Screen readers

Screen readers are software programmes. This software converts text, buttons, images and other on-screen elements into speech or Braille, enabling users to hear the information or feel it via a Braille display. This allows them to use computers, smartphones and tablets independently and to navigate the internet.

The following four screen readers are the best known and most widely used:

• NVDA (NonVisual Desktop Access) is a free and open-source screen reader for Windows.
• JAWS (Job Access With Speech) is one of the best-known commercial screen readers for Windows.
• TalkBack is the built-in screen reader for Android devices, developed by Google, and comes pre-installed on Android devices as standard.
• VoiceOver is Apple’s built-in screen reader and is available on all iOS and macOS devices.