Comparison of screen readers from Wikipedia
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Screen readers are a form of assistive technology.
Contents
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Contemporary screen readers
| Screen reader | Creator | Supported platforms | License | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 95Reader | SSCT | Windows | Commercial | Japanese screen reader |
| Blindows | BAUM Retec (formerly Audiodata) | Windows | Commercial | Supports Microsoft Active Accessibility (MSAA) and the Java Access Bridge. |
| BRLTTY | The BRLTTY Team | *nix and Windows console | Free and open source (GPL2) | Available to download; part of most Linux distributions |
| BrowseAloud | Texthelp Systems Inc | Windows and Mac | Free for Users, Commercial | |
| Capture Assistant | Renovation Software | Windows | Commercial | Multilanguage screen reader |
| Claro ScreenRuler Suite | Claro Software | Windows | Commercial | Provides a "strip" or "ruler" across the screen. |
| Edbrowse | Karl Dahlke | *nix console | Free and open source | Makes a complete audio desktop, including web access with JavaScript support. |
| Spoken Web | Eyal Shalom | Windows | Free Web Site | A free web portal managing a wide range of articles |
| Emacspeak | T. V. Raman | Emacs (on *nix) | Free and open source | Turns Emacs into a "complete audio desktop". |
| Fire Vox | Charles L. Chen | Unix, Linux, Windows, OS X | Free and open source | For browsing with firefox only (plugin) |
| Gnopernicus | BAUM Retec AG | GNOME/Linux | Free and open source | Used to be bundled with GNOME, but now replaced by Orca. Includes a screen magnifier. Supports AT-SPI and the Java Access Bridge. |
| HAL | Dolphin Computer Access | Windows | Commercial | Supports MSAA, the Java Access Bridge, and PDF. 30 day Free Trial available for download. |
| HT Reader | HT Visual | Windows | Commercial | Includes support for MSAA and PDF. |
| iZoom | Issist | Windows | Commercial | Screen magnifier with low-vision speech capabilities. Includes support for Mozilla Firefox. |
| JAWS | Freedom Scientific | Windows and DOS | Commercial for Windows; freeware for DOS | Includes support for MSAA, the Java Access Bridge, and PDF. |
| Leitor de Telas | MC / CPqD | Windows | Free | Brazilian Portuguese screen reader. MSAA support. |
| Lingspeak | Lingit | Windows | Commercial | A visual screen reader, which highlights the object and text being read. Supports MSAA, Java Access Bridge (OpenOffice), per line reading from Win32 classes "Edit"(Notepad) and "RichEdit"(Wordpad), MS Word. UIA and IAccessible2 is being worked on. One-month trial version available. |
| Linux Screen Reader (LSR) | GNOME/Linux | GNOME/Linux | Free and open source | Supports AT-SPI. |
| SodelsCot | Sodels Factory | Windows | Commercial | Spanish screen reader. Converts copied or typed text to speech in any Windows program. Includes voices in Spanish and can use others compatible with SAPI5. It can create wav and mp3 files. |
| LookOUT | Choice Technology | Windows | Commercial | Also available integrated with a screen magnifier. |
| MAGic | Freedom Scientific | Windows | Commercial | Speech magnifier with low-vision speech capabilities. It can be used together with JAWS. |
| Microsoft Narrator | Microsoft | Windows | Commercial | Bundled with recent versions of Windows, this basic screen reader makes use of MSAA. |
| Mobile Speak | Code Factory | Symbian OS, Windows Mobile | Commercial | Full-fledged screen readers and Braille interfaces that let you access your mobile phone. One-month trial version available. |
| Model T Reader | Dolphin Computer Access | DOS | Freeware | |
| NonVisual Desktop Access (NVDA) | NonVisual Desktop Access project | Windows | Free and open source (GPL2) | Programmed and scriptable in Python. Supports Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Internet Explorer, Word, Excel and Outlook Express, and Mozilla Thunderbird to a more limited degree. Supports web content using JavaScript. No Java Access Bridge support yet. IAccessible2 support is being implemented. |
| Orca | GNOME/Linux | *nix | Free and open source | Bundled with GNOME. Supports AT-SPI and the Java Access Bridge. |
| PC-Talker | Kochi System Development | Windows | Commercial | Japanese screen reader. Supports MSAA and Flash |
| PCVoz | EzHermatic | Windows | Commercial | Available to buy or download trial. Supports MSAA. |
| Proloquo | AssistiveWare | Mac OS X | Commercial | Includes a license for Infovox iVox. 15 days trial. |
