Website version for visually impaired users: large font, contrast, and text-to-speech

Version 1.0.9

Cumulative update: it includes fixes for versions 1.0.6, 1.0.7 and 1.0.8.

Text representations are returned escaped

The heading and text of the representation are now sent to the page in escaped form,

and the panel unescapes them before displaying. Thus the values are safe for any

output method, even if rendered by third-party code. For the visitor nothing

changes: the document text is seen and heard as before, along with the "greater than"

and "less than" signs.

Clear message when the trial period has ended

Previously, when attempting to install a solution with an expired trial period,

the installer wrote "Failed to connect the module after registration" - a technical

phrase that explained nothing. Now it directly states that the trial period on the

site has ended, cannot be extended by reinstalling, and offers to purchase the

solution.

From version 1.0.8: markup is removed from representation fields on the server

From version 1.0.7: the button appears on any site template, and upon new installation

it is fixed in the bottom right corner of the screen.

From version 1.0.6: installation of the paid and trial versions is fixed; the platform

version is checked before the installer makes any changes to the site.

Version 1.0.8

Cumulative update: it includes fixes for versions 1.0.6 and 1.0.7.

Text representations: markup is stripped on the server

The representation header is built from the file name, and the text from the document content; both are set by the person who uploaded the file to the site. Now the module strips HTML markup from them itself, before writing to the database and again when serving, and the public response additionally escapes angle brackets and quotes. Records saved by previous versions are cleaned when served.

The document text is not affected: only real tags are removed, and comparisons like "if a d" remain as is.

From version 1.0.7: the button appears on any site template

On sites where the template does not close the tag (which is allowed in HTML5), the module connected its scripts and styles, but did not output the button and panel to the page.

From version 1.0.7: button at the bottom right upon new installation

Upon first installation, the button to enable the accessibility version is fixed in the bottom right corner of the screen. On already installed sites, the button location does not change: it is stored in the module settings.

From version 1.0.6: installation of the paid and trial version fixed

Installation of the solution from the Marketplace was interrupted by the error "syntax error, unexpected token "

Version 1.0.7

Cumulative update: it includes fixes from version 1.0.6.

The button appears on any website template

On sites where the template does not close the tag (which is allowed in HTML5), the module connected its scripts and styles, but did not display the button and panel on the page.

Now the button is displayed on any template.

Button at the bottom right upon new installation

Upon first installation, the toggle button for the accessibility version is now fixed in the bottom right corner of the screen, so it is visible on any template without layout modifications.

On already installed sites, the button position does not change: it is stored in the module settings.

From version 1.0.6: fixed installation of paid and trial versions

When installing the solution from the Marketplace in demo mode or under a purchased license, the installation was interrupted by the error "syntax error, unexpected token "

Version 1.0.6

Fixed installation of paid and trial versions from the Marketplace

When installing the solution in demo mode or under a purchased license, the installation was interrupted by the error "syntax error, unexpected token "

Version 1.0.5

It is recommended that everyone install this update: it fixes a discovered security issue in the text representations of files section. The update is cumulative and includes changes from version 1.0.4.

Text representations are provided only from authorized directories.

The text representations section converts site documents into text that the screen reader reads aloud. Access to it is made by visitors without authorization - this is by design, as the special version is used by anonymous visitors. The path check previously verified that the file exists, is located under the site root, and has a supported extension, but did not verify that the administrator had published this directory. A visitor who knew or guessed the path could request parsing of an external file and then obtain its text.

Now, only files from the /upload download directory and from additional directories that the administrator explicitly specified in the module settings on the "Text representations of files" page are made available. Everything else under the site root is inaccessible; the /bitrix system directory and the image resize cache are excluded separately. The check is performed both when searching for a representation and when delivering the text, so a directory removed from the list stops being served immediately, along with any already prepared representations of its files.

What remains unchanged

The workflow has not changed. Documents from /upload and from authorized directories are still automatically detected and queued for parsing upon first access; the scanner, agents, recognition, and administrative screens work as before; accumulated text representations are preserved, and settings are unaffected. The restriction applies only to delivery to visitors: the administrator can still specify any directory for scanning.

From version 1.0.4: unified Braille font

The module displays Braille in two places: in a separate window with the page text and in a mode where the entire site is displayed with dots. Previously, cells were drawn using a font,

which will be found on the visitor's computer, and it differs for everyone: on macOS only raised dots were displayed, while on Windows a full six-position matrix was shown, where non-raised dots were indicated by contour circles.

Now the font is included in the module, and cells look identical everywhere - only raised dots. The font weighs about 2.4 KB, is loaded once, and is used exclusively for Braille characters. If the font file fails to load, cells will appear using the system font, as before.

From version 1.0.4: restoration of missing files

Updates only bring changed files, and if a module file was missing on the site, it could not be restored. Now, installing an update brings the module's service directories to their full composition: scripts, styles, font, component, admin pages, theme file, and public entry point are copied entirely from the installed module. Settings and accumulated text representations are not affected.

Version 1.0.4

Braille font is now uniform for everyone

The module displays Braille in two places: in a separate window with the page text and in a mode where dots represent the entire site. Previously, cells had to be drawn using a font found on the visitor's computer, which varied by system: on macOS only raised dots were shown, while on Windows a full six-position matrix was displayed, with non-raised dots indicated by outline circles. The view could not be chosen: on Windows, no other Braille cell font existed.

