ReadAloud: Browser Screen Reader that works for CertMaster Learn eBooks

[Rick Butler]

So yesterday, during the TTT session, I mentioned it would be nice to incorporate screen reader functionality into the eBook reader.

Since I have keratoconus, my vision isn't always up to 20/20 standards - in fact, without my lenses, I see about seven of everything. So while my lenses make it easy for me to see, they are two rather large pieces of plastic on my eyeballs, which do make me look like a Colorado resident with the red-eye thing going, not to mention constant irritation and the occasional headache. And, given that I am more of an audio style learner, I prefer to listen to my books, and read along with my eyes secondarily.

I often try screen readers for the sight impaired and found that ReadAloud does a great job inside the CertMaster environment for reading the text. I've not tried it yet in other areas of Learn, but I will.

I hope this little tidbit helps someone out there, who, like me, struggles to read things visually.

Happy Friday, my Friends.

/r

 

[Manu]

Thanks a lot @Rick Butler , even though I don't have any vision related issues I am very lazy to read, I prefer someone reads it out to me. This is awesome. Tried right now and works fine one MS Learn page as well.

 

[Katie Hoenicke]

So yesterday, during the TTT session, I mentioned it would be nice to incorporate screen reader functionality into the eBook reader.

Since I have keratoconus, my vision isn't always up to 20/20 standards - in fact, without my lenses, I see about seven of everything. So while my lenses make it easy for me to see, they are two rather large pieces of plastic on my eyeballs, which do make me look like a Colorado resident with the red-eye thing going, not to mention constant irritation and the occasional headache. And, given that I am more of an audio style learner, I prefer to listen to my books, and read along with my eyes secondarily.

I often try screen readers for the sight impaired and found that ReadAloud does a great job inside the CertMaster environment for reading the text. I've not tried it yet in other areas of Learn, but I will.

I hope this little tidbit helps someone out there, who, like me, struggles to read things visually.

Happy Friday, my Friends.

/r

Hi Rick - just a note that our eBooks are accessible and can be used with screen readers as well.

 

[Rick Butler]

Hi Rick - just a note that our eBooks are accessible and can be used with screen readers as well.

Hey Katie: Right. It's kinda that half-way point. I'm not using tools like JAWS or WindowEyes that do full reads of the screen, but rather, just looking for an audio reader to read the book to me. Many readers are incorporating these that make use of the OS's or browsers TTS capability. ReadAloud, for example, leverages both, so users have different voice choices. And maybe that's the solution for this one - although ReadAloud requires you to select a block of text to read it.