Screen reader (Jaws) accessibility in Word
Accessing My Course Pages in Blackboard Learn with Window-Eyes
Computer Built-in Accessibility Tools
In addition to the screen readers discussed in the videos, many PCs and Macs come with built-in accessibility tools.
On PCs with Windows 7 and higher there is an Ease of Access Center containing a number accessibility tools including a screen reader called Microsoft Narrator. Follow these steps listed below to locate the Ease of Access center on your PC and start Narrator.
- Click the Start button
- Click Control Panel
- Click Ease of Access
- Click Ease of Access Center
- Click Start Narrator to enable the Narrator screen reader functionality
- Customize Narrator using the Microsoft Narrator window. Note: Closing the Narrator window or clicking Exit will display the Exit Narrator window. Click Yes to disable Narrator or No to continue using Narrator.
For more information visit Microsoft’s Ease of Access Center (Links to an external site.)
Mac OS X also offers a number of built-in accessibility tools, including a screen reader called Voice Over. To enable Voice Over:
- Click on the Launchpad icon
- Click on the System Preferences icon
- Click on Accessibility
- Click on Voice Over
- Check Enable Voice Over. Note: If this is the first time using VoiceOver, a window will appear with a welcome. Click Use VoiceOver.
- Click Open Voice Over Utility to customize the Voice Over Settings
- Close the Voice Over Utility
- Close Accessibility
For more information visit Apple’s Accessibility website.
While not as widely used as Mac OS and Windows OS, the Chrome OS also provides some built-in accessibility tools. To learn more visit the Chrome OS Accessibility website.
While the built-in accessibility tools of PCs and Macs provide users with text to speech options, these tools may not be enough and for some the cost of a screen reader can be prohibitive. There are a couple of free screen readers available for PC users.