Skim is a PDF reader and note-taker for OS X. It is designed to help you read and annotate scientific papers in PDF, but is also great for viewing any PDF file. PDF reader and note-taker for OS.Convenient reading in. Using a reading bar -Magnification. Computer screen readers read out loud the content that is on the computer screen. Screen readers enable access to a computer and all the things it does when magnification no longer helps or when you might experience visual fatigue if you have to read large amounts of on-screen text. A screen reading system for use with a computer such as Microsoft Windows or Apple Mac consists of a voice.
Current screen readers[edit]
Screen reader | Creator | Supported platforms | License | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
BRLTTY | The BRLTTY Team | *nix, Windows console, DOS, Android | Free and open source (GPL2) | Available to download; part of most Linux distributions |
ChromeVox | Chrome OS or, with a speech processor, Linux, Mac, Windows | Free | ChromeVox is a screen reader for Chrome and Chrome OS. The ChromeVox Classic Chrome extension is in maintenance-only mode. The ChromeVox website has more information on the transition to the version bundled with Chrome OS. | |
COBRA | BAUM Retec | Windows | Commercial | Supports Microsoft Active Accessibility (MSAA) and the Java Access Bridge. |
Edbrowse | Karl Dahlke | *nix console | Free and open source | Makes a complete audio desktop, including web access with JavaScript support. |
Emacspeak | T. V. Raman | Emacs (on *nix) | Free and open source | Turns Emacs into a 'complete audio desktop'. |
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. |
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. |
MAGic | Freedom Scientific | Windows | Commercial | Speech magnifier with low-vision speech capabilities. It can be used together with JAWS. |
Metalmouth | Evaluera Ltd. | All that run Chrome browser | Free and open source (Apache 2.0) | metalmouth is a simplified open source screen-reader application which can be used to read out any HTML5 web pages and interact with most HTML5 input controls. It also supports multi-tab navigation. |
Microsoft Narrator | Microsoft | Windows | Commercial | Bundled with recent versions of Windows, this basic screen reader makes use of MSAA. |
Microsurf | Microsurf | All that run Chrome browser | Free | Microsurf is a screen reader for Chrome |
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. Supports web content using JavaScript. Supports Java Access Bridge. IAccessible2 is supported. |
Orca | GNOME | *nix | Free and open source ( LGPL 2.1) | The development of Orca was started by Sun Microsystems as part of the GNOME project with contributions from many community members, but since Oracle acquired Sun Microsystems in 2010, Orca turned into a completely community-driven project. It supports AT-SPI, so it works with the GNOME desktop, Mozilla Firefox/Thunderbird, OpenOffice/LibreOffice and GTK+, KDE/Qt and Java Swing/SWT applications. Though it is developed by the GNOME project, it is the most popular screen reader for Unix like systems with graphical environments other than GNOME, like KDE or Unity. |
PC-Talker | Kochi System Development | Windows | Commercial | Japanese screen reader. Supports MSAA and Flash[1] |
PCVoz | EzHermatic | Windows | Commercial | Available to buy or download trial. Supports MSAA. |
ScreenReader (formerly 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. |
Simply Talker | EcoNet International | Windows | Commercial | Trial download available. |
SpeakEasy Media System | NDU | Windows | Commercial | Specialized suite of vocalized programs designed for ease of use |
SUSE-Blinux | Novell | Linux | Free and open source | |
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. |
TalkBack[2] | Android 1.6+ | Open Source | Use with SoundBack and kickback | |
TalkButton[3] | Upward Spiral Software | Mac | Commercial | TalkButton works together with Microsoft Word to create an extensive text-to-speech environment. Features include highlighting of spoken text and keyboard echo. Trial version available. |
Text to Speech[4] | SpeakComputers.com | Windows | Freeware |
|
Thunder ScreenReader | Sensory Software | Windows | Freeware | Last update 2015[5]. Supports MSAA. |
Virtual Vision | MicroPower | Windows | Commercial | Brazilian screen reader. Supports MSAA. |
VoiceOver | Apple Inc. | Mac OS X, iPhone, iPad, iPods, and Apple TV | Free, Commercial | Free and included with any Apple product. No installation or setup required. Available in over 30 language voices, which are also included for free. See Apple Accessibility [6] for more information. |
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 does not require any installation and can be used on any public computer. |
Screen Access for All | National Association for the Blind, New Delhi | Windows | Open source | Last update: 2004 |
ZoomText | Ai Squared | Windows | Commercial | Includes a screen magnifier. Trial download available. |
Screen reader | Creator | Supported platforms | License | Notes |
Unfinished screenreader projects[edit]
