Talking website trials for Victorian councils

Peter Dinham
Thursday, 22 October 2009 12:36

IT Industry - Deals

Nine Victorian regional councils are trialling software which converts their websites to ‘talking’ sites in an initiative undertaken by the state’s Rural Access Community Building program.

The BrowseAloud software from text-to-speech solution vendor, Texthelp Systems, reads website content aloud and highlights each word as it is spoken.

BrowseAloud general manager, David Robinson, said BrowseAloud was “created to improve access to websites for a significant proportion of the population who find it difficult to read information online.”

According to Robinson, the ability to hear, see and track words as they are spoken increases comprehension and improves understanding of words, and the BrowseAloud solution “is of particular benefit to those with learning and literacy difficulties, dyslexia, mild visual impairments and to those who speak English as a second language.”

The nine councils which have deployed the software for a 12-month trial have followed the lead of the City of Greater Bendigo which recently installed BrowseAloud talking software on its website.  The city worked with the Shires of  Buloke, Campaspe, Central Goldfields,  Gannawarra, Loddon, Macedon Ranges, Mount Alexander and the rural City’s of Swan Hill and Mildura, to have the software installed.

The City of Greater Bendigo community development officer, Maureen McMahon, said that “through Victoria’s Rural Access Community Building initiative we have taken a unified approach and were able to drive down costs and take a co-operative approach to removing barriers. 

“It means that more regional Victorians will have improved access to information online and that’s simply fantastic news for everyone concerned.”

McMahon said it was a natural extension of the work that local government is doing to make  websites more accessible. 

BrowseAloud’s Robinson said “it’s clear that these Councils are dedicated to removing barriers to participation in community life. We are delighted with the high rate of uptake across Australia.”

Robinson said BrowseAloud is now used by 11 councils in Victoria, as well as the Hobsons Bay City Council, Townsville City Council and The Hills Shire Council.