[Athen] looking for comment on ReadSpeaker software

[Ron]

An important clarification because my experience has been over the years
that the vendors not been clear about this and many uniformed campuses have
purchased them thinking they would solve the web access. I just went
through this again a few weeks ago with a client.

The IT folks are blaming the DS folks for their poor purchasing decision
though they also don't want to fix accessibility issues that were known to
them. Probably sounds like a familiar tune to many of you.

Ron Stewart

On Saturday, July 12, 2014, E.A.Draffan <ea at emptech.info> wrote:


> Just as a little note both BrowseAloud and ReadSpeaker are not designed for

> those who require a screen reader as they are only used once you have

> reached the website.  They are really designed to help those who need

> reading support for the content rather than navigational support.

>

> Best wishes

> E.A.

>

> Mrs E.A. Draffan

> WAIS, ECS , University of Southampton

> Tel +44 (0)23 8059 7246

> Mobile +44 (0)7976 289103

> http://access.ecs.soton.ac.uk

> http://www.emptech.info

>

> -----Original Message-----

> From: athen-list [mailto:athen-list-bounces at mailman13.u.washington.edu

> <javascript:;>] On

> Behalf Of Susan Gjolmesli

> Sent: 10 July 2014 23:40

> To: Access Technology Higher Education Network

> Subject: Re: [Athen] looking for comment on ReadSpeaker software

>

> THisis true.  Just because something reads doesn't make is navigable.

>

> Unplug the mouse, turn off the screen and then test it.

>

> AS someone who is blind and uses Jaws, and can't access a lot of stuff - I

> feel that's the only way to truly test these products.

>

> -----Original Message-----

> From: athen-list [mailto:athen-list-bounces at mailman13.u.washington.edu

> <javascript:;>] On

> Behalf Of Ron Stewart

> Sent: Thursday, July 10, 2014 2:29 PM

> To: 'Access Technology Higher Education Network'

> Subject: Re: [Athen] looking for comment on ReadSpeaker software

>

> The situation is exactly the same.  To add a little more detail you really

> need a screen reader to properly navigate an LMS and its content in audio.

>

> Ron Stewart

>

> -----Original Message-----

> From: athen-list [mailto:athen-list-bounces at mailman13.u.washington.edu

> <javascript:;>] On

> Behalf Of Wershing, Alice D.

> Sent: Thursday, July 10, 2014 3:41 PM

> To: 'Access Technology Higher Education Network'

> Subject: Re: [Athen] looking for comment on ReadSpeaker software

>

> Has anyone used BrowseAloud on their site?  We have just completed testing

> and ran into some issues with D2L.  The company is trying to see why we ran

> into these issues, but I thought I'd also see what people thought.  There

> is

> a comparison of ReadSpeaker and Browsealoud on the web that I found, but

> would welcome other comments.

>

> Alice Wershing, M.Ed., A.T.P.

> Technology Specialist

> Disability Services

> Pellissippi State Community College

> 10915 Hardin Valley Road

> Knoxville TN  37933-0990

> (865) 694-6751

>

> Access for All Blog

> http://blogs.pstcc.edu/access4all/

>

> -----Original Message-----

> From: athen-list [mailto:athen-list-bounces at mailman13.u.washington.edu

> <javascript:;>] On

> Behalf Of Ron Stewart

> Sent: Thursday, July 10, 2014 12:12 PM

> To: 'Access Technology Higher Education Network'

> Subject: Re: [Athen] looking for comment on ReadSpeaker software

>

> Products like these really do little to insure the accessibility of the

> content.  My group has done several reviews across a variety of LMS systems

> where this "built in" product was provided but the sites were actually not

> fully accessible or properly structured in the first place.  To insure the

> fullest accessibility in the first place the sites need to be fully

> designed

> to be conformant with WCAG 2.0 at the AA level as well as tested to insure

> that they are actually usable with common assistive technologies.

>

> What software like this is good for is for ELL and other similar groups

> that

> can see and effectively navigate the site and would benefit from audio

> reinforcement of the textual content.  Now this does not speak to the

> course

> content delivered through the site, that is something that a product  like

> this is not at all useful for since the material still needs to be properly

> structured and annotated with accessibility elements like alternative and

> descriptive text and appropriate document structure.

>

> Ron Stewart

>

> -----Original Message-----

> From: athen-list [mailto:athen-list-bounces at mailman13.u.washington.edu

> <javascript:;>] On

> Behalf Of Mitchell Stoddard

> Sent: Thursday, July 10, 2014 10:32 AM

> To: athen-list at u.washington.edu <javascript:;>

> Subject: [Athen] looking for comment on ReadSpeaker software

>

> Hi Folks,

>

> I wonder if any of you are familiar with ReadSpeaker, which is a text to

> speech add-on for course management software?  The people in our Teaching

> and Learning Centre, who support our LMS system (CANVAS) are considering

> purchasing the product and asking for input.

>

> I have seen only a few comments on another listserve...one which raised the

> question of the value of the software relative to use of a program such as

> Read and Write Gold, and one which raised issues around how ReadSpeaker

> handles LTI within the LMS system.

>

> I would appreciate any comments or input you may have.

>

> Warm regards,

>

> Mitchell

>

>

>

> Mitchell Stoddard, Ph.D., R. Psych.

> Director, Centre for Students with Disabilities Simon Fraser University

> 8888 University Drive (1250 MBC)

> Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6

>

> Phone: 778-782-3313

> Email: mitchell_stoddard at sfu.ca <javascript:;>

>

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