Screen Readers

A screen reader is a type of assistive technology (AT) frequently used by people with visual impairments or learning disabilities. Screen reader uses a text-to-speech (TTS) engine to translate the text on screen into synthesized speech and/or provide output in Braille.

In addition to reading the content of a web page, most screen readers also provide opportunities for users to browse the page by headings or links and search the page for specific terms.

Most screen reader users don’t use a mouse, so the software will use a wide variety of keyboard commands for the user to complete their tasks.

The following video shows the experience of Léonie Watson using her screen reader to browse a web page:

As designers and developers, it’s important to be aware of how our choices can impact or impede users who interact with our sites and products using assistive technology, like screen readers.