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Number of posts in this thread: 15 (In chronological order)

From: Mary Novello
Date: Tue, Jun 18 2013 3:42AM
Subject: Web based screen readers
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Hi everyone,



I'm noticing more and more government websites are adding "Listen to this
page" links to their websites which opens a player that reads out what is on
the page.



Does anyone have experience with using this type of product on their site,
has it been useful, does it get used often? Is it good practice to offer
this type of service on a website?



Thanks,

Mary

From: Tim Harshbarger
Date: Tue, Jun 18 2013 4:22AM
Subject: Re: Web based screen readers
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Mary,

I think it can be useful as long as the people implementing it understand what it can't and can do.

You can create an accessible site without using this feature. This feature alone won't make a site accessible or conformant to Section 508 or WCAG 2.0.

It won't benefit people using screen readers, because they will already be using their screen readers to read the page. In fact, I would go as far as to state that anyone that requires some kind of audio output to read web content will likely already be using a tool that provides that functionality--since users can't depend on most sites implementing that feature.

However, to use a web metaphor, disability isn't a checkbox, but more like a slider. Somewhere in the middle, people transition from not using any AT to using AT to assist them as they use the web. So, there always will be at least a few people, who could really benefit from using AT, but don't have it so that the feature is extremely useful to them. Also, it surprises me how many people I know that actually prefer listening to content rather than reading it--particularly lengthy passages of text. Some of those people may have disabilities, but not all of them by any means.

My own opinion is that you look at it as an enhancement. It might have some place in your site that will enhance its accessibility, but it probably won't be all that useful if core elements of accessibility aren't addressed first.

Thanks!
Tim

From: Dave Merrill
Date: Tue, Jun 18 2013 4:48AM
Subject: Re: Web based screen readers
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Can someone tell ignorant me how this is typically implemented? Do they
have one or more recordings of the part and/or its sections pre-done? Or
are they suing some sort of server-side text-to-speech technology?


On Tue, Jun 18, 2013 at 6:22 AM, Tim Harshbarger <
= EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:

> Mary,
>
> I think it can be useful as long as the people implementing it understand
> what it can't and can do.
>
> You can create an accessible site without using this feature. This
> feature alone won't make a site accessible or conformant to Section 508 or
> WCAG 2.0.
>
> It won't benefit people using screen readers, because they will already be
> using their screen readers to read the page. In fact, I would go as far as
> to state that anyone that requires some kind of audio output to read web
> content will likely already be using a tool that provides that
> functionality--since users can't depend on most sites implementing that
> feature.
>
> However, to use a web metaphor, disability isn't a checkbox, but more like
> a slider. Somewhere in the middle, people transition from not using any AT
> to using AT to assist them as they use the web. So, there always will be
> at least a few people, who could really benefit from using AT, but don't
> have it so that the feature is extremely useful to them. Also, it
> surprises me how many people I know that actually prefer listening to
> content rather than reading it--particularly lengthy passages of text.
> Some of those people may have disabilities, but not all of them by any
> means.
>
> My own opinion is that you look at it as an enhancement. It might have
> some place in your site that will enhance its accessibility, but it
> probably won't be all that useful if core elements of accessibility aren't
> addressed first.
>
> Thanks!
> Tim
>
>

From: GF Mueden
Date: Tue, Jun 18 2013 8:45AM
Subject: Re: Web based screen readers
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Mary, Tim, and All -

My eyes need help and there have been times when long lines ran off the
page and word wrap was not offered (e.g.afb.org). In such cases
Readability.com gives me a nice short line with word wrap, but text to
speech would have been welcomed for long articles as less tiring on the
eyes, neck, and back because I lean forward to have my eyes close to the
screen.

Why not use a screen reader? Because it would be acquiring a new skill
and at my age (96) the memory and ability to learn are much diminished
and I have other fish to fry, like responding to this.

It might help if we had in mind some specific examples of web based
screen readers, good and bad, for us ro try and report.

Regards, George



On 6/18/2013 6:22 AM, Tim Harshbarger wrote:
> Mary,
>
> I think it can be useful as long as the people implementing it understand what it can't and can do.
>
> You can create an accessible site without using this feature. This feature alone won't make a site accessible or conformant to Section 508 or WCAG 2.0.
>
> It won't benefit people using screen readers, because they will already be using their screen readers to read the page. In fact, I would go as far as to state that anyone that requires some kind of audio output to read web content will likely already be using a tool that provides that functionality--since users can't depend on most sites implementing that feature.
>
> However, to use a web metaphor, disability isn't a checkbox, but more like a slider. Somewhere in the middle, people transition from not using any AT to using AT to assist them as they use the web. So, there always will be at least a few people, who could really benefit from using AT, but don't have it so that the feature is extremely useful to them. Also, it surprises me how many people I know that actually prefer listening to content rather than reading it--particularly lengthy passages of text. Some of those people may have disabilities, but not all of them by any means.
>
> My own opinion is that you look at it as an enhancement. It might have some place in your site that will enhance its accessibility, but it probably won't be all that useful if core elements of accessibility aren't addressed first.
>
> Thanks!
> Tim

