Free Resources from the Net for EVERY Learner » browser

Readability Redux for Chrome — Browser Extension that Makes Web Pages Easier to Read

Paul Hamilton — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 16:02:08 +0000

This is another post about Google’s Chrome browser and accessibility features than can be added to it. I’ve already written about Speakit for text-to-speech HERE, about Voice Search for searching with Voice Recognition HERE, and about Speech Recognizer for general voice recognition HERE. I’ve written about running Chrome from a USB flash drive HERE. Today, I’m writing about a fourth add-in. This one can be extremely helpful for anyone who faces challenges with reading.

Readability Redux for Chrome is a variant of Readability that runs in Chrome and that is even more customizable than the original. With the click of a button, this add-in removes distracting clutter and customizes the presentation of text on a web page. For example, from the top page shown here to the one below it.

After going to the Chrome Web Store from within Chrome, searching for Readability Redux, and installing it, you will see the icon indicated below to the right of Chrome’s address bar.

Before using Readability Redux, you will want to customize the way you view pages. To do this, right-click on the icon and select ‘Options’, or click on the settings icon (wrench/spanner on the extreme right) and navigate to the Options screen (Tools–Extensions–Readability Redux–Options). The image below shows the options that may be adjusted.

Perhaps surprisingly, adjusting the width of the margins is the option I’ve found most useful. Limiting the number of words in a line of text can make a huge difference in terms of readability! Speakit works well to provide text-to-speech in pages that have been adjusted by Readability Redux.

When Size Matters — Use Theme Font & Size Changer

Paul Hamilton — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 21:01:37 +0000

It’s easy to adjust the size of what you see on a web page. Text and accompanying graphics can be enlarged or reduced by tapping the + or – key while holding down the Control/Command key. This works in every browser I’ve tried (Firefox, Safari, IE, Chrome) and it works on Windows, Mac or Linux.

BUT Control/Command with +/- has no effect on the browser itself–on the menu bar and menu items, the address bar, toolbars, tabs etc. That’s where Theme & Font Size Changer, the Firefox add-on by Baris Derin, can be extremely handy. This is yet another reason that Firefox is more accessible than other popular browsers.

Theme Font & Size Changer offers an extremely convenient way of changing the font and adjusting the size of the text in the Firefox browser itself. The add-on installs an icon on the menu bar.

Clicking the icon brings up the dialogue box shown below, with drop-down menus for adjusting the font and/or the size of the font.

It takes only a few seconds to make the changes demonstrated below–from the normal font to Verdana, and from the normal size to 18. If needed, the size can go as high as 80.

NOTE: This is an add-on that works with Firefox 4.0

KIDO’Z

Paul Hamilton — Fri, 15 May 2009 23:09:37 +0000

I’ve been aware of KIDO’Z for a while, but thanks to an excellent post by Demo Girl Maureen McDonald, I’ve had another look. KIDO’Z is new and improved, and I’m impressed. It’s a web browser that offers the opportunity to tailor make a safe web environment to meet individual needs and interests.

KIDO’Z is a web browser that is described by its developers as a “Kid’s Web Environment”. Once downloaded and installed, the browser offers a self contained web of games, websites and videos that are accessed wiith large icons. Because KIDO’Z is an Adobe Air application, it will run in Windows, Mac, or Linux.

KIDO’Z comes with an extensive collection of games, videos, and websites built-in, and these appear to have been selected carefully. The beauty of this browser, however, is that you have the option of completely customizing what is available. The browser is managed by a set of Parental Controls that can be accessed anywhere. KIDO’Z is currently available in 17 languages.

I’ve embedded Maureen’s excellent screencast about KIDO’Z below.