Young Scot is Scotland’s national youth information platform, that works with partners and experts to develop important news and resources for young people.
To support all young people online, Young Scot has the Recite Me toolbar implemented on its website to enable visitors to read information in a way that best suits their needs.
Approximately, 9% of children in the UK have a disability that can make accessing the digital world challenging. The Recite Me toolbar helps to break down these barriers, offering a range of features including a screen reader, online translator and styling assistance to adjust colours, font type and size.
We caught up with Young Scot volunteer, Teagan who is also a member of Young Scot’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion panel, to discuss the incorporation of the Recite Me toolbar and share her own experience of the importance of online accessibility.
“The Recite Me tool allows young people, professionals, stakeholders, staff, and everyone in between to access the Young Scot website in a way that suits them. By having accessibility tools easily available on the site means you’re embedding access and inclusion from the moment I see the iconic pink and yellow logo. We must normalise accessibility aids because they are exactly that, normal!
“As someone who uses a screen reader at times to help myself access websites while living with cognitive and neurological issues, I was delighted when I first saw the Recite Me tool pop up on the Young Scot site. Far too many websites are simply inaccessible and while I’m privileged enough to be able to navigate the internet without a screen reader, many people don’t have a choice. We shouldn’t have to choose between getting the information, support, and opportunities we need simply because we have different needs from others.
“To see a website that is not only accessible but goes the extra mile to ensure everyone has the tools they need to navigate your website, right on the page, is amazing. I hope more organisations follow this lead and begin to implement embedded accessibility in their websites and services, as well as create safe spaces for feedback on these tools to ensure everyone is getting the best experience possible.”
Young Scot implemented the Recite Me toolbar in January 2023, and since have had just shy of 6,000 users who have read over 18,000 pages of content using the Recite Me toolbar. 24,000 clicks have been made to the translation tool which has been used to translate into languages such as German, Russian and Amharic.
For more information on the Recite Me toolbar contact a member of our team or book a real-time demonstration.
