Screen readers

Screen readers do what the name suggests - they read the screen out loud so a blind person can access the content. Text is easy enough for a screen reader to read, but think about all the other visual information that comes through our screens. How can a screen reader read that?

There are various screen readers available, some free and some paid for. The most popular are:

JAWS

JAWS (Job Access With Speech), made by Freedom Scientific , is the most popular screen reader worldwide. The software costs but users often buy assistive hardware to go with it, such as Braille readers and a special keyboard. Fortunately, you can download a trial version for free, which runs for 40 minutes at a time. Then you have to restart your computer to continue using it.

The following video shows how JAWS can be used to read a webpage, navigate by headings and links, and move around the page using the Tab key and other shortcuts.

NVDA

NVDA (Non Visual Desktop Access), is a free screen reader produced by NV Access.

Windows Narrator

This is another free screen reader, which is built into all Windows 10/11 computers, as part of the Ease of Access (Windows 10) or Accessibility (Windows 11) settings.

The following video shows how Narrator can be used to read a webpage, navigate by headings and links, and move around the page using the Tab key and other shortcuts.

VoiceOver

VoiceOver is also a free screen reader. It is built into all Apple devices and is part of the iOS operating system. It can be set up in the Accessibility section of the Settings.

The following video shows how VoiceOver can be used to read a webpage, navigate by headings and links, and move around the page using the Tab key and other shortcuts.

TalkBack

TalkBack is free and is built into all Android devices. It can be set up via the Accessibility section in the Settings menu.

The following video shows how TalkBack can be used to read a webpage, navigate by headings and form controls, and use the keyboard, which is a little tricky. As this video shows a mobile phone in portrait orientation, you may be best to select full screen.