Text to Speech needs work
General Overview: /tts as it is sucks for those who actually need to use it and this shouldn't be their only option
Suggested Changes: (1) have a text option within voice channels that doesn't save text but reads aloud with a green ring (just the same as anybody else talking) this can be turned on or off for channels or given as a permission by an admin to those who need it. Also a small user side overlay so they can type in voice without having to minimise the game being played
(2) have an option so people can click on written text and hear it spoken aloud (user end only)
Bit of a rant: Text to speech really needs work. I have seen a few able bodied people complain about it but here I'm only going to complain about it from an accessibility point of view. The fact you can only turn it on from either the text channel you are looking at, or all text channels at once is pitiful. As you either have to be in the exact same channel as someone at the exact right time as someone to hear them or hear everything typed by everyone across every server simultaneously. Which drowns out the people actually needing to use it. The point of /tts is first and foremost to allow people unable to talk the ability to join in a voice chat. Why on earth is there not an option for tts within a voice channel itself? This doesn't need to save the text, and could be turned on for individuals who need it by an admin of as server to stop spam, but means your voice (through tts) is actually heard as part of the conversation as if it was spoken just like anyone else. Also they if playing full screen on one monitor (which lets face it is most of us) will have to either minimise the game or use an overlay that covers almost the entire screen just to be heard.
The other use that people may actually need text to speech for is also another way we are currently unable to use it for. For people with limited vision why is there not an option to click on text and just hear it your end? nobody else would have to hear it but would help them massively with being able to join in with written conversation.
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Dear Discord----exactly as Randomositdude has said. Also much needed for those with speech problems such as Dysphonia for example where the person can hear and read but can't speak. They feel they can't participate fully in voice channels. Please do the above to help all users.
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I have dysphonia a speech disorder that requires the use of text to speech, however I do find it annoying when I'm playing a game with friends and in a voice channel that i have to close the game to the background to be able to use text to speech. Therefore I think it would be a great Idea to have a little text box overlay appear over any screen to be able to say my text in the voice channel, without minimizing the game. I also agree with the above idea to include those like me that can't talk in voice channels and those that are partially sited as then we are not singled out for a disability we can't control, but to also have a normal a life as possible with other gamers and to give the best experience
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Hi, I think the vast majority of us have moved over from what we'd consider direct competitors (TS etc) to Discord purely for quality of life and how great the platform is. It promotes togetherness, fun and makes everything so easy for us nowadays that it's easy to forget that some people aren't able to interact the same way as everyone else. I'd really appreciate it if you'd have a look at improving some of your systems for those who maybe aren't able to enjoy what discord has to offer at it's fullest at the moment because they deserve the best out of your platform just as we do. It would be great if we didn't have to go out of our way for extra steps to include our friends in what we're doing - I know this isn't the vast majority of your stakeholders or user base but these people are all friends of someone, all want to participate and just enjoy their hobby or spend some time with people without having to jump through a tonne of extra hoops just to go about their day.
No way we're leaving our mates behind so it would be fantastic if you could take some feedback from people who could really benefit from a few accessibility / QoL changes just to brighten their day or let them interact with the rest of us in a way that isn't difficult, is accessible and comes so naturally just like the rest of Discord's features for most of us.
I think Discord is great as-is and you guys are leading the way in terms of social platforms in your space - I think you have the opportunity to really lead the way in terms of expectations and accessibility and set the bar incredibly high for this just like you have done for so many other features.
I know this stuff isn't always the highest priority and you likely work top down in terms of most requested etc. for new features/changes but I think these kind of options are long overdue (years in fact!). It would be great if people that feel like they have a barrier to interacting and enjoying could just wipe that out and enjoy your platform as much as the rest of us do - hassle free.
Improving text to speech would go a long way towards this - I don't think this has improved since I was toggling it on in Unreal Tournament 2003 (though nobody ever had anything nice to say - but that might have been due to my love of the flak cannon).
Please consider this because those people who need it are part of our friendship groups; we want them to enjoy everything as much as we do, as easily as we do and as fully as we do and ensure they know that they are just as important to us as ever.
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