Development Of A Text-To-Speech (TTS) System For Enhancing Educational Accessibility:- Emmanuel Victor O

ABSTRACT

 This study presents the development of a Text-to-Speech (ITS) system designed to enhance educational accessibility at the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike (MOUAU). The core objectives of the research are to develop a functional and context-specific TTS solution, assess its effectiveness in improving learning outcomes, and propose strategies for future enhancement and scalability. Employing the waterfall software development methodology, the project follows a structured, phase-driven approach. The web technologies used for this work are HTML, CSS, JA VASCRfPT,PHP and SQLite(for local storage) was used in the software development process because, it is platform independent and it is a web-based application. The requirements gathering phase involved a detailed needs assessment through surveys, interviews, and observations of students, faculty members, and individuals with disabilities. Insights obtained informed the system design, which focused on creating an intuitive user interface, selecting appropriate programming frameworks, and integrating a reliable TTS engine capable of converting educational texts into natural-sounding speech. The system implementation emphasizes usability, accessibility, and seamless interaction with academic content. Preliminary evaluations indicate a positive impact on learner .engagement and comprehension, particularly among users with visual impairments and auditory learning preferences. The study concludes with recommendations for future system optimization and institutional adoption to support inclusive and adaptive learning environments.