Providing a transcript – a textual version of a video and/or audio – increases accessibility of the content. Practitioners and/or learners who are deaf-blind can access the content by using a refreshable (dynamic) Braille display, which converts text into Braille.

Providing transcripts also has other benefits:

• The text is then searchable by search engines.

• People can double-check a point without listening to the audio/video again.

• Some people prefer reading rather than wa...

For those of you who are not aware, RoboBraille is an e-mail service which can convert digital text documents into either Braille or audio files. It is quick and easy to use RoboBraille.

• Users simply send an e-mail with an attached text document to RoboBraille.
  
• Shortly after, they will receive the document back from RoboBraille in the specified format - an audio file, for example.

The big plus - It is free for non-commercial users to use RoboBraille.

NOW - RoboBraille with a web...

I've often asked the question, what will you do if a Learner asks for notes as an audio file? I've suggested that one solution is to use Audacity to record an audio version, when you proof read text. By reading it out loud I know you will spot errors and, as a bonus you then have an audio version for all learners.

CarryoutText, like the example I've just given, allows those who...

• find reading difficult or, in some cases, impossible;
• can understand spoken but not written English; or
• pref...

I quite like the fact that this Text-to-speach software is called Balabolka; a Russian word that means “chatterer”. 

The Balabolka I'm bringing to your attention is a very good free text-to-speech software for the PC, running in all versions of Windows–from  Windows 2000 through Windows 7. 

There are two versions of the program..

1. installed on a host computer, and
2. a portable version that will run from a USB flash drive.

To be honest, I've only tried the portable which works very...

JISC Techdis have launched a new browser toolbar (to replace their 2005 version) that will hopefully, for many, make browsing the web a better experience.

The toolbar enables users to very easily...

• adjust the magnification of a web page,
• change the font style and colour,
• check spelling and
• have the text read to them.

This toolbar will work with...

• Firefox,
• Google Chrome and
• Internet Explorer and

...can either be downloaded and installed into the browser or actually added to your ow...