This website is now speech-enabled
Being speech enabled means that you can download free software onto your personal computer and have the site read aloud to you.
The free software is called browsealoud, and is. Browsealoud is a Windows browser plug-in designed for use with Internet Explorer 4 upwards or Netscape Navigator. If you install the browsealoud plugin onto your PC, you can have the web pages on the MS Trust website read to you or use it on over 2000 speech-enabled websites in the UK and USA.
Why speech enable our website?
Speech enabling our website provides an additional way of accessing our content for people who find it hard to read. This includes those with a mild visual impairment, dyslexia or those for whom English is not their first language. It is not designed to replace other screen readers.
How does it work?
You download a free, small browser plug-in from the Browsealoud website. Once this has been installed, as you move the cursor over text on the MS Trust website, it is spoken aloud. Browsealoud is free to download and you have control over the voice, word pronunciations and speech highlighting.
Does it work on all pages?
Browsealoud will read every webpage on our website. It can also read pdfs in Adobe Reader Version 6.0 onwards. This meets the World Wide Web Consortium's (W3C's) Level A guidelines for accessibility.
Can I customise browsealoud?
Yes. Once plugged in, look for the browsealoud icon in your system tray, which is usually at the bottom right hand corner of your screen (next to the clock). Right click on the icon and choose 'open browsealoud settings' from the menu. The speech tab on the settings window enables you to choose a male or female voice, and change the speed, pitch and volume of the reader. To read the entire page from where your cursor points, check the 'Continue reading from pointer' box. Otherwise Browsealoud will only read the individual sentences you point to.
For further help and assistance with Browsealoud take a look at the Browsealoud FAQs on their website.
Downloading browsealoud
Click on the image below and you will be taken to the Browsealoud website where you will find full instructions to carry out the download and installation. A Browsealoud icon will be placed in your system tray which is at the bottom right of your browser.
