Web Access Centre

Speech and braille output software

Summary: Screen readers, also known as audio output and speech output, are used by people who are blind to "listen" to web pages.

• Browsing technologies:
• How it works
• Accessibility issues
• Web accessibility links

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Browsing technologies:

• Speech and braille output
• Screen magnification
• Text-based browsers

A screen reader and refreshable braille display is a software which works together with the platform and software on a standard monitor. Screen readers output aurally what you would otherwise see. This includes everything from start up screens, desk top and tool bars, all software packages and browsers.

When browsing screen readers work with standard browsers to read the content elements on any given web page.

Unlike the eye, which can scan a page to pick out information, a screen reader linearises a page. Put simply, a screen reader will read the outputted page from top to bottom left to right.

In terms of the page’s coding this means a screen reader will read the HTML code, from the top, reading only the content, structural coding and textual values of some attributes. This means the screen reader will identify a piece of text as a heading if it is coded using H1, for example, and will read out alternative text used for images (alt text), page titles, summaries, lists and so on. So all structural information that can be gained visually can also be gained aurally as well as the content itself.

Screen readers and refreshable braille displays are one software package. To use the braille output, a braille keypad hardware is attached to the length of a keyboard and small pins are pushed up to output the content in braille.

Popular screen readers and refreshable braille displays are Jaws, WindowEyes and Hal. To find out more have a look in the assistive technology section of the Web Access Centre resources page.

How it works

People rely solely on the keyboard to navigate around a page using various keyboard commands. Being a non-visual medium it is not possible to use a mouse. When a page downloads in a browser the screen reader will start reading the page starting with the title in the title bar, URL and then the page content.

To navigate the page the tab key can be used to tab from one element to the next, up or down. This includes all types of images, links, form fields, buttons, objects and so on. Other commands exist such as listing the links in a page, frame headings and the page headings. The screen reader will identify each element as it reads it out, for example if it is a link to “About us” the screen reader will say “Link, About us”, if it is a graphic that is a button for “Go” it will read “Button, go”.

Accessibility issues

Good use of alt text, clear link text and correctly coded headings are crucial to navigation. The image of a dialogue box taken in Jaws v 4.05 shows list links on a website that have not been given distinct link text. There are eight instances of the link text “read” all of which are linked to different pages. When heard out of context, as they will be when the tab key is used to navigate, they give no clear indication of what the page will be.

Web accessibility links

• Types of disability
• Accessibility myths
• How people with disabilities access the web

For Web Access Centre updates email webaccess@rnib.org.uk

Content author: webaccess@rnib.org.uk

Last updated: 20/10/2008 15:51