TexTrim

Inspiration

We noticed that long, complex text often creates barriers for people with reading difficulties, attention disorders, or non-native language learners. Our inspiration was to make information more accessible by providing concise summaries and a text-to-speech option so users can both read and listen with ease.

What it does

TexTrim allows users to:

Paste long text (200 – 100,000 characters).
Summarize the text into concise, clear information.
Use built-in Text-to-Speech (TTS) to listen to the summary.
Toggle Play/Pause/Resume seamlessly while listening.
Clear input and summary with a single click.

How we built it

Frontend: HTML, CSS, JavaScript
Backend: REST API endpoint /summarize built with Node.js (or Flask/Django if applicable).
Summarization: Implemented using NLP techniques and APIs.
TTS: Implemented with the Web Speech API (SpeechSynthesis) for accessibility.

Challenges we ran into

Ensuring the summarizer handles large inputs efficiently without breaking.
Implementing a smooth TTS toggle (Play/Pause/Resume) in one button.
Making the UI minimal yet accessible for users with diverse needs.
Managing API calls and button states to ensure a responsive experience.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

Built a working summarizer that improves readability and accessibility.
Added voice support using the Web Speech API so people with reading disabilities or visual impairments can benefit.
Designed a simple and intuitive interface that anyone can use without training.

What we learned

How to integrate Text-to-Speech APIs effectively.
The importance of UX for accessibility—even small details like button states or text length validation matter.
Balancing performance with inclusivity in real-world apps.