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Useful Links

The links on this page are intended to provide useful information for visitors who wish to find out more about text-to-speech (TTS), and its applications particularly in the field of accessibility. We are not responsible for the content of any external websites. Please contact Meridian One Support if you find any broken links.

• Accessibility Information
• Screen Readers
• Assistive Aids
• TTS
• Linking to this Site

Accessibility Information

Accessibility covers a whole range of techniques, systems and products whose aim is to make standard services, in this case general purpose ICT equipment and applications available to people with disabilities, for instance impaired sight. Many of these make use of TTS.

In the USA the American Foundation for the Blind provides much useful information about blindness aids on its Accessibility pages.

Also in the USA, the National Federation of the Blind provides a host of information on access tools, products and technology via its Products and Technology pages.

Microsoft provides general information on the accessibility of Microsoft Windows systems and applications for which TTS is often used.

In the UK, the RNIB provides a wealth of information relating to all aspects if visual impairment for example:

• Guides to using available technology that supports access for visually impaired people to mobile, web and computer resources.
• General Services offered including those to businesses and relating to web access.

Screen Readers

Screen readers are a family of applications that provide audio speech information about what is happening on a computer or mobile device screen. Screen readers render to speech, information about what is being viewed, selected and typed to help those with visual impairment use the equipment, device or software. Orpheus is designed to work well with many of these types of application. The following links provide information to screen reading resources and where to obtain them.

Dolphin Computer Access provides information on their range of access products including Supernova, a combined screen enlarger and screen reader.

NV Access provides the popular and free (except for a donation request) screen reader NVDA.

Claro Software provides a range of accessibility aids and assistive technology products.

Freedom Scientific provides the JAWS screen reader and many other products.

GW Micro provides the Window-Eyes screen reader as well as accessible ICT equipment and Braille displays.

AI Squared provides the Zoomtext magnifier and screen reader.

Assistive Aids

These links are provide useful information and resources relating to assistive aids such as communications aids, speech access to text, talking OCRs, and tools for the creation of talking books using TTS.

Dolphin Computer Access also provides a range of alt format products. These can be found on their Alt Format pages and include products which augment the visual aspects of text with added voice or create talking books with recorded voice or TTS.

Smartbox assistive technology provide communications aids such as Sensory Software's Grid2 which use TTS technology for voice output.

TTS

These links are intended to provide useful information and resources concerning text to Speech synthesis and speech in general. There are very many useful sites and what is here can only be a tiny selection.

You can always begin a search from Wikipedia's Speech Synthesis pages.

In the US, the Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) Speech Group site has resources, information and downloadable software related to many aspects of TTS and speech recognition. The Speech Software pages offer free downloads of speech systems for various platforms.

The Centre for Speech technology Research is the original developers of Festival system; a framework for creating free text-to-speech engines for several platforms.

UCL's department of Speech, hearing and Phonetics Science provides much useful information and free Software for education and browsing audio etc.

Linking to this site

Webmasters, we would be delighted if you would like to link to Meridian One's site to provide your visitors with information on Orpheus and how to obtain it.

Just cut and paste one of the suggested HTML snippets below into your links web page.

or

or something similar.