BBC Launch Accessible Newsreader for CBBC News
The BBC’s CBBC (Children’s BBC) News Reader provides a simplified interface, for children with disabilities to access the news.
CBBC News Reader
This self voicing application is designed for children who find using a mouse or keyboard difficult, but can operate a switch. Though it can be used with both the keyboard or mouse.
On loading the CBBC News Reader the user is given access to six categories of news Newsround Headlines, UK News, World News, Sports News, Animal News and Showbiz. Each category is highlighted in turn, and its name read out. To select a category press the Space Bar, or Switch. The first news story is then read out, once the story has finished, the user can either move onto the next page, or listen to the story again. There is no option to go back to the main category page, though the stories are short, and when I visited there was only 3 stories in each category.
Parents and teachers can customise the appearance of the newsreader, choosing from one of several colour schemes, including two high visibility, and two designed for users with Dyslexia. The volume of the speech, and the speed at which the cursor scans over the buttons can also be adjusted.
You can try out accessible newsreader by visiting http://www.bbc.co.uk/cbbc/newsreader/. You can also read the story behind the newsreader on the BBC Internet Blog.