What is ReadSpeaker?

ReadSpeaker makes websites talk. It is easy to use and easy to implement – just click on the link in the Accessibility panel on the left to start and what you see is what is said. ReadSpeaker is free to use and does not require any downloads.  All you need is a computer with Internet connection, a sound card and speakers or headphones that are connected to the sound card.

Who will benefit from using ReadSpeaker?

• People with Dyslexia
• People with learning disabilities
• People with low literacy levels
• People with impaired or limited vision
• People with English as a second language
• The ageing population
• Children
• E-learners
• People who would rather listen than read

What are the benefits of using ReadSpeaker?

• No need to download or install special plug-ins
• Works on most computers including PC/Windows, Mac, Linux, SUN
• Works on most Internet browsers including Internet Explorer, Netscape, Opera, Safari, Mozilla and Lynx
• You do not need own text-to-speech software to use the services
• Web browser, soundcard and speakers/headphones are all that is required
• Maximum flexibility as you can decide what content should be read
• Works on slow connections, from 33.6K modem and up

What file formats can ReadSpeaker read?

ReadSpeaker can read most file formats including PDF, Word, .rtf and .txt.

Can you adjust the settings to suit your needs?

There are a number of different settings you can change. You can, for example, change the layout of the ReadSpeaker XT panel by selecting if the buttons will be shown as symbols and text or as text only. It is also possible to change the size of the buttons. For the text-only version you can adjust the colour of the text and the background, font size and font type.

Apart from being able to select text that will be read, you can adjust the Read-Text buttons behaviour to read everything on the page, the text content (text exclusive menus) or section by section with the each section highlighted when read. It is also possible to listen to links and buttons by using the Tab-key.

You can save these settings on your computer as a cookie. A cookie is a small text-file where information about your settings is stored.

Further information about ReadSpeaker can be found on their website.