Screen Readers

The IBM Homepage Reader was one of the first talking Web browsers for BVI users. Produced by IBM's Special Needs Systems, Homepage Reader audibly reads Web pages and the Microsoft® Windows® desktop. It also magnifies, highlights, assists Web developers in testing for accessibility, supports Adobe PDF, and Macromedia Flash content, and provides access to popular Web-based e-mail applications. Homepage Reader includes multi-language IBM text-to-speech technology. Learn about the latest version here: http://www-03.ibm.com/able/europe/software.html

JAWS 9.0 screen-reader-magnifier uses high quality speech output, a quality sound card, and several new tools for browsing Web sites, such as navigation quick keys. JAWS can recognize everything on the Internet, including paragraphs, headings, lists, and tables. A free demo is available on the Freedom Scientific Web site. Read about all products here: http://www.freedomscientific.com/fs_products/software_jaws.asp

LunarPlus is a screen reader/magnifier, with added speech output to provide extra support for BVI computer users. LunarPlus, now in its 9th version, will access Web sites with option to list links, headings or frames. The Dolphin Computer Access Web site offers a full line of screen-reading products, including Hal, a screen reader with speech and Braille support, and the Dolphin Pen – a portable magnifier that can be used on any PC via USB port. Visit: http://www.yourdolphin.com.

Nuance offers many types of speech and text-to-speech products for BVI users, including talking screen-readers, browsers, telephone program software for directory assistance and navigation, global positioning systems, and dictation software. See the Nuance Web site for all product descriptions: http://www.nuance.com/company

OpenBook is a combined scanner and reader. Users can scan documents and save as audio, then playback the resulting MP3 files anywhere. Scanning features also include highlighting and word-find, and fax capability to send and receive faxes, using a PC modem. Use OpenBook to create photocopies of printed documents, import documents from other applications, read, and work with them. Full details here: http://www.freedomscientific.com

Zoomtext 9.1, is a screen/reader magnifier that now offers dual monitor support, new focus enhancements for quicker navigation, web-finder, and text-finder. Zoomtext also offers a portable (USB) flash drive for working at other computers at work, home, or school. Learn all about Ai Squared products here: http://www.aisquared.com/products