Blackboard Accessibility by ReadSpeaker
ReadSpeaker provides quick and easy integration of text-to-speech learning tools into the Blackboard environment for enhanced accessibility and Universal Design for Learning. Students and teachers have easy access to audio for all content within the learning environment.
Integrate Universal Design for Learning into Blackboard courseworkSupport a diverse student populationImprove accessibility and meet accommodations requirementsRead any content out loud, on any device
Highlights
- ReadSpeaker’s text-to-speech tools are PREINSTALLED in the Blackboard Saas environment. Simply ask us how to turn it on.
- For those with different schools, many courses within one Blackboard environment, or wishing to add text to speech to some but not all courses, the administrator can activate for all courses or on a per course basis.
- Premium quality voices ensure high usage.
- Assessment and accommodations support directly within the Blackboard environment.
Features
- Fully Server-Based – No installation or hosting necessary
- LMS plugin for the Blackboard learning environment
- Step-by-step instructions and a readily-available support team if you should need any help
- Customer-specific pronunciation dictionary
- Just one click to listen and follow along with the highlighted text
- Floating Listen button, player, and toolbar stay visible when scrolling down on a page and can be conveniently repositioned by user
- Read on hover allows users to scroll over an area of text and have it read aloud automatically
- Text Mode shows the content in an easy-to-read format, using font, size, and colors of your choice
- Integrated reading and translation tools
- Audio File – Download an mp3 audio file of the content for offline listening
- Quick and easy access to all features through expandable player and toolbar
FAQs about Blackboard accessibility
Accessibility for Blackboard is all about making sure ALL students can access and learn from content within the Blackboard learning environment. While not a traditional screen reader, ReadSpeaker’s suite of speech-enhanced learning tools with keyboard shortcuts and accessible navigation are valuable support for learners of all types, not just those with visual impairments.
In today’s learning landscape, providing equal access to learning content within the Blackboard environment is essential for educational institutions to succeed in providing inclusive education for all students. ReadSpeaker text to speech is a key element in every institution’s accessibility strategy.
ReadSpeaker text to speech is easy to implement within the Blackboard learning environment. It is pre-installed and administrators need to simply contact the ReadSpeaker team to turn it on.
ReadSpeaker’s text to speech tools can be used to speech-enable assignments, quizzes and other assessments directly within the Blackboard environment. This supports administrators and teachers as they provide ADA accommodations.
Blackboard Ally and ReadSpeaker tools work in tandem to make content accessible. Educators use Blackboard Ally to prepare and produce files in an accessible format. These documents are then perfectly adapted to the ReadSpeaker Suite of Learning Tools, which provides speech-enabled reading, writing and studying.
ReadSpeaker’s text-to-speech technology has been a key tool to improve accessibility of courses at Wayland Baptist University, and is an integral component in aligning our courses with Universal Design for Learning principles.
Student testimonials and assessment results confirm that courses designed using UDL benefit all students, not just those with accessibility challenges. Giving students multiple ways of consuming content has proven very effective. ReadSpeaker TTS tools allow students to listen to content, or choose bi-modal learning where they see and hear content simultaneously.
ReadSpeaker TTS is a great cost-effective accessibility tool!
-Patricia M. Ritschel-Trifilo, Ph.D, director of Wayland Baptist University online (Virtual Campus)
The simple and quick implementation along with easy to access support speak for themselves.
– Sandra Stevenson-Revill, University of Derby
