Screen Readers and Text to Speech

Screen readers and text to speech are accessibility features that turn content on screen into speech. They help people who cannot see the screen, or who find reading difficult.

A screen reader is software that reads out the content of a page or application. It works with the operating system and the browser to turn text into speech. For example, if you open a school homework page, a screen reader might say 'Homework: Maths, due Friday'.

Text to speech converts written text into spoken words. Many devices have a built-in text-to-speech tool. For instance, you could highlight a paragraph in a digital textbook and tap 'Speak' to hear it.

Some websites have a 'listen to this page' button. This is a type of text to speech: it reads the whole page aloud, so you can listen instead of reading.

Alt text (alternative text) describes an image for users who cannot see it, and a screen reader reads it aloud. If a web page shows a photo of a volcano erupting, the alt text might be 'A volcano erupting with ash and lava'. Without alt text, a screen reader might just say 'image', telling you nothing about what is there.

Specialist software like screen readers and text to speech has helped include people with limitations or disabilities. For example, a student with dyslexia can use text to speech to hear their work read back, which helps them check for mistakes.

There is also speech-to-text software, where you speak and the program types what you say. This helps people who cannot use a keyboard. Together, these technologies give more people access to digital information and services.