From: Angela French
Date: Tue, Jun 18 2013 9:20AM
Subject: Re: Web based screen readers
← Previous message | Next message →

>Can someone tell ignorant me how this is typically implemented? Do they have
>one or more recordings of the part and/or its sections pre-done? Or are they
>suing some sort of server-side text-to-speech technology?
>
>
Are you referring to products like BrowseAloud? http://www.browsealoud.com/page.asp?pg_id€094
I think there are others on the market like this too.

From: Patrick H. Lauke
Date: Tue, Jun 18 2013 9:38AM
Subject: Re: Web based screen readers
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On 18/06/2013 16:20, Angela French wrote:
>
>> Can someone tell ignorant me how this is typically implemented? Do they have
>> one or more recordings of the part and/or its sections pre-done? Or are they
>> suing some sort of server-side text-to-speech technology?
>>
>>
> Are you referring to products like BrowseAloud? http://www.browsealoud.com/page.asp?pg_id=80094
> I think there are others on the market like this too.

And as we're talking BrowseAloud, in answer to the original question of
how they do it: unless they've changed their ways, BA is a plugin that
needs to be installed on the user's machine. This installs a
text-to-speech functionality that runs directly on the client, but it
also regularly "phones home" to grab a whitelist of URLs. These are the
URLs of people who've paid for the BA service. If the site you're
currently on is not in this whitelist (which happens to be a simple text
file), the BA plugin will remain silent.

P
--
Patrick H. Lauke

From: Dave Merrill
Date: Tue, Jun 18 2013 10:10AM
Subject: Re: Web based screen readers
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Don't know. I wasn't aware that there was anything a site could do short of
providing actual recordings that would provide this functionality, so when
it was mentioned I wondered how it was done. (I'm a web programmer
interested in accessibilty, but not really an expert on it.)

It does look like BrowseAloud can do something like this. Are there other
similar solutions?


On Tue, Jun 18, 2013 at 11:20 AM, Angela French < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:

>
> >Can someone tell ignorant me how this is typically implemented? Do they
> have
> >one or more recordings of the part and/or its sections pre-done? Or are
> they
> >suing some sort of server-side text-to-speech technology?
> >
> >
> Are you referring to products like BrowseAloud?
> http://www.browsealoud.com/page.asp?pg_id€094
> I think there are others on the market like this too.
>
> > > >



--
Dave Merrill

From: McMorland, Gabriel
Date: Tue, Jun 18 2013 10:13AM
Subject: Re: Web based screen readers
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This company is developing a variety of text to speech technologies.
www.cepstral.com/‎

From: Dave Merrill
Date: Tue, Jun 18 2013 10:28AM
Subject: Re: Web based screen readers
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Thanks for the pointer to Cepstral, but far as I can see, they don't
provide a way for a web site to offer to read pages aloud. Visitors have to
purchase and install their voices.


On Tue, Jun 18, 2013 at 12:13 PM, McMorland, Gabriel < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:

> This company is developing a variety of text to speech technologies.
> www.cepstral.com/
>
>

From: Jamal Mazrui
Date: Tue, Jun 18 2013 10:34AM
Subject: Re: Web based screen readers
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The following article may be of interest:

Access review of System Access to Go | Media Access Australia
http://www.mediaaccess.org.au/digital-technology/assistive-tech/satogo

Jamal

From: Morin, Gary (NIH/OD) [E]
Date: Tue, Jun 18 2013 1:59PM
Subject: Re: Web based screen readers
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BrowseAloud (http://www.browsealoud.com/page.asp?pg_id€094) and ReadSpeaker (http://www.readspeaker.com/) are the two that have been around for some time. In addition, I just saw a demonstration yesterday of a new one, still in development, from AI Squared:

We have a new product that we felt that you may have an interest in seeing.

sitecues<https://www.sitecues.com/media/Executive_Summary.pdf>(tm) is an integrated web solution that can help you reach more users so they can see and also hear your site with ease. This turnkey assistive technology solution will make your site accessible for every type of individual including those who do not have Assistive Technology on their computers. It's a great tool for people with learning disabilities, visual difficulties, English as a second language, senior, boomers, etc.

