Hear what you see
In the ongoing series of Prism Days I have been demonstrating how the application has been designed to make it easy to extend it’s functionality. One of the example extensions I have been showing is a tool for the translation of the text displayed on any of the Prism screens in to speech to aid access for users with visual problems. With this extension Prism talks to you.
The extension is based upon a service from Textic Ltd, a UK based software company.
Check out the demonstration in one of the Broadminster demonstration Prism tenancies – click on the ‘Click to Show Text Reader’ icon in the page footer. There is a page in the Prism Developer Wiki that describes the simple steps taken to install it.
January 15th, 2009 at 12:55 pm
Good stuff. Though this does lead me to a somewhat unconnected rant!
Sussex Police have something like this on their website, and I don’t how it provides any useful service – other than helping a public sector organisation tick a web accessibility box.
http://www.sussex.police.uk/
The technology itself is very useful. However surely it is best placed on the client PC for those who need it (or, if using a public computer, using a website which allows them to browse the web with such a service).
But it makes no sense for one website to provide this when others don’t, it simply acts as a distraction for most people, and – again – those who need such as service will surely have their own arrangements already.
January 15th, 2009 at 3:23 pm
Good points Chris. I am sure that there is a broad spectrum of views as to the usefulness of such a facility on any particular service.
This is where the benifits of adding things like this as an optional extention apply. Those that want it are enabled to simply add it without significantly impacting the general development process for all.