The Bar Standards Board (BSB) is the first legal regulator in England and Wales to introduce the cloud based ReciteMe software to its website to enhance accessibility and inclusivity.
One in five people in the UK are reported to have a disability, including conditions like visual impairments and dyslexia. ReciteMe will help these people to access the BSB website in the way that suits them best, for example through the option to have content read out aloud in a natural voice. The software can also translate content into over 100 languages, increasing the reach of the website to the one in ten people in the UK who do not speak English as a first language. In addition, ReciteMe offers reading aid tools designed to help people with a learning disability as well as styling and customisation technology to change the way the website looks, which can support neurodivergent people, such as those with dyslexia.
Commenting on the development Mark Neale, the Director General of the Bar Standards Board said:
“At the BSB we are determined to promote equality, access and inclusivity. I am therefore delighted that this new software will make our website more accessible for the many people for whom English is not their first language and for those with disabilities or who are neurodivergent.”
ENDS
Notes to editors
ReciteMe has been made available across the General Council of the Bar, including on the Bar Council website.
About the Bar Standards Board
Our mission is to regulate barristers and specialised legal services businesses in England and Wales in the public interest. For more information about what we do visit: http://bit.ly/1gwui8t
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