Hi Alice,<br><br>It is somewhat likely we will implement ReadSpeaker Enterprise at OSU. It is extremely affordable, has low latency, excellent (and trainable) voices, and perfectly synchronizes highlighting with playback. The web developer chooses what portion of the page to have spoken, so this is not a complete conversion of content. Implementation is trivial for a developer--a couple of JavaScript links and some comment tags. The player itself is Flash but the stop, start, close and MP3 download buttons are fully keyboard accessible.<br>
<br>BrowseAloud is a very good product, but it requires a download and is more expensive--though it provides more features. One of the things I like best about ReadSpeaker is it makes an accessibility feature readily visible on pages implementing it. Our hope is this will help make the commitment to access more overt and help further our university mission of creating a "welcoming environment."<br>
<br>How we plan to implement: We are exploring purchase of a one-year full-domain license. It will be up to individual developers to implement on their own timeline, but my Center along with New Media (our web communications unit) will promote the product, provide model implementations, and code samples. Purchase and contract negotiation will be handled by OSU Site License Software, our campus bulk and campus-wide software licensing unit.<br>
<br>We have not reached our campus funding goal yet, but we are pretty close. If things go well (they don't always--an experience all of us are familiar with) and funding comes through, we should have some notion of campus adoption and usage by the middle of Spring Quarter.<br>
<br>Best,<br>ken<br clear="all">-------------------------------------------------------<br> Ken Petri <br> Program Director<br> OSU Web Accessibility Center<br> 102D Pomerene Hall<br> 1760 Neil Avenue<br>
Columbus, Ohio 43210<br> Phone: (614) 292-1760<br> Fax: (614) 292-4190<br> mailto:<a href="mailto:petri.1@osu.edu">petri.1@osu.edu</a><br>-------------------------------------------------------<br>
<br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Mon, Jan 4, 2010 at 8:31 AM, Jon Gunderson <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:jongund@illinois.edu">jongund@illinois.edu</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">
There are already many assistive technologies to read web pages (some free), and it seems that just a straight conversion of HTML to MP3 of a web site could be confusing, since the reading order may not make sense.<br>
<br>
You may want to compare to the product to BrowseAloud.<br>
<br>
<a href="http://www.browsealoud.com/page.asp?pg_id=80094&tile=USA" target="_blank">http://www.browsealoud.com/page.asp?pg_id=80094&tile=USA</a><br>
<br>
I have seen demos of Browse Aloud and I think it has some benefits.<br>
<br>
Unfortunately our campus right now is not interested in the product.<br>
<br>
Jon<br>
<div><div></div><div class="h5"><br>
<br>
---- Original message ----<br>
>Date: Sun, 03 Jan 2010 12:12:16 -0600<br>
>From: Alice Anderson <<a href="mailto:alice.anderson@doit.wisc.edu">alice.anderson@doit.wisc.edu</a>><br>
>Subject: [Athen] ReadSpeaker - Your website speech enabled<br>
>To: Access Technologists in Higher Education Network <<a href="mailto:athen@athenpro.org">athen@athenpro.org</a>><br>
><br>
>>><br>
><br>
>Does anyone have experience or any thoughts about this vendor product?<br>
>It's a service that provides automated audio versions of a Web page's<br>
>content. Click the demo link below to see it in action?<br>
><br>
>The sales people have approached our campus (main web site) - and I am<br>
>being asked if I know of benefits, or others using etc.<br>
><br>
>ReadSpeaker Sales email to campus:<br>
>> From: Nicholas Croft <<a href="mailto:nicholas.croft@voice-corp.com">nicholas.croft@voice-corp.com</a>><br>
>> Date: December 7, 2009 11:13:34 AM CST<br>
>> To: <removed><br>
>> Subject: Your website speech enabled.<br>
>><br>
>><br>
>> Thank you for taking the time to speak to me today.<br>
>><br>
>> As agreed I am sending you a demo version of your website now<br>
>> ReadSpeaker® enabled so you can listen to the text by clicking on<br>
>> the button.<br>
