Screen reader

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A screen reader is a form of <a href="/facts/Assistive_technology/xYdAXG3y">assistive technology</a> (AT) that renders text and image content as speech or braille output. Screen readers are essential to <a href="/facts/Blindness/sFuqKj3n">blind</a> people, and are useful to <a href="/facts/Visually_impaired/sFuqKj3n">visually impaired</a> people, <a href="/facts/Illiteracy/GpXB3QbJ">illiterate</a>, or have a <a href="/facts/Learning_disability/HJoAq92N">learning disability</a>. Screen readers are <a href="/facts/Application_software/YQuj7Kog">software applications</a> that attempt to convey what people with normal eyesight see on a <a href="/facts/Display_device/yX1Mypk0">display</a> to their users via non-visual means, like <a href="/facts/Text-to-speech/ceTczTv9">text-to-speech</a>, sound icons, or a <a href="/facts/Refreshable_Braille_display/7m6GKyF3">braille device</a>. They do this by applying a wide variety of techniques that include, for example, interacting with dedicated accessibility APIs, using various <a href="/facts/Operating_system/8XTuvMh2">operating system</a> features (like <a href="/facts/Inter-process_communication/cIQYyT6y">inter-process communication</a> and querying <a href="/facts/User_interface/e9sPEWVD">user interface</a> properties), and employing <a href="/facts/Hooking/FJlTwAmd">hooking</a> techniques.
</p><p><a href="/facts/Microsoft_Windows/bwhAhuSL">Microsoft Windows</a> <a href="/facts/Operating_systems/8XTuvMh2">operating systems</a> have included the <a href="/facts/Microsoft_Narrator/64S00UpI">Microsoft Narrator</a> screen reader since <a href="/facts/Windows_2000/amJIt9gz">Windows 2000</a>, though separate products such as <a href="/facts/Freedom_Scientific/Jh71xev0">Freedom Scientific</a>'s commercially available <a href="/facts/JAWS_(screen_reader)/vQR8PoAx">JAWS</a> screen reader and <a href="/facts/ZoomText/leXRQKqE">ZoomText</a> screen magnifier and the <a href="/facts/Free_and_open_source/1cHtjLCB">free and open source</a> screen reader <a href="/facts/NonVisual_Desktop_Access/FeFXEDRR">NVDA</a> by NV Access are more popular for that operating system. <a href="/facts/Apple_Inc./oTJYta3k">Apple Inc.</a>'s <a href="/facts/MacOS/Y93vVpTm">macOS</a>, <a href="/facts/IOS/mK5cggH5">iOS</a>, and <a href="/facts/TvOS/jDMqvvfI">tvOS</a> include <a href="/facts/VoiceOver/6DNxyS1W">VoiceOver</a> as a built-in screen reader, while <a href="/facts/Google/GT9Sugza">Google</a>'s <a href="/facts/Android_(operating_system)/nNyHb0xz">Android</a> provides the <a href="/facts/Google_TalkBack/YwYdR7sP">Talkback screen reader</a> and its <a href="/facts/ChromeOS/zH0B5Xtk">ChromeOS</a> can use ChromeVox. Similarly, Android-based devices from Amazon provide the VoiceView screen reader.  There are also free and open source screen readers for <a href="/facts/Linux/9FvCKSTq">Linux</a> and <a href="/facts/Unix-like/YAKrAxzd">Unix-like</a> systems, such as Speakup and <a href="/facts/Orca_(assistive_technology)/vyMMpLeY">Orca</a>.
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Screen reader open-in-new

Screen reader