Definition

Screen reader

Software that renders screen content as speech or braille, used in particular by blind or visually impaired people.

A screen reader speaks content aloud and lets users navigate a page with the keyboard. Well-known examples are NVDA, JAWS and VoiceOver.

To work well, it needs structured code: ranked headings, text alternatives, form labels and navigation landmarks. This is why an overlay is not enough, the screen reader reads the real code.