Assistive Technology for Visually Impaired Users Screen Readers and Text to Speech Devices

By Isabella Storyclaire

last updated September 17, 2024

Contributions sourced from

30 Apps, Devices and Technologies for People With Vision Impairments

Technology tools can help make everyday life easier for people with vision impairments. Whether you need more support navigating to a destination, reading, or enjoying another favorite activity, technology can lend a hand.

We've rounded up some of the top apps, devices and resources for people with low vision. The technologies featured here can be used on a smart phone or tablet, including most Android and iOS devices.

Disclaimer: These tools are presented for your information only. They are not the only such devices, but are merely representative of the types of devices that are available. These devices are not endorsed by the Academy, as the Academy never endorses products, companies or organizations. Ask your low vision team, including your ophthalmologist, to help identify apps and technologies that might best address your needs.

Built-in tools on Apple and Android devices

If you already have a smartphone or tablet, built-in tools such as large font and high contrast are waiting to help you access many capabilities on your device.

If youre an Apple user:

VoiceOver is a screen reader that provides a description of everything happening on your screen.
Siri is a voice recognition system that lets you send messages, place phone calls and more.

If youre an Android user:

Apps that run on the Android operating system use a built-in screen reader called TalkBack.
Android devices also use Google Assistant, a virtual helper powered by artificial intelligence. Google Assistant lets you perform a wide variety of actions on your phone or tablet using voice commands.

Daily tasks and object identification

Seeing AI (iOS, free) This app can narrate the world around you. Simply point your phone or iPad camera at something, and Seeing AI will tell you what it is, out loud. It can help read currency, name colors and even decipher handwritten cursive.
Lookout (Android, free) Provides spoken feedback about things around you. Lookout uses the camera and sensors on your device to recognize text, people and objects.
Be My Eyes (Android and iOS, free) This app connects visually-impaired people with sighted volunteers through a live video call. Volunteers lend their eyes to help with short, simple tasks such as reading a street sign or troubleshooting technology. For security reasons, do not ask volunteers to read personal information such as mail containing your address, financial or credit card information.
Aira (Android and iOS, $29 to $199 per month) Connects highly trained agents to people with vision impairment for assistance with daily tasks, including mobility tasks such as giving directions, navigating around obstacles in a path and describing an environment in real time. You can sign up for 30 to 300 minutes of help per month. A note about confidentiality: Aira agents signs a confidentiality agreement stating that they will not share customers personal information. Security measures are in place so that Aira agents can help customers with tasks such as personal finance. Aira may be used at no cost in some airports, national attractions, universities and partnering shopping centers such as Walgreens, Wegmans, AT&T and Target.
LookTel(iOS, $9.99) Uses the camera of your iOS device to instantly identify and read aloud the denomination of paper money.
TapTapSee(Android and iOS, free) Lets you photograph objects and have them identified aloud.
Light Detector (iOS, free) Helps you identify when lights are switched on at home, where windows are and whether curtains are open or closed. This app works by transforming any natural or artificial light source it encounters into sound.

Magnification

Brighter and Bigger(Android and iOS, free) This reading glasses tool uses your cameras light and features adjustable magnification to help people who have trouble reading fine print.

Reading

KNFB Reader (Android and iOS, $99.99) This voice-to-text tool lets you take a picture of any textbooks, recipes, product labelsand have it read back to you or converted to braille.
Audible (Android and iOS, $14.95 per month plus downloads) Provides downloadable audiobooks, periodicals, newspapers and more. Their collection currently includes 200,000+ books.
Kindle app (Android, iOS, PC and Mac, free) An e-reader app that allows you to download books. Books can be purchased and directly downloaded from Amazon, or downloaded from your library app into the Kindle app. The free Kindle app can be downloaded onto many iOS and Android devices.
Bookshare (Android and iOS, $50 per year) An online library for people with low vision. Currently, the Bookshare collection contains nearly 850,000 titles, downloadable in a choice of formats including ebooks, audio, braille, and large font. Membership requires verification of your print disability, and includes free downloads.
BARD Mobile (Android and iOS, free) A talking book library that offers access to tens of thousands of titles. You must first enroll in the National Library Service (NLS) for the Blind and Print Disabled at the Library of Congress. Note that this program may only be available in the United States.
Overdrive (Android and iOS, free) A service that lets you borrow both audio and text eBooks through your library or school.
NFB-Newsline (iOS, free) A service offered by the National Federation of the Blind allowing people with print disabilities to phone in and listen to newspapers, magazines, and other news sources.
The MD_evReader (Android and iOS, free) This app presents text from eBooks in a scrolling stream across thescreen, in a similar way to a news ticker. The app is designed for those people who use Eccentric Viewing (EV) and/or steady eye strategies for reading.
Blind Abilities (Android and iOS, free) Blogs and podcasts covering accessibility, technologies, devices and job opportunities for the blind and visually impaired.

Navigation and transportation

Soundscape (iOS, free) Designed for use with stereo headphones, this app provides 3D audio cues about surroundings in real time. It can be used in conjunction with GPS navigation.
Nearby Explorer (Android and iOS, free) This app combines GPS navigation, turn-by-turn directions in pedestrian and vehicle modes, points of interest, and transit data.
RightHear (Android and iOS, free) A spatial orientation app built for people with low vision. RightHear provides navigation and points-of-interest information using audio guidance.
Blindsquare(iOS, $39.99) A GPS app that describes the environment and announces points of interest and street intersections as you travel.
Uber and Lyft (iOS and Android, free) Both apps have a partnership with Aira that lets visually impaired riders use Aira agents to help initiate and manage rides. Uber also supports wireless Braille display.
Moovit (iOS and Android, free) Through a collaboration with Aira, visually impaired Moovit users can have live help to navigate bus, rail, subway and other public transportation routes in a number of cities around the world.