| Read & Write | Texthelp Systems | Windows and Mac OS | Commercial | Support toolbar designed to assist users who require extra assistance when reading or composing text. |
| Simply Talker | EcoNet International | Windows | Commercial | Trial download available. |
| SUSE-Blinux | Novell | Linux | Free and open source | |
| Supernova | Dolphin Computer Access | Windows | Commercial | Includes a screen magnifier and output to Braille devices. 30 day Free Trial available for download. Supports MSAA, the Java Access Bridge, and PDF. |
| System Access | Serotek | Windows | Commercial | Trial download available. Supports Microsoft Internet Explorer (including DHTML/Ajax and Flash), Outlook Express, Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Skype, and Adobe Reader. No support for Java yet. |
| Talks | Nuance Communications | Symbian OS Series 60 or 80 | Commercial | Presentation and free Trial Version to be found on the site. |
| Thunder ScreenReader | Sensory Software | Windows | Freeware | Supports MSAA. |
| Virgo | BAUM Retec AG | Windows | Commercial | Trial download available. Supports MSAA and the Java Access Bridge. |
| SpeakEasy Media System | NDU | Windows | Commercial | Specialized suite of vocalized programs designed for ease of use |
| Virtual Vision | MicroPower | Windows | Commercial | Brazilian screen reader. Supports MSAA. |
| WebAnywhere | University of Washington | Web | Free and Open Source (new BSD) | Doesn't require any software installation to run so can be used at any public terminal that has sound available - works on any platform. |
| WinZoom | Clarity | Windows | Commercial | Screen reader with magnifier. USB version doesn't require any installation and can be used on any public computer. |
| Window-Eyes | GW Micro | Windows | Commercial | Available to buy or download 30-minutes per Windows session demo. Supports MSAA. |
| Screen Access for All | National Association for the Blind, New Delhi | Windows | Open source | |
| ZoomText | Ai Squared | Windows | Commercial | Includes a screen magnifier. Trial download available. |
| Screen reader | Creator | Supported platforms | License | Notes |
Unfinished Screenreader Projects
| Screen reader | Creator | Supported platforms | License | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Screenful | Screenful Team | Windows | Open source | Concept is done. Due to problems finding skilled developers, the project is idling |
| The Longhorn Screen Reader Project | OSSRP Team | Windows Vista | Open source | Concept ideas have been made. Latest news said that the project hadn't succeeded. Whether or not they will continue or let it die is not known at the moment. |
Historical interest
| Screen reader | Creator | Supported platforms | License | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ASAW (Automatic Screen Access for Windows) | MicroTalk | Windows | Commercial | |
| DRACULA family | Eurobraille | Windows | Commercial | |
| Enable Reader Professional Speech System | Enable Talking Software | DOS | Uncertain | |
| Enhanced PC Talking Program | Computer Conversations | DOS | Uncertain | |
| Pocket Hal | Dolphin Computer Access | Windows Mobile PDA and PDA Phones | Commercial | |
| PROVOX | Kansys, Inc. | DOS | Uncertain | |
| Screen Reader | Research Centre for the Education of the Visually Handicapped (RCEVH) | BBC Micro and NEC portable | ||
| Screen Reader/2 | IBM | OS/2 | Commercial | |
| Smart Hal | Dolphin Computer Access | Windows Mobile and WM Smartphone | Commercial | |
| Soft Vert | TeleSensory Systems | DOS | Commercial | |
| Tinytalk | OMS Development | DOS and perhaps Windows | Shareware | |
| Window Bridge | Syntha-voice Computers (now out of business) | Windows | Commercial | |
| WinVision | Artic Technologies | Windows | Commercial | Not officially discontinued, but there has been no further release since 1997. |
Software aids for people with reading difficulties
- Penfriend from Penfriend Ltd
- ClaroRead from Claro Software
- EasyTutor from Dolphin Computer Access
- EnVision: basic multi-featured Windows accessibility tool
- Read & Write, Screenreader from TextHelp Systems
- yRead from Spacejock Software
- ReadPlease from ReadPlease Corporation
- TextAloud from NextUp.com
- Alvin Kurzweil 1000 (for the visually impaired) and Kurzweil 3000 (for those with reading difficulty) from Kurzweil Educational Systems
- Read:OutLoud from Don Johnston, Inc.
References
- ^ Bob Regan, Best Practices for Accessible Flash Design (PDF)
- ^ Kenneth Frasse, GUI Access: A Comparison of Screen-Readers (Part I), Access Review (Summer 1997)
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