What is a screen reader? A screen reader is a software program that enables a blind or visually impaired user to read the text that is displayed on the computer screen with a speech synthesizer or braille display.
According to statistic data, there are 285 million blind and vision impaired people in the world who need the right tools to contribute to society and connect to the world. Fortunately, with the fast development of new technologies, there are many tools tailored for blind and visually impaired people to read the latest news, work and use a computer the same way as regular computer users. However, not all screen readers offer naturally-sounding voice. So below it’s the best 5 screen readers we select for you.
JAWS
JAWS (Job Access With Speech) is the best computer screen reader program for Microsoft Windows as well as the world’s most popular screen reader that allows blind and visually impaired users to read the screen either with a text-to-speech output or by a braille display.
You will be able to navigate the Internet, write a document, read an email and create presentations from your office, remote desktop, or from home.
If you are new to JAWS screen reader, here’s JAWS quick start guide.
NVDA
NVDA (NonVisual Desktop Access) is the second most popular screen reader in use throughout the world, which is also the best JAWS alternative. Most important, it’s totally free. Thus, the NVDA screen reader allows some of the world’s poorest blind people to access and interact with the Windows operating system and many third party applications.
Here’s the help and support you need to use NVDA to the fullest.
ZoomText Magnifier/Reader
ZoomText Magnifier/Reader is a fully integrated magnification and reading program for Microsoft Windows. It includes a screen magnifier which is capable of magnifying the screen up to 60 times and a built-in screen reader which allows you to see and hear everything on the computer screen as well as providing access to applications, documents and the Internet. This software can mainly help individuals with early vision loss, computer vision syndrome and visual impairments.
Below it’s a tutorial video which will walk you through all of the new features and some of the new hotkey commands in ZoomText 11.
VoiceOver
VoiceOver is unique because it’s not a standalone screen reader. It’s deeply integrated in macOS and all the built-in apps on Mac. The VoiceOver screen reader describes exactly what’s happening on your screen and lets you navigate using gestures or a braille display. Zoom gives you a powerful built-in magnifier. You can also make adjustments to cursor size, motion, and contrast to meet your specific vision needs.
Here's the VoiceOver User Guide.
Serotek System Access
System Access, Serotek’s award-winning screen reader, is a text to speech application that renders elements on a computer screen through synthetic speech. The application relies on a series of keystrokes to replicate mouse functionality, and through these easy keystrokes you can navigate menus, adjust system settings, and surf the Internet. Whether you require speech, text enlargement, or Braille access, System Access is your reliable companion.
The most common questions regarding System Access screen reader are addressed in this help. In addition, this help shows you shortcuts and techniques to get more from System Access.
Tips
As Audiobooks become more and more popular in this multitasking age, there’s a trend that many blind and visually impaired people also turn to listen to audiobooks to obtain new knowledge and enrich their life. Compare with reading ebooks, listening to audiobooks is the perfect solution to acquire knowledge in the most efficient way.
We also noticed that the majority of blind and visually impaired people prefer to listen to Audible books. However, you have to go to Audible website or launch Audible App for Windows or using iTunes, etc, to listen to Audible books, which is bit of time consuming for blind and visually impaired people go through all this stuff whenever they want to listen to Audible books. That’s why some of them need to convert Audible books to MP3 desperately. Then they can play Audible books immediately just by locating the MP3 file on their computer and double clicking the title.
Good news is that Epubor Audible Converter has helped a lot of blind people convert Audible books to MP3 effortlessly since this software works perfectly with all the current screen readers and provides keyboard shortcut commands. It’s absolutely the most powerful Audible Converter for both blind people and regular users alike. If you are interested in decrypting Audible books, here’s the guide for you to convert Audible books to MP3 easily.
Conclusion
Technology opens up so many doors. For those people without sight, computers don’t work straight out of the box. But with the best screen reader, you can make sense of what is on screen. May the screen reader be your eyes.
Amy Lopez crafts informative articles on eBooks and eReaders, uncovering optimal methods to enhance your eBook reading experience, and eagerly shares her findings with you.
