What is a Screen Reader?
by WebAIM
Screen readers are audio interfaces. Rather than displaying web content visually for users in a "window" or screen on the monitor, screen readers convert text into synthesized speech so that users can listen to the content. Sighted users usually have a hard time imagining having to always rely on an audio interface because their world is so highly visual. The experience is completely different, to be sure. The miracle is that the option for an audio interface even exists at all. Without screen readers, people who are blind would need to rely on other individuals to read the content out loud to them. The technology makes independent access to information possible for a population that would otherwise always need the support and assistance of others.
Screen readers do not read web content quite like human beings do. The voice sounds somewhat robotic and monotone. In addition, experienced users often like to speed up the reading rate to 300 words per minute or more, which is more than the inexperienced listener can easily understand. In fact, when many people hear a screen reader for the first time, at the normal rate of about 180 words per minute, they complain that it reads too quickly. It takes time to get used to a screen reader, but the interesting thing is that once users get used to it, they can race through content at speeds that can amaze sighted individuals.
Two of the most common screen readers are JAWS, by Freedom Scientific, and Window Eyes, by GW Micro. These programs can read not only web content but also the Windows operating system, word processing programs, and other software.
Note:
IBM Home Page Reader, an inexpensive and easy-to-use screen reader, is no longer being developed or supported. As such, all references to it within this article have been removed.
posted on Jun 6, 2007
Article
Topics
Google