Introducing the Recite Me Web Accessibility and Language Toolbar

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DRCT’s commitment to making its website accessible includes our addition of Recite Me.  Recite Me is a web accessibility and language toolbar (WAT).  The WAT allows visitors to use many tools, like text-to-speech and language translation.  DRCT thanks the National Disability Rights Network (NDRN) and our fellow protection and advocacy systems (P&As) for introducing us to Recite Me.

As a cloud-based program, Recite Me allows users to view and use a site in a way that works best for them.  It helps the 1 in 4 people in the U.S. who have a disability, including those with common conditions such as sight and hearing loss, dyslexia, among others.  It also meets the needs of the 1 in 5 people who speak a language other than English at home, by translating on-page content into over 100 different languages.

We are highly encouraged by our community’s early engagement with and enthusiasm for the new toolbar.  In just a few short weeks, we have been better able to meet folks where they are at, and thus, fulfill DRCT’s mission.  Specifically, nearly 350 web pages were viewed while using the WAT.  What’s more, users viewed 5-7 pages per session, which is 1-1.5x times the industry average. 

So how do you access Recite Me?

You can open the Recite Me toolbar by clicking on the “Accessibility & Translations” button at the top center of the homepage or by clicking the accessibility icon, which now appears in the bottom right corner of every page on our website.

After selecting either function, the toolbar will open and display a range of different options for customizing the way our site looks and the ways in which you can interact with its content.

How does Recite Me help me access DRCT’s website?

Again, Recite Me helps people access our site and customize their UX with the content. The toolbar has a unique range of functions. You can use it to:

  • Read website text aloud (including PDFs)

  • Download the text as an MP3 file to play it where and when it suits you

  • Change font sizes and colors

  • Customize background-color

  • Translate text into more than 100 different languages

  • Access a fully integrated dictionary and thesaurus

You can find out more about how Recite Me works from their user guide (https://reciteme.com/user-guide) and/or video tutorial (https://drive.google.com/file/d/13ULlgfGn_zIISX0CPMsZymz4SKzGGYWS/view).

Where can you find additional support for Recite Me?

If you have any questions about using Recite Me, you can contact them by email at info@reciteme.com or by calling (571) 946-4068.

Or as always, please do not hesitate to reach out directly to our team with UX feedback, suggestions, etc.