Screen Reader Links
Jaws for Windows
JAWS for Windows is a powerful accessibility solution that reads information on your screen using synthesized speech. JAWS provides many useful commands that make it easier to use programs, edit documents, and read Web pages. With a refreshable braille display, JAWS can also provide braille output in addition to, or instead of, speech. An array of versatile features and customizable options lets you tailor JAWS for your individual needs and preferences. JAWS installs with an enhanced, multi-lingual software speech synthesizer, “Eloquence for JAWS.” Languages include: American English, British English, Castilian Spanish, Latin American Spanish, French, French Canadian, German, Italian, Brazilian Portuguese, and Finnish.The JAWS interactive talking installation makes it easy to get started without sighted assistance. Supports all standard Windows® applications without the need to do special configurations. Enhanced support has been added for today’s most popular applications, including Microsoft® Office, Corel WordPerfect® Office, and IBM Lotus® Notes®. Supports Internet Explorer with special features: links lists, frames lists, forms mode, reading HTML tables and graphic labels and more. Includes a unique scripting language for further customization with nonstandard Windows applications and proprietary software. New tools for easier customization without the need to write scripts. Outputs to most popular refreshable braille displays in computer or Grade 2 Braille. Includes JAWS Basic Training on CD with more than five hours of audio instruction to help users understand how to navigate the Windows environment with JAWS.
Direct Download Links for Jaws
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NVDA home page
NonVisual Desktop Access (NVDA) is a free and open source screen reader for the Microsoft Windows operating system. Providing feedback via synthetic speech and Braille, it enables blind or vision impaired people to access computers running Windows for no more cost than a sighted person. Major features include support for over 35 languages and the ability to run entirely from a USB drive with no installation. NVDA is developed by ?NV Access, with contributions from the community.
Window-Eyes
Window-Eyes is nothing less than the most stable, secure and customizable screen reader available on the market today. Featuring comprehensive support for computers running Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows Server 2003, and Windows Server 2008, Window-Eyes enables individuals who are blind or visually impaired to be completely independent on a PC and be more successful and productive at school and in the workplace.
Safa
From the day of dawn of the computer technology, it has affected the lives of millions of people, including the lives of visually challenged persons. Advances in synthetic speech have lead to the development of screen reader software, which can capture text from the computer and transform it into the audio form, which is then used by the visually impaired persons or person with low vision. This technology has provided numerous opportunities to the visually impaired persons including the jobs as programmers, call centers, venturing in to new fields such as science & math, and others. Although screen-reading technology has provided such a power to the visually impaired persons, it has hardly reached to the broader population in India & has remained limited to a small fortunate English-speaking minority. The major issue with this category of assistive technology is that most products are extremely expensive and are beyond the reach of visually impaired persons at least in developing countries. Media Lab Asia & NAB Delhi have jointly developed the screen reading software named SAFA. This is an open source software & supports many Indian languages. It is being provided free of charge by NAB Delhi. The users have the option of purchasing additional Text ToSpeech softwares for better synthetic voice output from SAFA. SAFA can detect the text language on the fly and calls the relevant TTS for speaking it. So now one can have a multilingual document and read it with SAFA at one go without having to change or install TTS again & again.
SupernovaOral
A complete screen reader with natural sounding speech and integrated screen magnifier with Braille display support.
Satogo
Satogo (System Access to go) is a free online screen-reading program for the blind and visually impaired that operates very similarly to the popular JAWS screen-reading program. Satogo is an easy download to any computer and operates similar to a "plug-in" sort of program in that it does not require installation to a computer's hard drive and removes itself after the user has finished using it. Users have the option of saving their settings (voice, reading speed, etc.) via an online user name and password that is portable to any computer that has internet access. There is also the option to install the program on a computer's hard drive which will allow a user instant access to the program. Satogo also offers a screen magnification feature that is similar to the Zoomtext screen magnifying program. The Jacksonville Public Library allows users to access Satogo and create a username and password on any of our public use computers but does not allow for the complete installation of the program.
