Brae yesterday launched some new features on its official website (http://www.brac.net) to help persons with disabilities - particularly who are visually impaired - to access the site easily.

The features - variable font sizes, highlights and underlined links, changing appearance to high-contrast colours and navigation through voice command - can be used by tapping or clicking the wheelchair symbol on the top left comer of the website.

A launching ceremony was held on the occasion at Brae Centre in the capital, where KM Abdus Salam, director general of NGO Affairs Bureau, was present as chief guest, said a press release.

Speaking on the occasion, Salam said the use of information and communication technology (ICT) has increased significantly in the last 10 years. Now, it is time to bolster efforts to ensure such services for persons with disabilities, he added.

Asif Saleh, executive director of Brae; Sharmilee Rasool, chief technical adviser of UNDP in Bangladesh; and Md Ismail, additional secretary of social welfare ministry; were also present at the programme among others.

Brae introduced the features - which took about three months to complete - with supervision of Vashkar Bhattacharjee, a national consultant of Access to Information (a2i) Programme, the press release said.