Listen to Staffordshire Police Force Website with BrowseAloud

July 19, 2010 - PRLog -- The force recently enabled BrowseAloud software to enhance access to the site for people with reading difficulties. It is part of ongoing efforts to help people with disabilities use www.staffordshire.police.uk.

The text-to-speech solution reads all accessible website content aloud in a high quality human-sounding voice, which can be altered to suit the individual’s specific needs.

BrowseAloud helps people with literacy problems, learning difficulties, dyslexia, mild visual impairments - or those who speak English as a second language - by reading website content aloud, highlighting each word as it is spoken. It is free to download by clicking on the BrowseAloud logo on the force website’s homepage or the Staffordshire Police Authority website – www.staffordshirepoliceauthority.org.uk.

Ian Fegan, force Corporate Communications Manager, said: “This speech-enabled facility is free for our website visitors is very easy to use. It offers people another way to access information on their neighbourhood officers, local priorities and what is being done to deal with the issues that matter to them.

“In addition, the BrowseAloud software can read the website’s PDF and Word documents. It also works with our Facebook and Twitter sites which are proving very popular.”

David Robinson, BrowseAloud General Manager, added: “We are delighted to have Staffordshire Police onboard. They join the growing number of public sector organisations in the UK who have enhanced the accessibility of their website with BrowseAloud. We look forward to working in partnership with Staffordshire Police to make accessibility a reality with BrowseAloud.”

The force’s website was recently re-accredited with a ‘Double AA’ for its ease of use by people with disabilities. One of the country’s leading authorities on web accessibility, Shaw Trust, a national charity, carried out a full technical audit with rigorous disability user testing to ensure that the website was accessible to all, regardless of ability. Three levels of accreditation can be awarded - ‘A’, ‘Double AA’ and ‘Triple AAA’.

The site can also be translated into other languages through links on its homepage.

To follow the force on Twitter visit www.twitter.com/StaffsPolice

To become a fan on Facebook visit www.facebook.com/staffordshirepolice

The force’s social networking sites should not be used to report an emergency, details of a crime or any other urgent matter. They are not monitored 24 hours a day. Always dial 999 in an emergency.

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BrowseAloud is the world leading text-to –speech solution from Texthelp Systems designed to improve website accessibility for those with literacy difficulties, dyslexia, mild visual impairments or where English is a second language.