Lighthouse International has announced the introduction of a new approach to browsing the Web for visually impaired readers. The new software tool, named LowBrowse, is an add-on to the popular Mozilla Firefox Web browser.

LowBrowse allows the reader to view an original Web site layout while viewing a separate box in which font, text size, color contrast, and letter spacing can be altered. The preferences may be saved for use with all other Web pages.

Other features include simplified image enlargement and speech capability.

LowBrowse is available as a free download at www.lighthouse.org/aboutus/lowbrowse/. Links to news stories about LowBrowse in the Wall Street Journal, Network World, and Information Week are found on the same Web page.