what is a screen reader

A screen reader is a form of assistive technology that renders text and image content as speech or braille output. It is mainly used by people who are blind or have very limited vision to access and interact with digital content, like websites or applications via audio or touch. Screen readers are software applications that attempt to convey what people with normal eyesight see on a display to their users via non-visual means, like text-to-speech, sound icons, or a braille device. They work closely with the computers operating system to provide verbal and tactile feedback rather than visual. Screen readers allow people to navigate through websites and applications via the speech output. Some screen readers can also be used with a braille display. Screen readers are essential to people who are blind, and are useful to people who are visually impaired, illiterate, or have a learning disability. However, according to some users, using a screen reader is considerably more difficult than using a GUI, and many applications have specific problems resulting from the nature of the application. When starting out with a screen reader, users need to learn some shortcut keys or touch gestures, and becoming an advanced user able to interact confidently does require a bit of time and effort to get familiar with their advanced features.