Screen Reading Software
Basic Facts about Screen Reading Software
Screen Reading Software attempts to identify the visual display and provides voice output or refreshable Braille. Screen Reading Software may be stand alone or be in combination with other assistive technology such as screen magnifiers. Typically, a screen reader, sometimes called a speech output system, works with a speech synthesizer. A speech synthesizer which ‘speaks’ the text sent to it from the screen-reading program installed on the computer. The speech synthesizer is usually a software program that works with a sound card.
A screen-reading program sends text displayed on the screen to be spoken by a speech synthesizer. Common features include the ability to speak:
- the full screen
- a user defined area of the screen
- a line, word, individual letters or the phonetic equivalent of a letter
- capital letters, punctuation, symbols
- system messages.
Screen reading software can benefit both persons with learning disabilities and people who are blind or severely visually impaired. Screen reading software is required so that people who are blind or severely visually impaired can access a variety of technology like email, word processing documents, spread sheets, databases, and webpages.
Text-to-Speech Software
Today operating systems, browsers, and products like Adobe have text-to-speech software included within its own programming.
Text-to-speech software is different from a screen reader. Text-to-speech software, while usually cheaper, is not as powerful as screen reading software.
Most of people have heard of Adobe. It has built in Text-to-speech software. If you have never used such software, please take the time to read the xxx using the text-to-speech software. Below are some simple instructions of how to use the Read Out Loud feature.
To enable the Read Out Loud feature, Select View, Read Out Loud, and then select one of the reading options. The shortcut keys for these options are also listed in the table.
| Option | Shortcut keys |
|---|---|
| Read This Page Only | Ctrl plus Shift plus V |
| Read To End of Document | Ctrl plus Shift plus B |
| Pause/Resume | Ctrl plus Shift plus C |
| Stop | Ctrl plus Shift plus E |
You can change the Volume, Voice, Pitch, Speed and Read form fields selection. To change the default Read Out Loud attributes, choose Edit > Preferences > Reading from the list of categories on the left side of the window.
The Read form fields by default it isn't selected. Read Out Loud will skip any form fields it encounters. You must select it to see how form fields works. A great place to see this is at (add tax page).
- To navigate from field to field, use Tab to move forward and Shift plus Tab to move backward.
- The text entered in the field is not read as it is typed, but it is read when the user leaves the field.