I was interested to read inSetting sites on Section 508 about an accessibility tool built into Windows XP: "There is a decent screen magnifier in Windows XP, which also includes a text-to-speech tool called Narrator. It is pretty limited and is only available in English, but it provides a useful tool in Notepad, Wordpad, Control Panel and Internet Explorer, as well as the Windows desktop and Windows setup." You can launch Narrator easily by pressing the Windows logo key and the U key, which also lets you start and stop the tool.
I was interested to read inSetting sites on Section 508 about an accessibility tool built into Windows XP:
"There is a decent screen magnifier in Windows XP, which also includes a text-to-speech tool called Narrator. It is pretty limited and is only available in English, but it provides a useful tool in Notepad, Wordpad, Control Panel and Internet Explorer, as well as the Windows desktop and Windows setup."
You can launch Narrator easily by pressing the Windows logo key and the U key, which also lets you start and stop the tool. The disappointing thing was that I could not figure out how to get the Narrator to read the content of a web page; only system menus and page titles.
In general, I've found that non-disabled web users are fascinated to see and hear how a text browser works, and it makes the whole issue of accessibility much more real and personal.
I'm planning to install a commercial text browser on my laptop so I can regularly include this in demonstrations. Narrator will be a nice demonstration tool when I'm in a meeting and need to demo what it's like to have a screen read to you -- and how difficult it is to understand a page when accessibility measures are not taken.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
San Francisco's School District Spent $105M To Build Affordable Housing for Teachers — And That's Just the Beginning
SFUSD joins a growing list of school districts using their land holdings to address housing affordability challenges faced by their own employees.
Can We Please Give Communities the Design They Deserve?
Often an afterthought, graphic design impacts everything from how we navigate a city to how we feel about it. One designer argues: the people deserve better.
The EV “Charging Divide” Plaguing Rural America
With “the deck stacked” against rural areas, will the great electric American road trip ever be a reality?
Judge Halts Brooklyn Bike Lane Removal
Lawyers must prove the city was not acting “arbitrarily, capriciously, and illegally” in ordering the hasty removal.
Engineers Gave America's Roads an Almost Failing Grade — Why Aren't We Fixing Them?
With over a trillion dollars spent on roads that are still falling apart, advocates propose a new “fix it first” framework.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Borough of Carlisle
Smith Gee Studio
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)
