Screen Readers

What makes a screen reader different than more lightweight text-to-speech tools? Screen readers can announce alternative text for images, and they will announce the roles of interactive elements to let you know you can interact with them. For example, screen readers will typically announce "link" when you navigate to a link. Screen readers can also provide you with different ways to navigate around a page or document. For example, with a screen reader, you can pull up a list of all the headings on the page and quickly jump between them.

Screen readers are essential for people who are blind and people who have low vision, and they can be important for people with dyslexia or certain cognitive disabilities. If you can see okay, you will likely find that a more lightweight text-to-speech tool is easier to use. However, if you take some time to learn the fundamentals, you might find that screen readers can be a helpful option for when you want to process information in a different way or let your eyes rest.

Screen readers are typically built in by default to your operating system, but there are a couple third-party screen readers you may want to consider if you're using Microsoft Windows.

Using Google Docs with a Screen Reader

You can use Google Docs, Google Sheets, and Google Slides with a screen reader, but it is a relatively unique experience that will take some time to learn.