Best screen reader for software developer

Best screen reader for software developer how to#

Using hidden text to spell something phonetically might work for people using a screen reader with a TTS engine, but people using a refreshable Braille display will read the text exactly as it's written. Putting a full-stop between each letter prevents those acronyms that can be spoken like whole words being announced properly by screen readers. The trouble is that spaces between letters can make things difficult for sighted people to read, especially if they have low literacy or find reading difficult because of a condition like Dyslexia. To put spaces between the letters of an acronym ('V A T'), or full-stops ('V.A.T'), or even to use hidden text so something is written phonetically ('Vee Ay Tee') for example. It is tempting to try to write content so it sounds right with screen readers.

So it probably isn't possible to write content that will work flawlessly for everyone who uses a screen reader. There are also many different ways a screen reader can be configured, and there are many ways the English language makes things complicated. There are lots of different screen readers in use - as our recent assistive technology survey found. Then it will say something like 'Gov dot uck' instead. A screen reader will say 'Gov.UK' like a person would (Gov dot UK'), unless it is reading it as part of a web address where it's in lowercase. However, a screen reader using a TTS with an American voice might speak it as 'Governor', because in the US 'Gov.' is also a short form of that word.Д¬apital letters also change the way screen readers pronounce things. In British English it's an abbreviation for 'Government', and screen readers using a TTS engine with a British voice will speak it as it's written - 'Gov.'. The abbreviation 'Gov.' is an interesting case. For example the acronym for Value Added Tax can be said as 'V A T', or as 'vat' (like a container of liquid).ДЄ screen reader might speak an acronym like a word, when a person would not: for example, the acronym for Disability Living Allowance is pronounced 'D L A' by people, but some screen readers will say 'dla' (like dlah') instead. Sometimes we speak acronyms as whole words and at others one letter at a time. When it comes to acronyms and abbreviations there are more differences. Some screen readers are good at choosing the right pronunciation based on the surrounding context, but others are not. We have words that sound different depending on the context they're used in: last week we 'read' something, and now we want to 'read' it again. We have words that are spelled the same, but that sound different: we tie a 'bow' or take a 'bow'. The English language is not a simple thing.

And they can all be adjusted by the user to choose how much punctuation is announced. Some screen readers speak all punctuation by default. Instead they speak the text much like a human would: they pause briefly at the end of a sentence where there is a full-stop, or increase the pitch of the voice where the sentence ends in a question mark. Some announce important punctuation marks by default, like the sign in an email address, but do not announce common punctuation marks like full-stops or question marks. This can vary depending on the screen reader. One thing to consider is the way screen readers handle punctuation. HereвЂ™s a closer look at how screen readers respond to content, and what it means for the people creating that content. The broad answer is to write content that is as clear and simple as possible - as you would in any case.

Through our Accessibility community, we often get asked about how to create content that works well with screen readers. Most screen readers are made up of two things: the screen reader software, and a Text To Speech (TTS) engine, which is what converts the text from the screen reader into speech. Screen readers are applications that turn on-screen content into speech or show it on a Braille display.

Best screen reader for software developer how to#