WebAnyWhere
WebAnywhere is a web-based screen reader for the web. It requires no special software to be installed on the client machine and, therefore, enables blind people to access the web from any computer they happen to have access to that has a sound card. Visit wa.cs.washington.edu to access WebAnywhere directly. And, it's completely FREE to use! WebAnywhere will run on any machine, even heavily locked-down public terminals, regardless of what operating system it is running and regardless of what browsers are installed. WebAnywhere does not seek to replace existing screen readers - it has some big limitations, namely that it will not provide access to desktop applications like word processors or spreadsheets.
Thunder
Thunder is award-winning free screenreader talking software for people with little or no sight. It works well with Windows 7, Vista or XP. Thunder is available all over the world in several languages and it really is absolutely FREE!
LightningPlus
Lightning Plus with Speech is an integrated combination of the popular Lightning Magnifier and the Thunder Screenreader. Whatever appears on the computer screen can be magnified up to 36 times. It is easy to install and just as easy to use. Lightning Plus with Speech will speak menus and dialog boxes, offering full speech feedback for most text-based word processing tasks including editing documents in Microsoft Word, WordPad or Notepad. Lightning Plus with Speech CD version includes two British RealSpeak voices, Daniel and Serena. Lightning Plus with Speech also includes a special portable USB memory stick version, allowing Lightning to be used on any computer without having to install any files or be an administrator. By inserting the USB stick into an available USB port on the PC, Lightning will automatically start.
Balabolka
Balabolka is a Text-To-Speech (TTS) program. All computer voices installed on your system are available to Balabolka. The on-screen text can be saved as a WAV, MP3, MP4, OGG or WMA file. The program can read the clipboard content, view the text from AZW, CHM, DjVu, DOC, EPUB, FB2, HTML, LIT, MOBI, ODT, PRC, PDF and RTF files, customize font and background colour, control reading from the system tray or by the global hotkeys. The program uses various versions of Microsoft Speech API (SAPI); it allows to alter a voice's parameters, including rate and pitch. The user can apply a special substitution list to improve the quality of the voice's articulation. This feature is useful when you want to change the spelling of words. The rules for the pronunciation correction use the syntax of regular expressions. Balabolka can save the synchronized text in external LRC files or in MP3 tags inside the audio files. When an audio file is played with players on a computer or on modern digital audio players, the text is displayed synchronously (at the same way, as lyrics for songs).
Mobile Screen Readers
Talks & Zooms
Nuance TALKS&ZOOMS is a software application for mobile handsets that converts displayed text into highly intelligible speech and/or large print on phones that run the Symbian™ S60 3rd/5th and Symbian^3 edition platform. Nuance TALKS&ZOOMS empowers people who are blind or have low-vision by providing access to most handset features including but not limited to: Home screen information, contact directories, caller ID, Calendar, text messages, Email - via the phone's built-in mail app, Web content via the Nokia web browser, Many 3rd-party applications.
Nuance Talks & Zooms demonstration request
Please enter your phones IMEI number on the below webpage together with your e-mail address and they will e-mail you a free of charge unlock code for Nuance Accessibility Suite. This product is a fully functional version of the accessibility suite enabling you to sample the features of Talks and Zooms.
Mobile Speak
Code Factory’s screen readers consist of software applications installed on a mobile phone, which allow you to use the device even if you cannot read the screen visually. Information displayed on the screen is rendered in synthesized speech output generated using text-to-speech (TTS) technology and routed through the device’s speaker or a headset. Screen contents can also be presented in Braille if the mobile phone or PDA is connected to a Braille device with a refreshable Braille display. Speech and Braille output can be used at the same time, or independently, to perform many tasks on the phone.
Nokia Screen Reader
Nokia Screen Reader is a free screen reader available for people with visual disabilities and also for general users who would like additional voice assistance on their smartphone. The screen reader is an easy-to-use and simple application designed to meet the accessibility needs of Nokia smartphone users. Nokia Screen Reader is a simplified version of the powerful Mobile Speak screen reader. The application speaks the text content of the currently focused item on the screen, following focus as the user moves around the different applications on the phone. It uses a simple command structure to let users get the important information quickly such as date and time, signal strength, connection status, etc.