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 had not succeeded. Whether or not they will continue or let it die is not known at the moment. |
Apple Pie Project | Simnix Software | Windows Phone 7 & 8 | Open source https://web.archive.org/web/20100109011430/http://applepie.codeplex.com/ | To help blind and partially sighted people to use a Windows Phone. |
Discontinued and/or obsoleted screen readers[edit]
Screen reader | Creator | Supported platforms | License | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
95Reader | SSCT | Windows | Commercial | Japanese screen reader; latest version (ver. 6.0, release date unknown) has specific support for Internet Explorer 6 and Macromedia Flash 6 [7], so seems obsolete and its availability seems unlikel |
ASAP (Automatic Screen Access Program)[8] | MicroTalk | Dos | Commercial | |
ASAW (Automatic Screen Access for Windows)[9] | MicroTalk | Windows | Commercial | |
Blindows | BAUM Retec (formerly Audiodata) | Windows | Commercial | Substituted by COBRA |
DRACULA family | Eurobraille | Windows | Commercial | |
Enable Reader Professional Speech System | Enable Talking Software | DOS | Uncertain | |
Enhanced PC Talking Program | Computer Conversations | DOS | Uncertain | |
Fire Vox | Charles L. Chen | All that ran Firefox browser up to version 3.6 | Free and open source | For browsing with Firefox only (plugin), is not compatible with Firefox 3.6 or newer, that made it obsolete long ago |
Gnopernicus | GNOME | *nix | Free and open source (LGPL 2) | It was developed by BAUM Engineering, a partner company of Baum Retec AG. Used to be bundled with GNOME, but it was replaced by Orca in GNOME 2.16. Included a screen magnifier. It supported AT-SPI. |
HAL | Dolphin Computer Access | Windows, DOS | Commercial | Windows version was superseded by Supernova (later renamed to ScreenReader) |
HT Reader | HT Visual | Windows | Commercial | Included support for MSAA and PDF. Disappeared from the price list of HT Visual [10], absolutely no other sign of it being available |
Leitor de Telas | MC / CPqD | Windows | Free | Brazilian Portuguese screen reader. MSAA support. Latest info about it is from December 2007 [11] |
Linux Screen Reader (LSR) | GNOME | *nix | Free and open source (New BSD License) | It was an alternative screen reader to Orca led by IBM started in 2006. However, it was ceased in 2007 when IBM focused their resources in other projects.[12] It supported AT-SPI. |
LookOUT | Choice Technology | Windows | Commercial | Was also available integrated with a screen magnifier. Last mention of it is from 2003. [13] |
Mercator/UltraSonix | Georgia Institute of Technology | X Window System/Linux | Educational, Non-commercial | More information at Georgia Tech's College of Computing Past Projects and 'An Architecture for Transforming Graphical Interfaces' (1994) by W. Keith Edwards and Elizabeth D. Mynatt. |
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. The discontinuation of Simbian in 2013 and of Windows Mobile in 2010 made it obsolete. |
Model T Reader | Dolphin Computer Access | DOS | Freeware | |
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 | |
Talks & Zooms [14] | Nuance Communications | Symbian OS Series 60 3rd and 5th Ed and Simbian^3 | Commercial | Presentation and free Trial Version to be found on the site. The discontinuation of Simbian OS in 2013 made this obsolete. |
TeleTender | TeleTender.org | All Platforms: Windows, Linux, Mac OS X, iPhone, iPad, iPods, Windows, Android etc. | Free | TeleTender is a voice communication platform for sight impaired people, embedded with a cloud based screen reader. Users can interact with any web pages on the internet by issuing voice commands over the phone. To use it, just dial one of its access numbers. |
Tinytalk | OMS Development | DOS and perhaps Windows | SHARE WARE | |
Virgo | BAUM Retec AG | Windows | Commercial | Substituted by COBRA. |
Window Bridge | Syntha-voice Computers (now out of business) | Windows | Commercial | |
Window-Eyes | GW Micro (merged with AI Squared in 2014, [15] acquired by VFO Group, later Vispero, in 2016[16]) | Windows | Commercial | As of 2017, no longer available for sale. |
WinVision | Artic Technologies | Windows | Commercial | Not officially discontinued, but there has been no further release since 1997. |
Screen reader | Creator | Supported platforms | License | Notes |
Software aids for people with reading difficulties[edit]
- Automatik Text Reader from Davide Baldini (Firefox extension)
- BrowseAloud from Texthelp Systems Inc
- Capture Assistant from Renovation Software
- ClaroRead from Claro Software
- Claro ScreenRuler Suite from Claro Software
- ClickHear[17] from gh LLC
- ClickHear Mobile[18] from gh LLC
- ClipSpeak[19] (last update: 2009) from Daniel Innala Ahlmark
- EasyTutor from Dolphin Computer Access
- EnVision: basic multi-featured Windows accessibility tool
- Kurzweil 1000 (for the visually impaired) and Kurzweil 3000-firefly (for those with reading or writing difficulty) from Kurzweil Educational Systems
- Penfriend from Penfriend Ltd
- Proloquo from AssistiveWare
- ReadHear[20] from gh LLC
- ReadSpeaker from ReadSpeaker Holding B.V.
