The Present Pal app, a free-to-download tool for students, hopes to assist dyslexic students with the daunting task of public speaking.

A significant portion of students (93%) and the general population (77%) fear the prospect of public speaking, and presentation anxiety among students is a growing problem. For people with learning differences such as dyslexia, public speaking can be an anxiety-inducing task.

Present Pal App

Present Pal’s presentation support software enables people to deliver a more confident, prepared presentation. The app guides users through their presentation with a series of interactive flashboards on their smartphone or tablet and is fully integrated with Microsoft PowerPoint.

Apps are playing an increasingly important role in enabling people with learning differences to become more confident; with a broad mixture of products providing text-to-speech features or audio description.

DSA Needs Assessor, Adam Tweed, highlighted the growing concerns that students have over presenting before their peers, and suggested that apps such as Present Pal could become a key tool.

He said: “Present Pal addresses so many of the anxieties I hear from students when it comes to presenting. It combines recommended techniques such as the use of cue cards, with visual adjustments such as screen tinting and font choice together with easy-to-use presentation control.

“This is a universally useful solution for anyone who needs to present.”

The software has various expert-advised features such as pop-up bubbles which provide a safety to store key information and images. Users can also personalise app features to suit their individual needs, helping students to confidently express themselves.

Tech for Good

Founder and CEO of Present Pal, Chris Hughes, said the idea for the app came about due to his own experiences as a student with dyslexia.

He explained: “The idea for Present Pal came about through my own experiences as a dyslexic student,” he said. “During which, I realised that there is no real presentation support available for struggling students.

“The soft launch of Present Pal has given us an excellent opportunity to refine and revamp the app in time for uni starting. The team and I are really delighted with the final app and can’t wait to help as many students as possible.”