Visit Somerset offers a wealth of information on exploring the county – from things to do, shopping and holiday accommodation. The newly launched site also puts the focus firmly on accessibility. It’s one of the UK’s first official tourism websites that features Browsealoud technology to give online users a little extra help whenever they need it.
Visit Somerset offers a wealth of information on exploring the county – from things to do, shopping and holiday accommodation. The newly launched site also puts the focus firmly on accessibility. It’s one of the UK’s first official tourism websites that features Browsealoud technology to give online users a little extra help whenever they need it.
Created by digital learning and accessibility experts Texthelp, Browsealoud assists visitors with visual impairments, cognitive disorders, learning difficulties and physical disabilities, in addition to those with limited English and who lack digital confidence.
The software encourages site visitors to click on a friendly on-screen help button to hear information read aloud, text magnified for easier reading or translated into 40 different languages. Users with dyslexia can also use Browsealoud’s handy screen mask to help them focus on hard-to-read text.
“Somerset is one of Britain’s best loved tourist destinations, attracting more than 25 million visits each year,” says John Turner CEO of Visit Somerset.
“With around 1 in 10 of the UK population experiencing some form of disability, we’ve made it a big priority to make sure our new site is fully accessible to everybody who wants to know more about our beautiful county. It’s been brilliant working with Texthelp to make Visit Somerset an even more welcoming destination for all our digital visitors.”
John went on to say: “We live, work and relax in the twenty first century, where we should all be accepting and accommodating of our varied visitors needs and requirements. The potential from becoming a more welcoming and inclusive county for our visitors and our businesses is extraordinary, we should all strive to do better for all. Adding Browsealoud to our website is a major part of our social inclusivity strategy and will help visitors browse our pages in line with their own needs. It is Visit Somerset’s intention to carry on working with TextHelp and Compass Disability, the County’s official disability agency in supporting our members to support disability on and off line, possibly becoming the first socially inclusive county in the UK”
View the video here for more information on this new inclusive software supporting many of our customers needs throughout Somerset.
Other developments will include signing video inserts on main video content distributed through digital channels together with off line training for Visit Somerset members starting in the Autumn of 2019.
