Toolbar to enhance web accessibility launched

Researchers have come up with a new toolbar that could help to enhance web accessibility.

Experts at the University of Southampton's School of Electronics and Computer Science's Learning Societies Lab developed the application to be compatible with all platforms.

The JISC (Joint Information Systems Committee) TechDis Toolbar promotes web accessibility by offering the ability to enlarge website text, change fonts and colours, and reading text aloud.

It can be used with a wide range of sites, including social networks like Twitter.

The researchers behind the toolbar are now considering ways of making it available for mobile web users.

According to Learning Societies Lab technical project assistant Sebastian Skuse, the application "will make websites a lot easier for people to use".

There are almost eight million people in the UK who have health issues that prevent them from accessing the content they need on the web, research by the Shaw Trust shows.

This news story was brought to you by Bluhalo, a leading UK digital agency.