Hey Computer – Read my screen!
If you’ve made it this far through then firstly Well Done! But also you will have seen that Screen Readers get mentioned – A lot. They are a massively used accessibility tool for people with vision issues, dyslexia, ADHD, autism and more.
This topic applies to all of the Power Platform, Microsoft 365, Operating Systems, and anywhere there is technology!
What’s a Screen Reader anyway?
If you’ve never seen or used one you may not be aware of what a screen reader is. The name is a big clue, but they do more than just read what is in front of our eyes.
Screen readers work according to the order of the content and read out information about what is on screen. They also read out when users click (or use some other form of navigation) into a control. This then can be heard as something like “Text Box. First Name”. If there are tool tips or accessible text then this may be read out, giving a result like “Text Box. First Name. Enter the contacts first name here”
That can seem like a lot of information to take in. It can definitely feel like a non-stop deluge for those not used to it. Surprisingly, a lot of screen reader users will have the voices read out at double, triple, or even faster speeds!
A Screen Reader by any other name…
It won’t come as a surprise to hear that there is more than one screen reader out there. The most common ones are:
- JAWS – Paid for (expensive!) but seen as a market leader and high quality overall
- NVDA – Free and one of the more common readers used
- Windows Narrator – built into Microsoft Windows and has massively evolved during the Windows 11 cycle
- VoiceOver – available on Apple devices from Macs to Watches
- Talkback – the main screen reader for Android devices
There are some others out there, including one for Chromebooks, but these represent the majority market share.
Your Mileage May (will) Vary
With different options available, and different implementations of accessibility needs, each screen reader operates in different ways. This is also reflected in the way they present the information to the end user.
As accessibility has made its way into more tech products, the variance of interpretation can lead to very different results. This means that is important to consider what tools your users are most likely to use. When you’ve identified that you can then prioritise testing with those initially. After that you can look at testing other tools to get a wider perspective.
JAWS is often a challenge to test with, as the cost can be prohibitive. With free options out there, it can be a challenge to make a business case for purchasing it. At a bare minimum test it with the free tools that will be available for your target devices.
The importance of including Users
With accessibility and disability being different for each person, their use of the tools can differ. People will customise the tools to meet their users requirements and preferences. This can be changing the speed, voice, pitch, level of detail and more.
These differences make it really important to engage with any users you can find who use these tools. Getting testers to test is OK but only people with lived experience can give feedback representing real world use.
Including people who use this assistive technology will provide a clear indicator of how well your app or dashboard etc. reads. The results of this can go beyond accessible design. It often leads to thinking about how the layout works for all users, exposing odd patterns and sequences.
And that’s a quick run through of Screen Readers folks
Thank you for reading my [A to Z a11y] series the “A to Z Accessibility: Power Platform Edition”. This was the letter S but there’s plenty more to read! Head here for the introduction article where you can find a Table of Contents. You can also check out the Accessibility section on the top menu or go to the category page here.
Content in this series is ©Mike Hartley. Please quote or reuse snippets (with attribution), but do not copy whole sections. If there are any corrections or suggestions, then use my social links to get in touch. I am always happy to add additional content and remarks with full credit given. Likewise, these pages will evolve as my learning and understanding grows, so make sure to keep this bookmarked.