How Screen Readers Enable Computer Access for Blind and Visually Impaired Users
Screen readers are assistive software programs that enable blind or visually impaired users to interact with computers by converting on-screen text into speech (via a speech synthesizer) or braille (via a braille display). The software acts as an interface between the operating system, applications, and the user, who sends commands through keyboard combinations or braille display inputs. Screen readers can perform various functions including reading or spelling words, reading lines or full screens of text, finding specific text strings, announcing cursor or focus locations, and more advanced tasks like locating text in a certain color, reading highlighted text, identifying active menu choices, and interacting with word processor spell checkers or spreadsheet cells.
Key quotes
Screen readers are software programs that allow blind or visually impaired users to read the text that is displayed on the computer screen with a speech synthesizer or braille display.
A screen reader is the interface between the computer's operating system, its applications, and the user.
The user sends commands by pressing different combinations of keys on the computer keyboard or braille display to instruct the speech synthesizer what to say and to speak automatically when changes occur on the computer screen.
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