors, media blocking

Click any preset to apply it instantly. You can always customize individual settings later.

Or Customize Manually

If you prefer to set things up yourself, AssisT organizes 35+ accessibility features into these sections:

  1. Reading Help — Text-to-Speech, Reading Mode, Dyslexia Mode, OCR
  2. Writing Help — Speech-to-Text, Sticky Notes, Annotations
  3. Look Up Words — Dictionary, Translation, Highlight Menu
  4. Reading Aids — Reading Guide, Focus Mode, Progress Bar, Text Stats
  5. Pointer & Zoom — Magnifying Lens, Custom Cursor
  6. Visual Comfort — Dark Mode, Color Overlays, Text Customization
  7. Productivity — Pomodoro Timer, Media Control
  8. School Tools — Citations, LMS Integration

Toggle features on/off as needed. Settings are saved automatically.

Step 2: Try Your First Feature

Let’s make sure everything is working. Here are three easy features to try:

Try Text-to-Speech

  1. Go to any webpage (remember to enable AssisT everywhere first, or use Canvas/Moodle/Google Classroom)
  2. Select some text with your mouse
  3. Press Ctrl+Shift+Space to hear it read aloud
  4. Press again to pause

Try Reading Mode

  1. On any article or document, press Alt+R
  2. The page transforms into a clean, distraction-free view
  3. Press Escape to exit

Try the Reading Guide

  1. Press Alt+G to enable
  2. A horizontal line follows your cursor, helping you track where you’re reading
  3. Press Alt+G again to disable

Step 3: Set Up AI Features (Optional)

AssisT includes powerful AI features like summarization, text simplification, and assignment breakdown. These are completely optional and offer four different modes to match your needs.

Choose Your AI Mode

You can pick from four AI processing modes:

  1. Off — No AI features (still get 35+ non-AI accessibility tools)
  2. Gemini Nano — Chrome’s built-in AI (easiest, zero setup, completely private)
  3. Local AI (Ollama) — Your own AI models (powerful, private, free)
  4. Cloud AI — Your API key (most powerful, requires API account)

Easiest setup — just enable one Chrome flag:

  1. Visit chrome://flags/#optimization-guide-on-device-model
  2. Set to “Enabled”
  3. Restart Chrome
  4. Open AssisT settings and select “Gemini Nano” mode
  5. Chrome downloads the model automatically (happens in background)

Benefits: Zero installation, completely private, works offline, free.

Limitations: Single model, basic tasks only, requires Chrome 128+.

AI features can run locally on your computer using a tool called Ollama. This means:

  • Your data never leaves your device
  • No subscriptions or API fees
  • Works offline once set up
  • More powerful than Gemini Nano

Quick Setup (5-10 minutes)

For Windows:

  1. Download Ollama from ollama.com/download
  2. Run the installer
  3. Open Command Prompt and run: ollama pull llama3.2:3b
  4. Wait for the 2GB download to complete

For Mac:

  1. Download Ollama from ollama.com/download
  2. Drag to Applications and open it
  3. Open Terminal and run: ollama pull llama3.2:3b
  4. Wait for the download to complete

For detailed instructions, see our complete Ollama Setup Guide.

Verify It’s Working

Once Ollama is running, AssisT automatically detects it. You’ll see AI features become available in the popup under the “AI Assist” section.

Option 3: Cloud AI (Optional)

For the most powerful AI capabilities, you can use cloud providers with your own API key:

  1. Get an API key from Anthropic, OpenAI, or Google AI
  2. Open AssisT settings → AI Settings
  3. Select “Cloud AI” mode
  4. Enter your API key
  5. Choose your preferred model

Benefits: Most powerful, latest models including Claude 4.5/4.6 family (Haiku, Sonnet, Opus), GPT-4, and Gemini 2.0.

Trade-offs: Costs per use, requires internet, data sent to API provider (not Fiavaion).

AI Features You’ll Unlock

With any AI mode enabled, you can:

  • Summarize articles and documents (brief, detailed, or ELI5)
  • Simplify complex text to your reading level
  • Break down assignments into step-by-step tasks
  • Generate study questions (Socratic Tutor)
  • Describe images (requires vision model: llava for Ollama, Claude Sonnet 4.5+/GPT-4o/Gemini for Cloud)

Essential Keyboard Shortcuts

Memorize these shortcuts for faster access:

ShortcutAction
Ctrl+Shift+SpacePlay/Pause Text-to-Speech
Ctrl+Shift+SStop Text-to-Speech
Alt+RToggle Reading Mode
Alt+OOCR Screenshot
Alt+Shift+DDictionary Lookup
Alt+FToggle Focus Mode
Alt+GToggle Reading Guide
Alt+YToggle Dyslexia Mode
Alt+TTranslate Selected Text
Alt+NCreate Sticky Note

All shortcuts can be customized in Settings → Keyboard Shortcuts.

Accessibility Tip: Minimize UI Clutter

NEW: AssisT now includes a UI clutter minimization toggle for users with sensory sensitivities or visual processing difficulties.

What It Does

Reduces visual noise in the AssisT popup interface by:

  • Hiding decorative elements
  • Simplifying button styles
  • Reducing color and contrast variations
  • Creating a cleaner, more focused layout

How to Enable

  1. Click the AssisT icon to open the popup
  2. Look for the minimize clutter toggle button in the header
  3. Click to enable minimalist mode
  4. The interface immediately simplifies

This setting is saved automatically and persists across browser sessions.

Who Benefits

  • Users with ADHD who need minimal distractions
  • Users with autism who prefer simpler interfaces
  • Users with visual processing disorders
  • Anyone who finds standard UI overwhelming

Troubleshooting

”AssisT isn’t doing anything!”

Most common cause: You haven’t enabled AssisT on all websites yet.

  1. Click the AssisT icon
  2. Click “Enable Everywhere”
  3. Allow the permission
  4. Reload the page

”AI features aren’t showing”

Make sure Ollama is running:

  1. Open your browser and go to localhost:11434
  2. You should see “Ollama is running”
  3. If not, open Ollama from your Applications/Start menu

”Text-to-Speech isn’t working”

  1. Make sure TTS is toggled ON in the popup
  2. Select some text on the page
  3. Press Ctrl+Shift+Space
  4. Check your computer’s volume

Next Steps

You’re all set! Here’s what to explore next:

For Educators & Parents

Setting up AssisT for students:

  1. Install the extension on the student’s Chrome browser
  2. Click “Enable Everywhere” so it works on all their school sites
  3. Have them select an appropriate Quick Start preset (ADHD Focus, Dyslexia Support, or Sensory Sensitive)
  4. Review the keyboard shortcuts together

Privacy assurance: All settings are stored locally. No personal data ever leaves the device. AI features (if enabled) also run entirely on the local computer.

Need More Help?