Now the font is included in the module. Cells look identical everywhere: only raised dots, without empty circles. The font weighs about 2.4 KB, is loaded once, and is used exclusively for Braille characters: the rest of the page text continues to be displayed using the site's font or the font family selected in the panel.

If the font file fails to load for any reason, cells will appear using the system font, as before; Braille will not disappear.

Update restores missing module files

Updates only bring changed files. If a module file was missing on the site, the update did not restore it: the module remained incomplete, the panel was displayed but did not work. Now, applying an update brings the module's service directories to a complete state: scripts, styles, font, component, admin pages, theme file, and public entry point are copied entirely from the installed module. Settings and accumulated text representations are not affected.

Version 1.0.3

This update is installed over version 1.0.1 and includes changes from versions 1.0.2 and 1.0.3.

The "Text version" button no longer breaks list layouts

The button is added next to the document link. If the link was a direct element of a grid or flex layout, the button previously became such an element as well and occupied a whole cell: an empty card appeared next to the document card. Now, in such layouts, the link and button occupy one place together, with the button appearing below the link. In normal text, everything remains as before: the button stays in the same line as the link. When the special version is turned off, the page markup returns to its original state.

Uniform Braille font in both modes

The module displays Braille in two places: in a separate window with the page text and in a mode where the entire site is displayed with dots. Previously, these two places requested different fonts from the browser, the browser selected different replacement fonts for them, and Braille looked different on the same page: somewhere only raised dots, somewhere a full matrix with contour circles. Now both modes use the same set of fonts.

Reading aloud a selected fragment

Previously, speech synthesis read the entire page. Now you can select the needed part of the text, and a "Read selected" button will appear next to the selection: only the selected part is read. The button appears only when the accessibility version is enabled and hides as soon as the selection is removed. Selection inside input fields and inside the settings panel itself does not trigger the button. The feature can be enabled separately in the module settings and is enabled by default. The speech synthesis button in the panel continues to work as before: it reads the entire page.

The read-aloud button grows with the text size

The label on the selection button was smaller than the page text enlarged by the module itself. Now the button size is tied to the selected scaling step: at 250% it is four times larger than the original. Margins, icon, and height are calculated based on the same size.

On a narrow screen, the settings panel does not stick to the top

Fixing the panel to the top edge on a phone worked against the user: an expanded panel occupied up to two-thirds of the screen, and just as much space was taken up by its margin, making the site impossible to view. Now the decision is made based on measurement: if the panel occupies more than one-third of the screen height, it moves with the page and scrolls upward when scrolling. On a wide screen, everything remains as it was.

Speech control icons

The symbols for play, pause, and stop have been replaced with graphics: the play symbol had its centering shifted within the button, and in black-and-white schemes it remained colored.

Version 1.0.2

Reading the selected fragment

Previously, speech synthesis read the entire page from start to finish. Now you can select the required text fragment, and a "Read selected" button will appear next to the selection: only the selected part is read, not the whole page. The button appears only when the accessibility version is enabled and disappears as soon as the selection is removed. Selection inside input fields and inside the settings panel itself does not trigger the button.

The option is enabled separately in the module settings as "Read selected fragment" and is enabled by default. The speech synthesis button in the panel continues to work as before: it reads the entire page.

The read button grows with the text size

The label on the selection button was smaller than the page text enlarged by the module itself. Now the button size is tied to the selected scale step: at 250% it is four times larger than the original. Margins, icon, and height are calculated based on the same size, so the button remains proportional at all steps.

On a narrow screen, the settings panel does not stay fixed at the top

The panel's fixation at the top edge, introduced in version 1.0.1, worked against the user on phones: an expanded panel occupied up to two-thirds of the screen, and just as much space was lost to its margin, making the site impossible to view. Now the decision is made based on measurement: if the panel occupies more than one-third of the screen height, it moves with the page and scrolls upward when scrolling. On a wide screen, where the panel occupies about one-fifth of the height, everything remains as before: the panel is fixed, and the content is pushed down below it.

Speech control icons

The symbols for play, pause, and stop have been replaced with graphics: the play symbol had misaligned centering inside the button, and in black-and-white schemes it remained colored.

Version 1.0.1

Settings panel is fixed at the top

The panel no longer scrolls with the page: it remains at the top edge and pushes all content below it, including the sticky site header and search bar. Elements that had their own top margin retain that margin.

Color scheme recoloring now covers the entire page

On large showcases, some elements below the fold remained in the brand colors: the process stopped halfway down the page. The limit has been raised with a margin - on a showcase with thirteen and a half thousand elements, everything is now recolored, and this takes about one-tenth of a second.

Menu does not break words

With increased font size, menu items on some templates were breaking apart by letter: "CATAL - G". Now words remain intact, and the entire menu row wraps to the next line.

Button icon follows the color scheme

The icon on the "Accessibility version" button was a colored symbol and remained colored in black-and-white schemes. It has been replaced with a graphic that adopts the color of the selected scheme.

Icons in the left admin menu

Module items now have their own icons: an eye for the module itself, a gear for settings, a stethoscope for diagnostics, and a document for text representations.

Release fixes

Characters that did not survive the archive translation to cp1251 encoding have been removed: two of them appeared as question marks on the screen after installation. All library, component, and template files are now protected by a check for connection through the core. The console command for batch document processing has moved from the tools directory to the cli directory.