Symbols on demand 

Overview

Point is a new system that enables symbols to appear on your website when a visitor hovers their mouse over a word. Point can be utilised on some, or all of your content, and doesn’t change your layout! Point does not require any new content production methods and it accesses the extensive Widgit Symbol Database externally. Point can also be used with static or dynamic html pages.

About Point

Point is a new piece of augmentative software designed to be used by web developers to assist visitors to their websites.

Point is most suited to emerging readers and readers who don’t have English as their first language. When a visitor arrives at a Point Enabled site, they won’t notice an instantly visible difference, the technology sits passively and dormant until it is enabled by the visitor hovering their mouse over a word. When they hover their mouse over a word, a box with the symbols for that word pops up. This helps with understanding the context and meanings of words. The pop up feature also means that the support is not intrusive or invasive, which is often what puts users off of assistive technologies.

Point Enabled websites help to meet or work towards the identified critera within the Disability Discrimation Act and the resulting Code of Practice from the Equality and Human Rights Commission. 

In a study, The Web: Access and Inclusion for Disabled People,  carried out by the Disability Rights Commission it was noted that the “use of the clearest and simplest language, for the site’s content” should be priority 1.

The Disability Rights Commission, in their paper Guide to good practice in commissioning accessible websites states that in consideration for people with cognitive impairments (dyslexia), one of basic features should include “simple layout and use of images / illustration or symbols to support the text”

Making your site Point Enabled is very easy. Once you purchase point, we supply you with a small section of JavaScript code that you place on your website. You link to this in the header of each page that you want to be Point Enabled. Then set the area of the page you wish to be supported. The page then logs in automatically to our symbol server and retrieves the relevant symbols that are being hovered over by your visitor.

This automated process has the advantage of showing your visitor only the symbols that they wish to see, providing a tailored and unique experience for each visitor.

Widgit, 26 Queen St, Cubbington, Leamington Spa, CV32 7NA
Tel: 01926 333680    info@widgit.com