WebbIE and Accessible Programs

WebbIE is an excellent Internet browser that transforms any web site you visit into a text-based page that any person can read using their favorite screen reader.

WebbIE comes with a dozen other fully accessible utilities, such as an adapted Gutenberg library, a PDF reader, and a disk explorer, among others.

Instead of just leaving your screen reader to deal with the HTML code behind the web pages you visit, WebbIE produces an alternative and fully accessible version of it that any text-to-speech engine can read aloud for you. Besides, it is presented in the browser’s window as large-print text that you can read using your Braille bar or your residual sight. Any non-textual element is clearly labeled and presented to you as what it really represents – a heading, a link, a text input box, a submit button, etc. All information is re-written and presented to you in a way that guarantees that you have access to every element in the page. Regrettably, inaccessible elements (such as images with no alternative text or Flash presentations) will remain to be inaccessible, even though you will always know that an image or a video file has been placed there.

The appearance of the text in the browser window can be customized to fit your residual sight. Background and foreground colors can be set to the combination that better adjust to your needs, as well as the size of the font used. WebbIE can also show you the original web page with its original layout, in case you want to share your accessible browser with sighted friends and relatives.

The “Accessible Programs” that go with WebbIE are just as impressive. All applications are installed independently and they will appear in your PC as a set of standalone utilities. This suite of accessible tools combines the simplest apps (such as a calendar or a clock) with more complicated utilities that will make your life a lot easier. These include a PDF reader and an accessible version of the Gutenberg library. In between these two types you will find many other tools, such as a BBC iPlayer, a podcatcher, an Internet radio tuner, or a disk explorer. Accessible PDF converts any PDF file that contains text into readable text (those PDF files that are made out of scanned pages of a document will, regrettably, remain unusable). This utility will get rid of all useless layout elements and will give you the text in either TXT or HTML format. Finally, the accessible Gutenberg library that comes with WebbIE will give you direct access to the books in the library. It combines Internet browsing with library cataloging, so that you can search for your favorite titles in a simple and intuitive way, and download to your PC all the books you need without even using WebbIE.