How Bureau Toegankelijkheid uses ReadSpeaker for digital inclusion

As an accessibility agency, we see every day how digital barriers hold users back. That is why we work with technologies that advance digital inclusion. One of the solutions we recommend most often, and that we have integrated on our own site, is ReadSpeaker.

In this article we share what we have learned about why text to speech (TTS) is such a powerful tool, and how we put it to work in practice.

What using ReadSpeaker taught us

When we added ReadSpeaker to our website, we were pleasantly surprised by how straightforward the integration was. Within a very short time, visitors could listen to our content as well as read it.

The benefits showed up immediately, and across very different groups. People with a visual impairment or with reading difficulties told us they understood the content better, while other visitors, professionals multitasking through their day or readers whose first language is not Dutch, simply appreciated having an audio version.

Why text to speech is a game changer

Text to speech solutions like ReadSpeaker are often filed under one specific audience, usually people with a visual impairment. In practice, they turn out to serve far more people than that.

Whether someone prefers to listen while travelling, or is busy and wants to keep their hands free, text to speech offers a flexible and efficient way to make content more accessible, and more engaging, for everyone.

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An eye-opener in the field

While running an accessibility audit for a client, something stood out. The website largely met the WCAG guidelines, and yet some users were still running into trouble.

One visitor with dyslexia put it perfectly:

The information is there, but I really have to work at it to take it in.

That was the moment we recommended ReadSpeaker. Once text to speech was added, the effect was immediate: more interaction, longer time on page, and above all a much better experience.

Our audits keep showing us how websites and digital platforms put obstacles in front of their users. A well integrated text to speech solution removes those obstacles straight away. People choose for themselves how they take in information, which makes a site easier to use and turns accessibility into a real strategy rather than a checkbox.

Practical implementation tips

To get the most out of ReadSpeaker, a few points are worth keeping in mind:

• Put the listen button somewhere logical and clearly visible. Nobody should have to hunt for the option to have text read aloud.
• Make the experience intuitive. Test the feature with different audiences to check that they can use it without help.
• Make sure reading aloud works with dynamic content. Some sites load text through JavaScript, which can need extra configuration.
• Combine ReadSpeaker with your other accessibility measures. Think of solid contrast ratios, clear navigation and plain language.

Ready for the future of digital accessibility

With stricter digital accessibility rules arriving, the European Accessibility Act among them, it pays to think ahead.

ReadSpeaker and technologies like it help organisations share their content more effectively. Text to speech can be a valuable part of a broader digital inclusion strategy, one that widens the accessibility of your website and supports a larger audience.

At Bureau Toegankelijkheid (the Dutch accessibility bureau) we help organisations with strategic advice and practical solutions for digital accessibility.

That covers accessibility audits and UX work, and it also covers support in rolling out technologies such as ReadSpeaker.

Want to know how your organisation can prepare for what is coming? Read more about digital accessibility at Bureau Toegankelijkheid (opens in a new tab), in Dutch.