Gloucester County’s information technology department recently updated the online text-to-speech feature on the county’s website, www.gloucesterva.info.

Brian Burchett, applications and web developer/analyst, said the new feature includes easier-to-use reading controls that are embedded in each webpage (play, pause, stop, volume, highlighting options, pop-up button, and speed of reading user controls). Client software downloads are now no longer required and the feature reads only important sections of webpage content.

Burchett said the new feature is compatible with mobile devices, is cross browser compatible, and shows usage statistics.

The county may also add document reading capabilities if needed, he said.

“The ReadSpeaker text-to-speech technology makes the website more accessible to people who have limited visual impairments, literacy difficulties, dyslexia, English as a second language, and those who would like the web content read while accomplishing other tasks,” Burchett said.

Each webpage on the county’s website includes a link labeled “listen to text.” It is typically found near the top of the webpage on the left above the main content, he said.

For help using the listen-to-text feature, use the link labeled “ReadSpeaker” at the bottom of any webpage.