Considered the industry standard screen reader, Jobs Access with Speech was originally released in 1995. It’s important to note that NVDA is a free alternative to an even more powerful and long-standing screen reader called JAWS. Alternatively, for users with more pronounced vision challenges, NVDA can be run directly from a flash drive with no installation required. And since the app is designed to be used by individuals with visual impairments, the installer talks users through the install process. The app even has the ability to convert text into braille for users with an attached braille display. NVDA’s speech synthesizer supports over fifty languages, and downloadable add-ons are available for those who wish to replace the original voice. Users control what is read by moving the cursor to the relevant area of text with a mouse or by using the arrows on a keyboard. If you are not aware, a screen reader is a piece of technology that helps individuals with visual impairments access and interact with digital content like websites or applications via audio or touch prompts. NonVisual Desktop Access ( NVDA) is a free, open-source screen reader for Windows that has been in development since 2006. So then that begs the question, what’s out there that is actually affordable for persons with visual disabilities? This device, called the OrCam MyEye is an incredible piece of technology, but with a price tag of around $5,000, this technology is not affordable for everyone. For example, there are wearable devices for blind users that provide real time color and product information, face recognition, and more.

And while strategies and accommodations can be relatively easily put in place, lack of access to vision-correcting technology is still an issue for many individuals.

For persons with visual disabilities, accessing the outside world often requires accommodations, strategies, and technology.

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