When it comes to universal access, several people with hearing or visual impairments or illnesses have found that it can become a barrier to using traditional software.

For example, the website has an accessible mp3 player to download and a selection of games. As more sophisticated software has been made available to a larger audience, people have begun turning their attention to developing leisure programs that are designed with accessibility in mind. Such software is essential for blind users to read the content of web pages or communicate with friends and colleagues.

Users can change both the lens text color and the lens background color. The magnified text is displayed inside of a separate lens and preserves the original page layout. Google ChromeVis is a Google Chrome extension that magnifies any selected text on a webpage. The following is a list of free screen readers that one can download: Luckily for them, there are several screen reading software that are completely free. Many people could not afford the expensive price tag associated with some of the more sophisticated screen readers. Free Software Makes ‘Universal’ Access a Reality But while screen-reading software can be affordable, such hardware is usually very expensive. Such screen readers make use of crystals that can expand when exposed to particular voltage levels (thanks to a phenomenon known as the Piezo Effect), allowing visually impaired users to use their fingers to read the text that is displayed on screen. Whilst most screen readers work by having a synthetic voice that reads text aloud, others can also communicate data via a refreshable braille display. While the most basic screen readers will not help blind users navigate a computer, those with additional features can give people with visual impairment much more independence. Simply put, a screen reader transmits whatever text is displayed on the computer screen into a form that a visually impaired user can process (usually tactile, auditory or a combination of both). Essential Software: A Screen ReaderĪ screen reader is an essential piece of software for a blind or visually impaired person. Now a range of software is available that can help to make using a computer an easier, more enjoyable and more productive experience for blind or visually impaired users.įor in-depth insights on accessibility, we recommend the online course on Accessibility at the Interaction Design Foundation. Just close your eyes and you will instantly experience that even processing text is impossible - or impossible without additional software at least. It is not difficult for a sighted person to imagine how being blind or visually impaired could make using a computer difficult.

Excel accessibility screen reader