Screen readers do literally what their name suggests - they read the text from the screen. Unlike Talking Browsers, they function with almost any computer program and are not just used to browse the internet.
If you have sufficient hearing, they help you to navigate websites and gain easier access to all programs on your PC.
For more details of screen readers and how they work, see the RNIB factsheet on Speech Output Systems.
Possible problems
For this software to work properly, the website must be correctly designed. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. Although there are guidelines for making pages accessible, not all companies follow these.
But if you are having problems with a website, remember that your right to access is likely to be covered by the Disability Discrimination Act. If you would like some support making a claim, contact Sue Brown in the campaigns team.
Who supplies Screen Readers?
Visit our products page for details of suppliers and software.
