The British Museum are proud to announce the launch of two new
accessible features on their collections online:
<http://asp.readspeaker.net/cgi-bin/thebmrsone?customerid=1003494&url=ht
tp://asp.readspeaker.net/email/thebm1.html> Hear this email read aloud
by clicking on the SayIt button.
Text-to-speech on children's COMPASS
www.thebritishmuseum.ac.uk/childrenscompass
Children aged 7-11 can browse hundreds of fascinating Museum artefacts
and take tours on a wide range of subjects, including key topics from
the National Curriculum. Each object has a high quality image with
accompanying text, which Readspeaker SayIt will read aloud at the click
of a button. Or the child can highlight a single word or phrase that
they want to hear, then click SayIt.
Why speech enable children's COMPASS?
* An estimated one in four children has some trouble in reading.
This could be caused by a specific learning difficulty (like dyslexia),
a visual impairment, or simply a lack of confidence.
* Being presented with a page containing text that they cannot
read means that children are put off the content, however exciting and
interesting it may be.
* A multi-sensory approach leads to a richer experience with
greater recall.
* Even fluent readers sometimes want to know the pronunciation of
a particular word, be it Nesitanebtashru or Sarvabuddhadakini.
Audio Description on COMPASS
www.thebritishmuseum.ac.uk/compass
The British Museum has published a tour on its website featuring 'audio
description' of twenty objects from the collections. In museum terms,
audio description is audio commentary which describes an object or
picture that blind or partially sighted people would otherwise have
difficulty seeing. Artefacts are described in such detail so as to
enable the blind or partially sighted person to have a deeper
appreciation and understanding of the item being discussed.
The Department of Learning and Information commissioned Vocaleyes to
help the Museum construct this tour. Experienced describers wrote the
texts in conjunction with the Museum's curators.
To access the tour, go to COMPASS, the British Museum's collections
online, (www.thebritishmuseum.ac.uk/compass) and take the Audio
Description tour. Links on each page allow you to listen to the audio
(mp3) or download it onto your computer. You are of course invited to
put them on a portable mp3 player / iPod and visit the objects in the
Museum's galleries.
For further details on either of the above projects, please email
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--
Middle East Now
Until 3 September
Experience the vibrancy, richness and complexity of the cultures of the modern Middle East through art, film, performance and debate.
http://www.thebritishmuseum.ac.uk/middleeastnow
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Registration for UKMW 2006 'User specified: Museum audiences and the new web
environment' is now open:
http://www.museumscomputergroup.org.uk/meetings/2-2006.shtml
For mcg information and to manage your subscription to the list, visit the website at http://www.museumscomputergroup.org.uk
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