Browsealoud

Listen to the Township of Muskoka Lakes Website with BrowseAloud

BrowseAloud reads website content – out loud, using the most natural and engaging voice and transforms your online reading experience.

Note: BrowseAloud is now called the ReachDeck Toolbar.

BrowseAloud How to Guide

What is BrowseAloud?

BrowseAloud enhances website accessibility for those who require online reading support, which is an estimated 24% of the Canadian population. It works by reading web pages aloud in a natural sounding voice. The user simply hovers the mouse pointer over the text to hear it read aloud.

What does BrowseAloud look like?

BrowseAloud works on all major browsers and platforms, including smartphones and tablets. All features are accessed from an easy-to-use, floating toolbar. To activate BrowseAloud, click on the icon at the bottom right of the page to activate the BrowseAloud floating toolbar. You can position this toolbar anywhere on your screen or hide from view, as you prefer.

Here are the features provided with BrowseAloud:

Text-to-Speech - 

BrowseAloud improves comprehension and understanding by 7% by highlighting each word as it is read aloud and, simultaneously highlighting the sentence or paragraph in a contrasting colour. This allows users to easily identify what text is being read aloud and to navigate within and between web pages.

Spoken & Written Translation -

BrowseAloud translates web pages into 78 languages and speaks the translated text where there is a matching voice available, which is currently 35 languages.

MP3 Generation - 

BrowseAloud convert text to an MP3 file. The text can be saved and listened to at a later time, at home or on the move.

Text Magnification - 

Magnify text as it is read aloud with BrowseAloud. The magnified text is displayed with synchronous highlighting in a single line at the top of the screen as the text is being read aloud. This allows users with visual impairments to access even the smallest of text on a web page.

Screen Mask -

Block distractions on your screen. A semi-opaque black mask extends across your screen leaving a letterbox reading window clear. This view helps users to focus on the section of the web page they are most interested in and ignore the unnecessary ‘clutter’.

Web Page Simplifier -

BrowseAloud remove clutter from your screen. This feature presents the current web page in a more user-friendly layout that is free from the secondary information on the page, such as adverts.

Customizable Options - 

Users can customize BrowseAloud to suit individual needs and preferences, with options to alter the voice speed, highlighting colours and the text size during magnification. Users can also select default settings for the features they wish to switch on/off.

What will BrowseAloud do for me?

• Read web pages aloud in a natural-sounding voice
• Highlight each word as it is spoken
• Magnify text to your chosen font size and style
• Translate word-for-word between English, French, German, Italian and Spanish
• Look up accurate dictionary definitions
• Convert text to MP3
• Mask information on the screen to help focus on a particular area
• Personalize the voice, voice settings and colours
• Choose between the 17 high quality voices covering nine international languages
• Read secure web pages
• Read PDF and Word documents in their original format

If you would like any further information, contact:

• Browsealoud Support: 888-248-4947