Technologies that support links, audio formats.
This technique relates to:
Some users who have difficulty sounding out (decoding) words in written text find it very helpful to hear the text read aloud. This service can now be provided easily using either recorded human speech or synthetic speech. For example, there are a number of products that authors can use to convert text to synthetic speech, then save the spoken version as an audio file. A link to the spoken version can then be provided within the content. Cost depends in part on the quality of the voice used and whether the text is likely to change frequently.
Spoken versions of short texts and static text content
This method is effective for small amounts of text and for longer documents that do not change often.
Make a recording of someone reading the text aloud, or use a tool that converts individual documents or selected passages into synthetic speech. Choose the clearest, most attractive voice if a choice is available.
Save the spoken version as an audio file. Use an audio format that is widely available and supported by media players.
Provide a link to the audio version.
Identify the audio format (for example, .MP3, .WAV, .AU, etc.).
Provide a link to a media player that supports the format.
Spoken versions of text that changes
Server-based methods may be best when pages change often or when user choice determines text content. Some server-based tools allow users to select any text they are interested in and listen to it. Typically, the user presses a button which starts the text-to-speech conversion and reads the text aloud.
The Web site for a municipal housing authority has a button on every page labeled "Read this page aloud." The user selects the button and the page is spoken by a synthetic voice.
No resources available for this technique.
(none currently listed)
Check if a spoken version of the content is available.
Check #1 is true.
If this is a sufficient technique for a success criterion, failing this test procedure does not necessarily mean that the success criterion has not been satisfied in some other way, only that this technique has not been successfully implemented and can not be used to claim conformance.
Techniques are informative—that means they are not required. The basis for determining conformance to WCAG 2.0 is the success criteria from the WCAG 2.0 standard—not the techniques. For important information about techniques, please see the Understanding Techniques for WCAG Success Criteria section of Understanding WCAG 2.0.