Desire2Learn Partners with ReadSpeaker To Improve Accessibility -- THE Journal

Accessibility and Disability

Desire2Learn Partners with ReadSpeaker To Improve Accessibility

By Joshua Bolkan
09/19/11

Desire2Learn has partnered with ReadSpeaker to increase the usability and accessibility of the Desire2Learn learning platforms.

ReadSpeaker Enterprise provides online text to speech services and can read text from HTML, PDF, Word, ODT, and Flash documents in 35 languages and 90 voices. It also features embedded synchronous highlighting, designed to make online material more accessible to users with cognitive issues, learning disabilities, vision problems, and those who do not speak or read English as their first language. As an online solution, ReadSpeaker is also available on mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets.

As part of the agreement, ReadSpeaker will become a Desire2Learn select independent software vendor (ISV) partner. Desire2Learn select ISVs receive a variety of benefits from the company, including marketing assistance, sales training, access to the company's content development and partner network demo servers for testing new resource packages and demonstrating products and services for potential customers.

"We're very pleased to be partnering with ReadSpeaker and extending the accessibility capabilities of our platforms for learners globally," said John Baker, president & CEO of Desire2Learn. "The innovative approaches of ReadSpeaker are an excellent complement to our own beliefs that learning technologies should extend learning opportunities for all."

More information about Desire2Learn's learning platforms is available at desire2learn.com. Visit readspeaker.com for more information about ReadSpeaker Enterprise.

About the Author

Joshua Bolkan is contributing editor for Campus Technology, THE Journal and STEAM Universe. He can be reached at [email protected].

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