Skip to main content

Alpha This is a new service. Help us improve it and give your feedback by email.

Step 10: Listen to Page - LocalGov Drupal Walkthrough

Discover the text-to-speech accessibility feature powered by AWS Polly

Walkthrough progress

Step 10 of 12 • 3 minutes

Step 10 3 minutes

Listen to Page

Explore the text-to-speech feature that makes content accessible to all visitors.

Expected outcome

  • You understand what Listen to Page does
  • You know which pages have this feature
  • You've seen the playback controls

What is Listen to Page?

LocalGov Drupal includes a text-to-speech feature that reads page content aloud to visitors. This accessibility feature is powered by AWS Polly, Amazon's neural text-to-speech service.

Accessibility matters: Text-to-speech helps users with visual impairments, reading difficulties, or those who prefer audio content. It's part of making council services accessible to everyone.

Where to find it

The "Listen to this page" player appears at the top of content pages, including:

  • Service pages - waste collection, planning, council tax, etc.
  • Guide pages - step-by-step instructions and how-to content
  • News articles - council announcements and updates

Navigate to any service or guide page to see the TTS player in action.

Listen to this page player showing language dropdown, play button, progress bar and speed controls
The TTS player appears at the top of content pages with full playback controls

Player controls

The TTS player includes intuitive controls:

Language selection

Choose from multiple languages including British English, Welsh, and other languages. The voice changes to match native pronunciation.

Play / Pause / Stop

Standard audio controls let visitors start, pause, and stop playback at any time. The player remembers position when paused.

Progress bar

Visual progress indicator shows how far through the content the reader has progressed. Click to jump to any position.

Speed control

Adjust playback speed from 0.5x to 2x to match listening preference. Slower speeds help comprehension; faster speeds save time.

Try it yourself

  1. Navigate to a service page

    From your Drupal homepage, click on any service link (e.g., "Waste and Recycling" or "Planning Applications").

  2. Find the Listen to Page player

    Look for the "Listen to this page" section at the top of the main content area, below the page title.

  3. Select a language

    Use the dropdown to choose your preferred language. British English (en-GB) is selected by default.

  4. Click Play

    Press the green Play button to start the text-to-speech. The page content will be read aloud using AWS Polly's neural voice.

  5. Adjust speed (optional)

    Use the speed slider to adjust playback speed. Try 1.25x or 1.5x for faster listening without losing clarity.

How it works

Behind the scenes, the Listen to Page feature:

  1. Extracts the main content from the page (excluding navigation and footers)
  2. Sends the text to AWS Polly via a secure API
  3. Receives synthesized audio in real-time chunks
  4. Streams the audio to the browser for playback

AWS Polly

AWS Polly is a cloud service that turns text into lifelike speech. It uses deep learning technologies to synthesize natural-sounding human speech. Neural voices provide the most human-like, conversational output.

Learn more about AWS Polly (opens in new tab)

Accessibility benefits

Text-to-speech supports multiple user needs:

User group How TTS helps
Visually impaired Audio alternative to reading text on screen
Dyslexia Hearing content can aid comprehension
Low literacy Access information without reading
Multitasking Listen while doing other tasks
Non-native speakers Hear pronunciation while reading

Need help?

If you're stuck, check the troubleshooting section or contact us.