>><br>
>> ReadSpeaker® makes your web content more accessible to people with<br>
>> impaired vision, are dyslectic, low literacy, functionally<br>
>> illiterate, or are still learning English.<br>
>> Considering that at least 20% of the population struggle from some<br>
>> sort of reading disability, a listening option goes a long way to<br>
>> accommodate them. As well as students that would just prefer to<br>
>> listen to the content instead of read it.<br>
>><br>
>> A small html code embedded in the website creates a icon which<br>
>> activates a small player that reads your web content live "on the<br>
>> fly". Nothing is recorded.<br>
>><br>
>> It’s a fantastic product that goes beyond the existing website<br>
>> accessibility guidelines set by the W3C and Section 508 in the US,<br>
>> putting your website at the leading edge of web accessibility and<br>
>> giving your organization the potential to access more of the<br>
>> population that wouldn’t be able to access your website’s content<br>
>> normally .<br>
>> Your website now ReadSpeaker® enabled: University of Wisconsin–<br>
>> Madison (Click here)<br>
>> How it works:<br>
>> · Our ReadSpeaker solution is hosted by us. Only a small<br>
>> html code is installed into your website , there is zero maintenance ,<br>
>> · Easy implementation, zero cost for changing content and<br>
>> “no” hardware requirements! Updates are done automatically.<br>
>> Installation is usually completed within 2 to 3 hours.<br>
>> · Once the html code, that we send you, is embedded in your<br>
>> website, a “listen” icon is available on your web page which<br>
>> activates the reader.<br>
>> · When activated, the web content of the written page is<br>
>> sent to our servers, transformed to an audio file in mp3 format and<br>
>> is then sent back to the visitor.<br>
>> · What is especially unique about our ReadSpeaker is that<br>
>> the visitors can listen without downloading any software to their<br>
>> computers.<br>
>> · They can listen live or download the audio for later<br>
>> listening.<br>
>> · We offer multi language support.<br>
>> Here are some additional links of our clients:<br>
>><br>
>> United Press International <a href="http://www.upi.com" target="_blank">http://www.upi.com</a> (And select a story)<br>
>><br>
>> City of San Francisco <a href="http://www.sfgov.org/site/countyclerk_index.asp?id=101171" target="_blank">http://www.sfgov.org/site/countyclerk_index.asp?id=101171</a><br>
>><br>
>> City of Niagara falls <a href="http://www.niagarafalls.ca/" target="_blank">http://www.niagarafalls.ca/</a><br>
>><br>
>> Case Studies: Nestle, O'Reilly Media - <a href="http://www.voice-corp.com/en/References/Case-Studies/" target="_blank">http://www.voice-corp.com/en/References/Case-Studies/</a><br>
>><br>
>> At this stage all I would like to know is if it is something you<br>
>> like and would consider for your website?<br>
>><br>
>> I look forward to speaking with you next year to get your feedback.<br>
>><br>
>> Best regards.<br>
>><br>
>> Nik Croft<br>
>> International Account Manager<br>
>> VoiceCorp<br>
>> 703-657-7801<br>
>> <a href="http://www.voice-corp.com" target="_blank">www.voice-corp.com</a><br>
>> <a href="mailto:nicholas.croft@voice-corp.com">nicholas.croft@voice-corp.com</a><br>
>> ReadSpeaker, the Voice of the Web<br>
>><br>
><br>
> Alice Anderson<br>
>TECHNOLOGY ACCESSIBILITY PROGRAM<br>
> Division of Information Technology (DoIT)<br>
> University of Wisconsin-Madison<br>
> 1210 West Dayton Street (3124)<br>
> Madison, WI 53706<br>
><br>
> Telephone: 608.262.2129<br>
><br>
><br>
><br>
><br>
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</div></div>Jon Gunderson, Ph.D.<br>
Coordinator Information Technology Accessibility<br>
Disability Resources and Educational Services<br>
<br>
Rehabilitation Education Center<br>
Room 86<br>
1207 S. Oak Street<br>
Champaign, Illinois 61820<br>
<br>
Voice: (217) 244-5870<br>
<br>
WWW: <a href="http://www.cita.illinois.edu/" target="_blank">http://www.cita.illinois.edu/</a><br>
WWW: <a href="https://netfiles.uiuc.edu/jongund/www/" target="_blank">https://netfiles.uiuc.edu/jongund/www/</a><br>
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