- Read & Write from TextHelp Systems
- ReadPlease from ReadPlease Corporation [21]
- Read:OutLoud from Don Johnston, Inc.
- Screen Reader from SourceBinary.com (no longer available, latest trial version can be obtained from other download sites)
- SodelsCot[22] from Sodels Factory
- TextAloud from NextUp.com
- Ultra Hal TTS Reader from Zabaware, Inc.
- VoiceText from Neospeech, Inc.
- yRead from Spacejock Software
References[edit]
- ^Bob Regan, Best Practices for Accessible Flash Design (PDF)Archived 2007-03-23 at the Wayback Machine
- ^TalkBack: An Open Source Screenreader For Android
- ^Talkbutton.net
- ^Speakcomputers.com
- ^https://www.webbie.org.uk/blog/end-of-the-thunder-screenreader/
- ^Apple Accessibility
- ^95Reader ver 6.0 product information page (in Japanese)
- ^Wael Zakareya
- ^Kenneth Frasse, GUI Access: A Comparison of Screen-Readers (Part I)Archived 2007-06-03 at the Wayback Machine, Access Review (Summer 1997)
- ^HT Visual price list (in Czech)
- ^Leitor de telas has become freely downloadable from the homepage of the Ministry for Communication of Brasil (in Portuguese)
- ^'Status of IBM a11y'. Retrieved 17 August 2013.
- ^Lookout screen reader information page
- ^Talks & Zooms product homepage
- ^'Ai Squared And GW Micro Merge Forces'. Retrieved Apr 16, 2019.
- ^'Breaking: VFO Group, owners of Freedom Scientific and Optelec, Acquires AI Squared'. Retrieved Apr 16, 2019.
- ^ClickHear
- ^ClickHear Mobile
- ^Clipspeak.codeplex.com
- ^ReadHear
- ^Ross, Ian (1 May 2004). 'Software developer builds on artificial intelligence'. Northern Ontario Business. Archived from the original on 13 October 2018. Retrieved 13 October 2018 – via Highbeam.
- ^Sodels.com
Every Mac is built with assistive technologies to support people who are blind or have low vision. The VoiceOver screen reader describes exactly what’s happening on your screen. Hover Text lets you instantly magnify a selection of text. And Display Accommodations support color blindness and other vision needs.
Hover TextGet a quick size boost of what you’re reading.
Hover Text makes it easier to view text on your display. If a paragraph, caption, or headline is too small to read, just hover over it with your cursor and press Command. You’ll get a dedicated window with a large, high-resolution version of your selection. You can even choose the fonts and colors that work best for you.
VoiceOverHear what’s happening on your screen.
VoiceOver does more than tell you what’s happening on your Mac. It helps you make things happen. It gives you auditory descriptions of each onscreen element and provides helpful hints along the way — whether you prefer using gestures, a keyboard, or a braille display. And it supports more than 35 languages, including multiple voice options.
VoiceOverIntegrated throughout macOS and every built-in app.
VoiceOver is unique because it’s not a standalone screen reader. It’s deeply integrated in macOS and all the built-in apps on Mac. And as developers update their apps to take advantage of the accessibility interfaces provided by Apple, their apps can start working with VoiceOver right away.
VoiceOverImproved PDF, web, and messages navigation.
We’ve refined VoiceOver to make it easier to navigate PDFs, websites, and messages. In Safari, improved conformance with HTML5 accessibility standards allows for more consistent navigation of websites. VoiceOver is now better at reading aloud tagged PDFs and email messages. If you start reading a website in a different language, VoiceOver can switch to the voice for that language automatically.¹ And you can add custom commands and workflows to your MacBook Pro with Touch Bar.
Audio DescriptionsHear the details in every scene.
Watch movies with detailed audio descriptions of every scene on your Mac. Movies with audio descriptions are displayed with the AD icon in the iTunes Store.
VoiceOverNavigate VoiceOver with simple gestures.
You can control VoiceOver using many of the same gestures you use with iOS. Touch the trackpad to hear a description of the item under your finger, drag to hear items continuously, and flick to move to the next item. Enable the VoiceOver Trackpad Commander, and the trackpad surface will represent the current window or document, so you can navigate quickly to any corner or edge with a tap.
VoiceOverA virtual controller with customizable commands.
VoiceOver features a virtual control called the rotor. Turning the rotor — by rotating two fingers on the trackpad as if you were turning an actual dial — lets you access an array of fully customizable commands. Use it to browse web pages more efficiently and intuitively. The rotor lists common elements like “headings,” “links,” and “images,” and lets you navigate directly to the element of your choosing.
VoiceOverPlug-and-play support for braille displays.
