WindowsWindows Operating Systems include Narrator, a free pre-installed screen reader software. Although Narrator is included with all Windows computers, it is a basic screen reader that is not compatible with many software applications. Most Windows users prefer a more advanced screen reader, JAWS.
Released in 1989, one of the most widely used commercial screen readers is JAWS - Job Access with Speech. It is a program used by Microsoft Windows and reads the screen with a text-to-speech synthesizer or refreshable Braille display. It is used at the University of Illinois.
Another screen reader for Windows users is NVDA - NonVisual Desktop Access. NVDA is free and open-source; thus, it provides access to technology at no extra cost for blind and vision impaired users.
More information about screen readers onWindows Devices.
AppleAll new Apple devices come with VoiceOver, Apple's screen reader software. VoiceOver is pre-installed on Apple devices to provide accessible technology to everyone. VoiceOver works best with Mac OS and Apple software.
More information about screen readers on Apple Devices.
Android
TalkBack, produced by Google, is an open-source screen reader available for Android phones. With Talkback, standard Android user interface elements produce spoken feedback during user interaction.
Web-Based
ReadSpeaker is a web-based application that applies speech-to-text technology to speech-enable websites, RSS feeds, and online documents. Readspeaker is a hosted service; so, either the site owner or user are required to download anything to use the service.
Another web-based screen reader is WebAnywhere. WebAnywhere doesn't need to be downloaded or installed; it works right in the browser.
WebAnywhere: A Screen Reader On-the-Go
Comparison Chart
Screen Reader
| Creator | Platform | License |
| ChromeVox | Google
| ChromeOS or with a speech processor, Linux, Mac, Windows (For use on Chrome Only) | Free |
| Fire Vox | Charles L Chen | Unix, Linux, Windows, Mac (For use on Firefox only) | Free and Open Source |
| JAWS | Freedom Scientific | Windows and DOS | Commercial for Windows; Freeware for DOS |
| Microsoft Narrator | Microsoft | Windows | Commercial |
NonVisual Desktop Access (NVDA)
| NonVisual Desktop Access Project
| Windows | Free and Open-Source
|
| ReadSpeaker | ReadSpeaker Holding B.V.
| Web-Based
| Free for Users, Commercial
|
TalkBack
| Google | Android 1.6+
| Open-Source |
| VoiceOver | Apple Inc. | Mac OS X, iPhone, iPad, iPod, and Apple TV | Free, Commercial |
| WebAnywhere | University of Washington
| Web-Based | Free and Open-Source
|
As seen by looking at Wikipedia's comparison chart of screen readers, a number of commercial and free options are available, Screen Reader Options.
Braille ReaderSome prefer to use a Braille Reader to access the internet because they are already familiar with that technology, but they may also use a screen reader.
