NEW software has been added to Torridge District Council’s (TDC) website with the aim of making it accessible for more people.

The ‘Recite Me’ toolbar, which can be clicked on from the top of any of the council’s web pages using the ‘Read and Hear Me’ button, gives users a number of options to make reading easier. They include having text read aloud and changing font sizes and colours.

These changes intend to make the website as accessible as possible to people of all ages, including those with a disability, learning difficulties or other impairments. The toolbar also has a function to instantly translate any text-based content into more than 100 languages.

TDC’s website currently attracts over 10,000 users per month and has already undergone a refresh to make many more services available online. The move is part of the council’s ‘Transforming Torridge’ programme with one of its aims to make any dealings people have with the council easier and more convenient.

Cllr David Hurley, lead member for internal resources at TDC, said: “Our website is becoming an ever more important tool for delivering information and allowing people to access services electronically.

“Many services now allow applications to be made online but we need to ensure that those people that might struggle with the standard way this information is presented are not excluded from these new ways of interacting.

“The Recite Me toolbar will bridge that gap for people who may have had difficulty in using our website in the past and is a practical and positive approach to improving accessibility.”