Paralympics New Zealand’s position on accessibility

Paralympics New Zealand (PNZ) is working towards a diverse and fully inclusive New Zealand. Our commitment to accessibility is aligned with our strategic goals as well as our values of leadership, excellence and advocacy.

It is also aligned with Article 9 – Accessibility of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD).

To PNZ, accessibility means that people can do what they need to do in a similar amount of time and effort as someone that does not have an impairment. It means that people are empowered and can be independent.

Accessibility functions on this website (webReader)

The content on this website can be read aloud to you using webReader. As a user, you don’t have to download anything.

webReader also allows you to:

  • Select text and click the Listen button in the pop-up menu that appears to have the selected text read aloud.
  • Click in a paragraph to have it read out automatically.
  • View a clutter-free version of the web page with text in your preferred font, size and colour as it is read aloud and highlighted.
  • Download an audio version of your content for offline listening.
  • Translate a selected text to a number of languages and have the text read out in the target language.
  • Personalise reading speed, highlighting colours, and more.
  • Use the Enlarge Text feature to show the text being read at the bottom of the page in a large font size.
  • Select a word and find its definition in the dictionary.

How does webReader work?

Activate webReader by clicking the Listen button.

The webReader Listen button.

Clear instructions on how to use each feature are provided in the Help Tool, which is found in the menu. In the Help Tool you will find ideas on how to make use of webReader’s features.

The webReader menu.

Using webReader with your keyboard

webReader can be activated, i.e. focus can be set on the Listen button, with the access key “K”. The access key “L” will set focus on the player and also start the reading. Many of the webReader tools and features also have a dedicated access key. Access keys are activated with modifier keys, which differ depending on the browser and the operating system used (see list of modifier keys for different environments here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Access_key).

Inside the player and menu, i.e. when the user has set focus on the player, tab/shift+tab can be used to navigate and the enter or space key to activate a certain button or option. The Esc key can be used to stop the current action, close the menu, or close a dialog window, depending on the context.

  • Put focus on Listen button: Modifier + K
  • Activate webReader player: Modifier + L
  • Open/close menu: Modifier + 1
  • Open Help Tool: Modifier + I
  • Other access keys: see Help Tool

Cookies

webReader is best used with cookies enabled, as it will allow the user’s personal settings to be saved between sessions.

Platforms and web browsers

webReader is a device-independent and cross-platform solution. It should work with:

  • All commonly used online devices: PC, laptop, Chromebook, tablet, smartphone, and more.
  • All major operating systems: Windows, Chrome, Android, iOS/iPadOS, macOS, Linux, and more.
  • All major browsers:
    • for laptops and PCs: IE10+, Edge, Chrome (and other Chromium browsers), Firefox and Safari
    • for mobile devices: Safari and Chrome on iOS/iPadOS devices, Chrome on Android devices