Link goes to: https://www.sitecues.com/media/Executive_Summary.pdf

For those computer users who aren't going to learn yet another assistive technology or, even, identify has 'disabled' or as needing assistive technology, this (or other others of this genre) might well be useful -

From: Mary Novello
Date: Tue, Jun 18 2013 4:01PM
Subject: Re: Web based screen readers
← Previous message | Next message →

Thanks everyone for your replies. Thanks also George for your reply on your
experience of reading long passages of text on the web. I'll check out the
links everyone has suggested.

Other than BrowseAloud, ReadSpeaker (http://www.readspeaker.com/) also
offers this service, they include a demo on their site.

Thanks again,
Mary

From: Bronwyn Lapham
Date: Tue, Jun 18 2013 5:37PM
Subject: Re: Web based screen readers
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I'm also aware of an offering in this area called ReadSpeaker (link to
readspeaker.com <http://www.readspeaker.com/>;). I'm not entirely sure how
it works, but I believe it uses server-side text-to-speech. The
controller, which I'm pretty sure used to be Flash and not keyboard
accessible, now seems to work really well.

hope that helps

Bronwyn Lapham

From: Birkir R. Gunnarsson
Date: Wed, Jun 19 2013 8:57AM
Subject: Re: Web based screen readers
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I have been working a bit with iWebReader from Ivona
http://www.iwebreader.com/

It is pretty decent actually.
I am in very two minds about these solutions.
On the one hand they are great in that they serve a large group of
users that fall in-between assistive technology user and the "regular"
users, i.e. people who are older, get tired reading long texts,
dyslexic users etc. who cannot or will not use A.T. This group has
often been a bit ignored and is on the fringes of the internet user
community.

On the other hand I am worried that some people see this is as
satisfying web a11y requirements, and by setting it up, they do not
have to deal with all the complexities of implementing an accessible
website.
So I make absolutely sure that any recommendation for implementing one
of these solutions includes the fact that this is a nice enhnacement
but in no way replaces the basica accessibility requirements, or
reduces them in any way.
finally, I am not affiliated with iWebReader, or any other
server-based solution, so do not take this as an advertisement of any
kind. I believe it is a pretty decent product based on my experience
helping implement it with a few companies, but that's all.
Cheers
-B

On 6/18/13, Bronwyn Lapham < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:
> I'm also aware of an offering in this area called ReadSpeaker (link to
> readspeaker.com <http://www.readspeaker.com/>;). I'm not entirely sure how
> it works, but I believe it uses server-side text-to-speech. The
> controller, which I'm pretty sure used to be Flash and not keyboard
> accessible, now seems to work really well.
>
> hope that helps
>
> Bronwyn Lapham
>
>
>

From: GF Mueden
Date: Wed, Jun 19 2013 1:18PM
Subject: Re: Web based screen readers
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Have had trouble at all three web based screen readers (WBSRs) web
sites, most recently with

iWebReader, which is unfriendly at my magnification. I would like to visit sites using each of them, but don't know where to find them in use.

From this users point of view, a site may be accessible for some disabilities but not others. If WBSRs will extend the list of disabilities aided, I am all for it. Meeting guidelines doesn't always do the trick.

George





On 6/19/2013 10:57 AM, Birkir R. Gunnarsson wrote:
> I have been working a bit with iWebReader from Ivona
> http://www.iwebreader.com/
>
> It is pretty decent actually.
> I am in very two minds about these solutions.
> On the one hand they are great in that they serve a large group of
> users that fall in-between assistive technology user and the "regular"
> users, i.e. people who are older, get tired reading long texts,
> dyslexic users etc. who cannot or will not use A.T. This group has
> often been a bit ignored and is on the fringes of the internet user
> community.
>
> On the other hand I am worried that some people see this is as
> satisfying web a11y requirements, and by setting it up, they do not
> have to deal with all the complexities of implementing an accessible
> website.
> So I make absolutely sure that any recommendation for implementing one
> of these solutions includes the fact that this is a nice enhnacement
> but in no way replaces the basica accessibility requirements, or
> reduces them in any way.
> finally, I am not affiliated with iWebReader, or any other
> server-based solution, so do not take this as an advertisement of any
> kind. I believe it is a pretty decent product based on my experience
> helping implement it with a few companies, but that's all.
> Cheers
> -B
>
> On 6/18/13, Bronwyn Lapham < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:
>> I'm also aware of an offering in this area called ReadSpeaker (link to
>> readspeaker.com <http://www.readspeaker.com/>;). I'm not entirely sure how
>> it works, but I believe it uses server-side text-to-speech. The
>> controller, which I'm pretty sure used to be Flash and not keyboard
>> accessible, now seems to work really well.
>>
>> hope that helps
>>
>> Bronwyn Lapham
>>
>>
>>