Screen Readers

What are Screen Readers?

Screen Reading software reads aloud text on the screen via synthesized speech. 

Reminders for Screen Readers:

• If no alt text is input for an image, screen readers will skip over the image.
• Screen Readers read in a linear fashion, one word at a time. When concentrating on a particular block of text, a person with sight will skip over banner ads or navigational bars, but the screen reader will not.  The website must be designed and formatted to mitigate such a possible confusion. 
• Screen readers cannot read colour-based cues. People with sight can tell at a glance which links they have already clicked on because of the text changes; a screen reader cannot.  Text-based cues must be incorporated into the website design.
• Screen readers cannot read the hierarchical structure of the text conveyed by font size and typography.
• Headings and subheadings must be tagged correctly to be read by screen readers.
• Many users of screen readers use their keyboards to navigate the web. Designers must ensure that all navigational tools can be controlled by keyboard commands.  Avoid objects and text accessed through mouseover events or offer an alternative keyboard command to access them.