VoiceOver is the first screen reader to provide plug-and-play support for refreshable braille displays. Plug in or sync one of over 100 compatible displays, supporting more than 80 international tables, and the VoiceOver description is presented to you in braille. You can edit seamlessly in Grade 2 Braille, viewing your edits in the context of the actual line of text. Optimized for fast braille typists, VoiceOver makes working in braille easy and efficient. Converting between braille and text happens automatically so you see only Grade 2 Braille. And for sighted users who sit alongside you, there’s an onscreen braille panel that displays both braille and plain-text versions of the descriptions spoken by VoiceOver.
Dark ModeWorking hard gets easier on the eyes.
Dark Mode transforms the desktop and built-in apps with a dark color scheme that helps you focus on your work.2 The fine points of your content take center screen as toolbars and menus recede into the background. Light text against darker backdrops in Mail, Safari Reader, Calendar, and more makes everything easier to read in low lighting conditions. And the Accessibility preferences for increased contrast and reduced transparency work with Dark Mode enabled.
DictationYou say it. Mac types it.
Dictation lets you talk where you would type — and it works in over 40 languages. So you can reply to an email, search the web, or write a report using just your voice. Navigate to any text field, activate Dictation, then say what you want to write. macOS also comes with more than 50 editing and formatting commands. So you can turn on Dictation and tell your Mac to bold a paragraph, delete a sentence, or replace a word. You can also use Automator workflows to create your own Dictation commands.
Data synchronization for os x mac. Mar 18, 2020 That’s why you need the best Mac OS X file synchronization software to make the entire process smoother while allowing you to tweak a lot of things when it comes to data transfer. Since macOS is updated constantly, the app you buy for making the data transfer has to also withstand the latest version of macOS. Jan 23, 2017 Data synchronization is the process of maintaining the consistency and uniformity of data instances across all consuming applications and storing devices. It ensures that the same copy or version of data is used in all devices - from source to destination.
Screen Readers For Os X 7
SiriStreamline the things you do every day.
Siri helps you do more with your desktop.³ Ask Siri to send messages, track down files, create reminders, search the web, and even turn on and off VoiceOver and Invert Colors, without interrupting what you’re doing on the keyboard. And because Siri is integrated with VoiceOver, you can ask it to find a file and hear the answer read out loud. If you prefer to communicate by typing, you can easily set Siri to “Type to Siri” mode.
ZoomMake your screen up to 20 times bigger.
Zoom is a powerful built-in magnifier that lets you enlarge your screen up to 20 times, so you can better see what’s on the display. You can zoom using full screen or picture-in-picture, allowing you to see the zoomed area in a separate window while keeping the rest of the screen at its native size. A shortcut key lets you pan the screen without moving the pointer while zoomed in. macOS can also flash the screen for notifications offscreen or speak text under your pointer. The hardware acceleration engine lets you boost the size of anything on your screen — text on a web page, family photos, or a place on a map.
Screen Readers For Os X 2
Zoom DisplaySee content up close and at a distance simultaneously.
Now with macOS Catalina, if you have two displays, you can keep one zoomed in close while the other stays at a standard resolution. So you can tackle everyday work or give a presentation more efficiently.
Cursor SizeMagnify your cursor so it’s easier to use.
macOS lets you magnify your cursor so it’s easier to see where you are and follow along as you move around your Mac. Set the cursor size once and it stays magnified even when its shape changes. And when you swipe back and forth on your trackpad or quickly shake your mouse, the pointer grows so it’s easier to locate.
Contrast and Color OptionsInvert colors or enable color filters.
macOS lets you invert colors, enable grayscale, or choose from a range of color filters to support different forms of color blindness or other color vision deficiencies. You can select a common preset or fine-tune the color tint and hue to customize a display setting that works for you.
Reduce MotionDecrease the movement of onscreen elements.
If you’re affected by the motion of screen elements, you can turn on Reduce Motion to decrease movement in areas like Spaces, Notification Center, and the Dock.
Music, Podcasts, Books and TVNavigate and play with VoiceOver.
The Apple Music, Apple Podcasts, Apple Books, and Apple TV apps are compatible with VoiceOver, so you can navigate and play all your content even if you can’t see the screen. Browse the apps as VoiceOver reads out headers, links, and other elements on the page.
Resources
Support
User Guides
Or order an embossed copy of macOS VoiceOver User Guide
External Resources
Screen Readers For Os X 2017
Hadley Institute for the Blind and Visually Impaired
Explore instructional videos with tips on using vision accessibility features in macOS.
Learn more about the Hadley Institute instructional videos at their websiteJoin a community of blind and low-vision users of Apple products. Download mac os sierra free iso image for vmware.
Screen Readers For Os X 11
Learn more about AppleVis.com at their websiteGet information on the use of Apple products by those who are blind or low vision.