I was interested to read inSetting sites on Section 508 about an accessibility tool built into Windows XP: "There is a decent screen magnifier in Windows XP, which also includes a text-to-speech tool called Narrator. It is pretty limited and is only available in English, but it provides a useful tool in Notepad, Wordpad, Control Panel and Internet Explorer, as well as the Windows desktop and Windows setup." You can launch Narrator easily by pressing the Windows logo key and the U key, which also lets you start and stop the tool.
I was interested to read inSetting sites on Section 508 about an accessibility tool built into Windows XP:
"There is a decent screen magnifier in Windows XP, which also includes a text-to-speech tool called Narrator. It is pretty limited and is only available in English, but it provides a useful tool in Notepad, Wordpad, Control Panel and Internet Explorer, as well as the Windows desktop and Windows setup."
You can launch Narrator easily by pressing the Windows logo key and the U key, which also lets you start and stop the tool. The disappointing thing was that I could not figure out how to get the Narrator to read the content of a web page; only system menus and page titles.
In general, I've found that non-disabled web users are fascinated to see and hear how a text browser works, and it makes the whole issue of accessibility much more real and personal.
I'm planning to install a commercial text browser on my laptop so I can regularly include this in demonstrations. Narrator will be a nice demonstration tool when I'm in a meeting and need to demo what it's like to have a screen read to you -- and how difficult it is to understand a page when accessibility measures are not taken.

Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program
Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Ken Jennings Launches Transit Web Series
The Jeopardy champ wants you to ride public transit.

Washington Legislature Passes Rent Increase Cap
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New Mexico Aging Department Commits to Helping Seniors Age ‘In Place’ and ‘Autonomously’ in New Draft Plan
As New Mexico’s population of seniors continues to grow, the state’s aging department is proposing expanded initiatives to help seniors maintain their autonomy while also supporting family caregivers.
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