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ESRead-aloud for your site
Let the chat read your answers out loud, with one tick and at no extra cost.
What a read-aloud function does
A read-aloud function turns the text on your page into spoken words. The visitor clicks a button and hears what it says. That helps people who find reading hard, people with dyslexia, people used to another language and anyone who simply does not feel like reading a long answer. In the Netherlands around 2.5 million adults find reading and writing difficult; for them listening along is often the difference between understanding and not.
Important to know: a read-aloud function is not the same as a screen reader, and it is not required by law. The Dutch government accessibility service states literally that read-aloud software on a website or in an app is not mandatory, however pleasant it may be. What is required is that your site works with the screen reader someone uses themselves.
Read-aloud or screen reader?
| Topic | Read-aloud | Screen reader |
|---|---|---|
| Who it is for | Low literacy, dyslexia, tired eyes | Blind or severely sight impaired |
| Who provides it | The website | The user themselves |
| What gets read | The text on the page | Everything, including buttons and menus |
| Controls | A button on the page | Shortcuts of the assistive tool |
| Required by law | No | Support for it is |
| Do they replace each other | No, it is an addition | No, this is the baseline |
How it works in WillieChat
A button under every reply
Every reply from the assistant carries a Read aloud button with a speaker icon. Clicking again stops it immediately, and so does the Escape key.
Or everything automatically
In the chat menu the visitor can switch on automatic read-aloud. That choice is remembered in their own browser and is off by default.
The right language
The widget picks the voice that matches the language of the message. If the assistant answers in German on an English page, you hear a German voice.
Read out cleanly
Emoji, links and formatting characters are stripped out and the text plays sentence by sentence, so nothing gets swallowed or cut off halfway.
No text leaves the device
The reading is done by the visitor's own browser. By default no text goes to an external speech service and no extra processor is added.
No extra cost
The function is in every plan. You pay no licence per visitor or per word read, as is common with separate read-aloud services.
Where it helps in practice
Municipalities
Residents who struggle with forms and schemes also get to hear the answer, alongside the text on screen.
Healthcare
An explanation about an appointment or treatment is easier to follow when you can listen to it, certainly for older people.
Webshops
Return and delivery terms often go unread. Read aloud they do get taken in, and that saves questions.
Education
Students with dyslexia already use read-aloud software for their study material; the same habit works in the chat.
On in three steps
In the admin panel go to your website, tab Settings, sub-tab General.
Scroll to the Accessibility block and tick Enable read-aloud. Click Save.
Refresh your website. Every reply now has a Read aloud button, and the chat menu has the switch for automatic reading.
Frequently asked questions
Is a read-aloud function required by law?
No. It is not a success criterion in WCAG and not a requirement of the European standard EN 301 549 either. It is a service on top of mandatory accessibility. So never use it as an argument that you comply with the law.
What is the difference with ReadSpeaker?
ReadSpeaker is a separate read-aloud service that many public bodies use across their whole website, with its own licence. Our function reads out the chat specifically and is part of the subscription. If you already have ReadSpeaker, both can coexist: the site is read by ReadSpeaker, the chat reads itself.
How good does the voice sound?
That depends on the visitor's browser and device. The widget automatically picks the best sounding available voice. In Edge, on a Mac and on an iPhone that sounds natural; in Chrome on Windows the quality varies. If you want the same voice everywhere, a speech service inside the EU can be connected.
Does it work on mobile?
Yes, on iPhone and Android. On iPhone the visitor does have to tap the button themselves before any sound plays; that is a browser rule, not ours.
Does this disturb people already using a screen reader?
No. Automatic reading is off by default, so a second voice never starts talking uninvited. Someone using a screen reader only notices there is an extra button, which they can ignore.
Read on
Switch on read-aloud in your own chat
Create a free account, place the widget and switch on the read-aloud function. You will hear how it sounds within a few minutes.
Try it for free