Comparison of screen readers

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Screen readers are a form of assistive technology.

Contents 1 Contemporary screen readers 2 Unfinished Screenreader Projects 3 Historical interest 4 Software aids for people with reading difficulties 5 References

[edit] Contemporary screen readers

Screen reader	Creator	Supported platforms	Licence	Notes
95Reader	SSCT	Windows	Commercial	Japanese screen reader.
Blindows	Audiodata	Windows	Commercial	Supports Microsoft Active Accessibility (MSAA) and the Java Access Bridge.
BRLTTY	The BRLTTY Team	*nix and Windows console	Free and open source (GPL2)	Available to download; part of most Linux distributions
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".
Fire Vox	Charles L. Chen	Unix, Linux, Windows, OS X	Free and open source	For browsing with firefox only, firefox plugin
Gnopernicus	BAUM Retec AG	GNOME	Free and open source	Used to be bundled with GNOME, but now replaced by Orca. Includes a screen magnifier. Supports AT-SPI and the Java Access Bridge.
HAL	Dolphin Computer Access	Windows	Commercial	Supports MSAA, the Java Access Bridge, and PDF. 30 day Free Trial available for download.
HT Reader	HT Visual	Windows	Commercial	Includes support for MSAA and PDF.
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.
Linux Screen Reader (LSR)	GNOME	GNOME	Free and open source	Supports AT-SPI.
LookOUT	Choice Technology	Windows	Commercial	Also available integrated with a screen magnifier.
Magic	Freedom Scientific	Windows	Commercial	Speech magnifier with low-vision speech capabilities. It can be used together with JAWS.
Microsoft Narrator	Microsoft	Windows	Commercial	Bundled with recent versions of Windows, this basic screen reader makes use of MSAA.
Mobile Speak	Code Factory	Symbian OS, Windows Mobile	Commercial	Full-fledged screen readers and Braille interfaces that let you access your mobile phone. Trial version, time-limited to one month, available.
Model T Reader	Dolphin Computer Access	DOS	Freeware
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 to a more limited degree. Supports web content using JavaScript. No Java Access Bridge support yet. IAccessible2 support is being implemented.
Orca	GNOME	*nix	Free and open source	Bundled with GNOME. Supports AT-SPI and the Java Access Bridge.
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.
Pocket Hal	Dolphin Computer Access	Windows Mobile PDA and PDA Phones	Commercial	30 day Free Trial available for download.
Proloquo	AssistiveWare	Mac OS X	Commercial	Includes a license for Infovox iVox. 15 days trial.
Simply Talker	EcoNet International	Windows	Commercial	Trial download available.
Smart Hal	Dolphin Computer Access	Windows Mobile and WM Smartphone	Commercial	30 day Free Trial available for download.
SUSE-Blinux	Novell	Linux	Free and open source
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.
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.
Talks	Nuance Communications	Symbian OS Series 60 or 80	Commercial	Presentation and free Trial Version to be found on the site.
Thunder ScreenReader	Sensory Software	Windows	Free for all organisations and all individuals	Supports MSAA.
Virgo	BAUM Retec AG	Windows	Commercial	Trial download available. Supports MSAA and the Java Access Bridge.
Virtual Vision	MicroPower	Windows	Commercial	Brazilian screen reader. Supports MSAA.
VoiceOver	Apple	Mac OS X	Commercial	Bundled with Mac OS X, uses the Apple Accessibility API.
Window-Eyes	GW Micro	Windows	Commercial	Available to buy or download 30-minutes per Windows session demo. Supports MSAA.
ZoomText	Ai Squared	Windows	Commercial	Includes a screen magnifier. Trial download available.
Screen reader	Creator	Supported platforms	Licence	Notes

[edit] Unfinished Screenreader Projects

Screen reader	Creator	Supported platforms	Licence	Notes
Screen Access for All	National Association For The Blind, New Delhi	Windows	Open source	The project has some examples of a UI interacting with the MSAA from Windows. There has not been any news about this project for a long time.
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 told that the project hadn't succeeded. If they will continue or let it die is not told by now.

[edit] Historical interest

Screen reader	Creator	Supported platforms	Licence	Notes
ASAW (Automatic Screen Access for Windows)[2]	MicroTalk	Windows	Commercial
DRACULA family[3]	Eurobraille	Windows	Commercial
Enable Reader Professional Speech System	Enable Talking Software	DOS	Uncertain	Download from Trace Center
Enhanced PC Talking Program[4]	Computer Conversations	DOS	Uncertain
PROVOX	Kansys, Inc.	DOS	Uncertain
Screen Reader	Research Centre for the Education of the Visually Handicapped (RCEVH)	BBC Micro and NEC portable
Screen Reader	Research Centre for the Education of the Visually Handicapped (RCEVH)	BBC Micro and NEC portable
Screen Reader/2	IBM	OS/2	Commercial
Soft Vert[5]	TeleSensory Systems	DOS	Commercial
Tinytalk	OMS Development	DOS and perhaps Windows	Shareware
Window Bridge	Syntha-voice Computers (now out of business)	Windows	Commercial
WinVision	Artic Technologies	Windows	Commercial	Not officially discontinued, but there has been no further release since 1997.

[edit] Software aids for people with reading difficulties

• Penfriend from Penfriend Ltd
• ClaroRead for PC and Mac from Claro Software
• EasyTutor from Dolphin Computer Access
• EnVision: basic multi-featured Windows accessibility tool
• Read & Write, Screenreader from TextHelp Systems
• yRead from SpaceJock Software
• ReadPlease from ReadPlease Corporation
• TextAloud for PC from NextUp.com
• Alvin Kurzweil 1000 (for the visually impaired) and Kurzweil 3000 (for those with reading difficulty) from Kurzweil Educational Systems

[edit] References

1. ^ Bob Regan, Best Practices for Accessible Flash Design (PDF)
2. ^ Kenneth Frasse, GUI Access: A Comparison of Screen-Readers (Part I), Access Review (Summer 1997)
3. ^ Microsoft Corporation, Accessibility Products for Microsoft Windows, Windows NT, and Windows 95 (March 1998).
4. ^ Olga Espinola, [Introducing the Enhanced PC Talking Program http://personalpages.tds.net/~ti51/new25-26.htm], Raised Dot Computing Newsletter (12 January 1985). Accessed 2007-02-02.
5. ^ High Tech Center Training Unit of the California Community Colleges, Product Guide to Adaptive Computer Hardware and Software (PDF). Accessed 2007-02-02.