FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 2010-10-07

Ability to BrowseAloud added to SCC corporate website

Ottawa, Ontario (October 7, 2010) – The Standards Council of Canada (SCC) is pleased to announce that its corporate website is now equipped with BrowseAloud functions and features for increased usability and accessibility of standardization content online.

BrowseAloud is a text-to-speech solution which enables people with literacy problems, learning difficulties, dyslexia and mild visual impairments, to more easily access online content. As users of the BrowseAloud application highlight website content, the content is spoken aloud.

The tool, which is available to users free of charge, is part of the SCC’s efforts to address web accessibility and enhance the user experience. The addition of this service to the SCC website is expected to make standardization information accessible to a wider audience.

The Standards Council of Canada (SCC) is a Crown Corporation with the mandate to promote the efficient and effective use of standardization. Located in Ottawa, the SCC is a portfolio of Industry Canada with a 15 member governing Council and approximately 83 staff. The SCC coordinates Canada’s network of standardization experts, and offers a range of standardization-related programs and services that are intended to enhance the social and economic well-being of Canadians.

For additional information on the work of the SCC visit www.scc.ca or email [email protected].

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