This website is now
speech-enabled, which means that you can download free software onto your
personal computer and have the site read aloud to you.
The free software is
called Browsealoud, and is used on over 2000 websites in the UK and USA.
Browsealoud is a Windows browser plug-in designed for use with Internet
Explorer 4 upwards or Netscape Navigator.
If you install the Browsealoud plugin
onto your PC, you can have the web pages on the Durham County Council website
read to you (and other sites that are speech-enabled).
Why speech enable our website?
Speech enabling our website provides
an additional way of accessing our content for people who find it hard to read.
This includes those with dyslexia or learning difficulties, those for whom
English is not their first language, or anyone with a mild visual impairment.
It is not designed to replace other screen readers.
What is Browsealoud?
Browsealoud is a solution that allows you to
have website content read to you.
As you move the cursor over text, it is
spoken aloud.
Browsealoud is free to download and you have control over the
voice, word pronunciations and speech highlighting.
How does it work?
You download a free, small browser plug-in.
Once
the plug-in has been installed, content on this site can be spoken aloud.
Does it work on all pages?
Browsealoud will read every webpage on our
site.
It can also read pdfs in Adobe Reader Version 6.0 onwards.
This meets the
World Wide Web Consortium's
(W3C's) Level A
guidelines for accessibility.
Can I customise Browsealoud?
Yes.
Once plugged in, look for the
Browsealoud icon in your system tray, which is usually at the bottom right hand
corner of your screen (beside the system clock).
Right click on the icon and
choose 'open Browsealoud settings' from the menu.
The speech tab on the
settings window enables you to choose a male or female voice, and change the
speed, pitch and volume of the reader.
To read the entire page from where your
cursor points, check the 'Continue reading from pointer' box.
Otherwise
Browsealoud will only read the individual sentences you point to.
For further help and assistance with the Browsealoud product take a look at the
Browsealoud FAQs
on their
website.
Downloading Browsealoud
Click on the image below and you will be
taken to an external site where you will find
full instructions
to carry out the download and installation.
A browsealoud icon will be placed
in your system tray which is at the bottom right of your browser.
(( Download Browsealoud ))