MCBDD Committed to Increased Online Accessibility
The Medina County Board of Developmental Disabilities (MCBDD) is proud to announce the launch of the ReciteMe accessibility tool as part of its efforts to provide a more inclusive and barrier-free online experience for anyone looking to find information about its services and resources through the MCBDD website.
The internet can be an incredibly intimidating place for some people, and those lacking the tools they need to understand or communicate are at a significant disadvantage. Being able to offer some type of online help is essential to meeting the needs of over 25% of the population who may encounter barriers online because they have a disability, learning difficulty, visual impairment, or even if they speak English as a second language. In fact, 69% of people with disabilities leave a website when they encounter simple barriers such as hard to read page colors, large amounts of text on a page or the need to simplify the page content. That’s why 78% of people with disabilities say that having access to digital technologies, such as the ReciteMe tool, on a website is extremely helpful.
Ross Linnett, Recite Me’s Founder and CEO commented, “It is important to provide an inclusive online experience, where everyone can use our digital world in a way in which best suits their needs. As more organizations provide accessibility tools online, those who face online barriers can access information and services hassle-free. The digital world must be accessible for all.”
The launch of this new online tool is another step in the Medina County Board of DD’s ongoing commitment to increasing the ability of people with all ranges of needs – from sight limitations to language needs – to find resources available through the mcbdd.org website. The Recite Me technology gives online visitors the use of a wide range of support options to personalize their digital experience. Visitors to mcbdd.org can use these functions by simply clicking the tab labeled “Accessibility Tool” in the top right portion of the website. From there a new toolbar will appear along the top of the page. Once launched, the Recite Me assistive toolbar gives access to many customizable options, including screen reading aides, text-to-speech ability, content summaries, on demand live translation (that boasts over 100 languages) and styling options which include adjustments to color, font type, and size. Users are then able to choose the options which work best for them. The best part is the ability to save personalized settings to automatically launch each time they visit the page – no need to reselect options each time.
“The MCBDD knows that accessibility, both in-person and in the digital world, is extremely important to those we serve, their families and our community,” says Stacey Maleckar, MCBDD Superintendent. “We are committed to ensuring everyone in our community can access information and services in a way that best meets their individual needs. We are incredibly proud to be able to provide Recite Me’s innovative assistive technology across our website.”