Shopping

Blind Bargains (Android and iOS, free) Lets you search the web to identify the hottest deals available on talking products, braille printers, accessible gadgets and other products for the visually impaired.
Talking Calculator (iOS, free) and Voice and Talking Calculator (Android, free) Provide a fully voice-operated calculator that reads numbers, formulas and answers aloud.

Socializing

Facing Emotions (Android, free) A facial recognition app that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to identify seven different emotions by turning them into sounds that you can hear. The app must be used together with Huaweis Mate 20 Pro
Instagram (Android and iOS, free) This popular social media app now includesan alternative text feature that lets users add and hear rich descriptions of photos as they browse. This feature works together with the devices screen reader.
YouTubefor Android has expanded its voice command features for video navigation.
Pandora (iOS and Android, $9.99 per month) recently added a "Hey Pandora" voice command for a variety of tasks.

Technologies coming soon

The future of low vision tech is exciting. Tools in development include:

A virtual reality Canetroller that aims to help people map out a virtual space by using vibrations and sounds. An AI-based technology for car windows called Feel the View will also use vibrations to help show whats outside.

Patients with low vision can also ask their ophthalmologist for help and a referral to a low vision specialist. Specialists can help with customizing digital devices and apps. Many low vision centers offer computer workshops or have occupational therapists who can provide training and support on how to use these helpful tools effectively and tailor them to particular visual needs.

Intro to Screen Readers

Tech Notes

As a blind software developer and accessibility specialist who has been using a screen reader for 14 years, I can say that learning how to effectively use a screen reader can feel daunting. In fact, many who are new to understanding digital accessibility may not even know exactly what a screen reader is or how it works.

A screen reader is an assistive technology software that allows people who are blind or visually impaired to use computers, phones, and tablets independently. These screen readers are special pieces of software with a built-in Text To Speech (TTS) engine, which converts the text from the screen reader into speech, effectively converting the inaccessible text displayed on screen into a format that blind or low vision users can easily process and understand. It achieves this by looking for text that is displayed on the screen of a computer or mobile device and processing that text into synthesized speech at the users request through touch gestures and shortcut keys. This versatile technology also works with other output devices, such as a braille display, and can be applied to any digital information, including website or app content, icon labels, documents, spreadsheets, graphical charts, menus, etc.

While screen readers are functionally made for users who are visually impaired or have other disabilities, they can and should also be used by software developers and digital content creators to authentically evaluate their applications and digital content to ensure their products are accessible for all of their potential users.

Basic Screen Reader Functionality

Generally, a screen reader will start at the top of a window and read any text, including menus, links, buttons, headings, alternate text for images, etc., and help the user skip to desired sections of the page while also allowing direct interactions with individual items, such as the navigation bar, page headings, forms, buttons, checkboxes, lists, and menus.

Screen reader users execute these commands by using only the keyboard as this provides consistent navigation. Using the Tab key, for example, advances the user to the next interactive item on the application interface or webpage. Users will typically navigate by moving from object to object or by jumping between different types of components, such as from headings to links or buttons to landmarks. There are also many built-in keyboard shortcuts for screen readers that let a user do everything from searching content, to navigating documents and websites, to identifying the font of the text that is currently being read.

Digital Development with Screen Readers in Mind

Because screen readers are a key instrument for digital inclusion, it is critical that both digital designers and developers follow the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) to design accessible content, ensuring that assistive technology users can navigate the content using only the keyboard. Follow this link to learn more about how to test a website for keyboard-only functionality.

Additionally, designers, developers, and engineers should always focus on finding the best ways to make an interface intuitive, usable, and easy to navigate when developing new digital interfaces and content. Small factors which are, unfortunately, often ignored when creating new products result in messy, confusing, and even blocked experiences and interactions for users. It is also important to understand that only focusing on the technical aspects will not by default make an interface accessible to screen reader users. The people-first approach focusing on usability is also a critical component.

For an engineer, it would be unthinkable to release a software without testing it first. Take this notion and apply it to screen readers as well, ensuring youre creating an experience that is not only possible, but positive for all users. Its best to learn the basics of screen reader usage, get familiar with how it functions on various digital interfaces, and make use of this powerful tool for testing the accessibility of your own digital content. Your success (or lack thereof) will quickly let you confirm whether the application or website is adhering to the WCAG guidelines and, more importantly, if it is actually usable with a screen reader before releasing it.

If you are a developer or someone with a disability and would like to learn more about the specifics of screen reader navigation and learn how to use it for daily digital interactions, you can download a free copy of the NVDA screen reader on your computer, and then watch our video tutorial series Learn NVDA to get started.

About AFB Talent Lab

The AFB Talent Lab provides accessibility consulting services in conjunction with internship and apprenticeship programs designed to train a new generation of tech workers in digital inclusion, accessibility, and project management. To learn more about our client services or training programs, please visit our website at www.afb.org/talentlab.