Category: accessible Devices
does anyone know of any free screenreaders? Im in need of one for MAC and also one for my PC.
I need a MAC one to give to my web instructor so he can do a demo of accessibility issues for the blind.
For the PC, assuming you mean for Windows OS, I can suggest two:
a href="http://www.screenreader.net">Thunder and
Non-Visual Desktop Access.
I know very little about the former from personal experience; the latter, I've messed with a bit. NVDA is an open-sources screen reader for Windows XP and Vista, written in the language of Python. It attempts to provide access using accessibility apis, only, rather than the apis and video intercept and display hooks.
For the Mac, isn't there the Voice-over access system, included with Mac OS 10.4 and later?
I've tried to use thunder! But it didn't work! When I got my computer back from the shop I tried to use the microsoft narator! I didn't work with the enternet! I'll just stick with my Jaws demmo! I've tried windows eyes but I couldn't figure it out! So that's why I'm staying with Jaws!
how long does teh JAws demo last? Ive installed it but cant fiure out how to work it
I think it lasts for about 40 minutes. Then you will have to restart your computer.
I tried thunder but it doesn't remember the changes we made like voice, speed, etc. I also tried the NVDA screen reader and i really liked it. It is not perfect and it might crash sometimes but i think as a start is a very good project. And there are updates very often sometimes once a week.
I like the fact that somebody doesn't have to install it and it can runn from a cd or memory stick. For thunder to run on memory stick somebody has to buy it for 150 pounds so i think NVDa is better in my oppinion. And the fact that is open source means that anyone can work with it and improove it.
the jaws demo lasts 4minutes before a restart. what can't you figure out about it?
jaws demos last 40 minutes. You can also get cracks, but that's for those with eligal stuff.
Ehem,hem... As a professional(run while you still can) I would like to share some thoughts...(remember I said run while you still can.) I just took a look at the latest build of NVDA from http://www.nvaccess.org/nvda/ and was rather impressed by the improvements from the last build. This is a work in prograss and you can definately see the work. As a freebee it can't be beat and I would highly recommend people give it a try. It is what it is and no more or less. My experience with thunder was after I loaded it and ran it i heard the thunder and the machine crashed. Not verry impressive. NVDA will run quite easily from a flash drive and is quite responsive. Now, as far as the Mac goes(Ahh! my favorite subject) Voiceover is excellent and available in tiger or os10.4.9 I think it is. Your instructor can upgrade to that and give it a try. along with an associate I presented voiceover to the board of ed in NYc and a document which was used as a handout. It can be found on http://icanworkthisthing.com/docs/mac_with_voiceover/Using%20MAC%20Applications%20with%20Voiceover.shtml
I hope this answers your questions.
Also another reason i like NVDA more than Thunder is because NVDA supports internet explorer and firefox. With thunder somebody needs another brouser called webbie which is not very good.
And also for people who are using it if they want to update to later versions and they want to keep their changes they made to the programme they can keep a backup of the file NVDA.ini and copy it in the new version's folder.
Thank you Nicos! You wrote a post about thunder in another board post a while back! Thunder crashed my computer too! I was wondering if it happened to another user! Jaws last for 40 minutes!
Thunder works with the Internet but you have to use Web IE for sensory.
also NVDA has been moved to nvda-project.org. now they let you download "snapshots," minor updates to the project, normally made every few hours. not guaranteed smooth, but nice! NVDA might end up even better than jaws! grin
has NVDA worked at all on mouse navigation to read the screen? I know they use object navigation but I am never able to find everything with that way.
not that I know of no. but NVDA is a good screen reader. where do I go for the updates?
Go to http://www.nvda-project.org/download.html and you will find what you are seaking.
There is a free screen reader at www.satogo.com
I haven't used it yet so not sure if it works with Mac. If anyone has used it I would like to know how it works.
Thanks
Colleen
Colleen, SATOTO is strictly for windows and will not work on the Mac
Ok, thanks for the info.
I'll definitely check NVDA out. BTW, one of my friends is using it from a flash drive, which I think sounds really cool. Thanks for the suggestion.
Macy
I've tried the thunder and NVDA screen readers. I hate thunder because it sounds too much like narator and the internet is too hard to use with it. NVDA is OK, but the voice sounds rubbish on it. I like jaws, but it's annoying when the demonstration runs out. I was told that they think NVDA will eventually take over the place of jaws and become the most popular screen reader. I don't know if that's true, but ...
I tried system access and am currently trying to set up a totally blind friend with it and we'll see how he makes out. The last thing I have to do after I install it for this guy is make a hot key so he can bering it up at the start up when he boots his computer otherwise it's fuckin useless almost since he lives by himself. I can see to get to it when I'm there but obviously it's got to be set up so he can use it himself. Otherwise if you ask me it's worth the pennies to get jaws. Even though I'm partially sighted I use jaws and I have a real old version of jaws and it works for the most part. I'll say that it's definitely worth doing whatever it is you have to do to get it on your computer. It's universally accepted and if I needed computer help right now, there's a dozen people I can call who'll happily assist me if it's with jaws stuff. There's not as much people I know using any other speech things. As well as people using speech things for linex.
oh. JAWS is a lot more expensive than some screen readers. I believe it's $1000 - I think. One of my best friends uses WindowEyes, and he is bugging and bugging me to get it. BTW, he used JAWS before he purchased WindowEyes. I have the demo of it on my laptop. Hmm - I am contemplating on what I should do. I really like JAWS, but there are some things that I don't like about it that WindowEyes has. I have been using JAWS since I first started using a computer. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you,
Macy
The only free screen readers I've used are NVDA and Thunder. Thunder I think is rubbish and sounds like thunder, but NVDA is OK if you've got nothing else to use. Mind you, I was using it last night and thought it sounded like it had fallen down the toilet! Hahaha.
It is wrong saying thunder or NVDA don't sound good. The reason they don't is because on your system there isn't a good sapi5 voice available like real speak. If there is then you can change the voice for both programs and they will sound better. The people who make NVDA and thunder don't make a voice. It is up to the user which voice they have available.
Unfortunately the good sapi5 voices are not free.
I could never get Thunder to work with my system. It would start, but then never do anything else, and then it would freeze.
I've looked at NVDA, and it seems to work pretty well. The only major improvement I personally would like to see is the edition of a laptop keyboard layout similar to the one I currently use with jaws. I'm curious to check out that snapshots section of the website. Thank you to whoever posted about that. As for thunder, I've donwloaded it, but haven't gotten around to installing it. I should also point out that thunder is now free. My favorite of all of the free windows screen readers is SAToGo. No installation is necessary, and it works with many popular applications. I was not able to get it to run well on my friend's computer running vista, but it was somewhat usable. It works extremely well under xp though.
NVDA All The Way!
There is a laptop keyboard layout posted somewhere in the wiki, but I'm not using it. I find it sufficient to set the NVDA modifier to caps lock, and use the fn key to turn the right side of the keyboard into the num pad.
I urge all of you to check out either the 0.6 preview or the latest development snapshot, along with the Mozilla 3 applications for the best NVDA experience.
Cheers,
Dave H
Thanks. I'll check out the wiki.
the only thing I don't like about NVDA is that it doesn't work with MSN all that well. that's the only thing I don't like about it.
Well, I think NVDA is ... I'll use it if I have to, but it's kind of rubbish.
and it doesn't work with fire fox either.
The preview is awesome now. They've made some definite improvements. It doesn't take me five minutes to load google now.
If you're talking about NVDA (preview or latest development trunk snapshots), get Firefox and/or Thunderbird 3 betas, I think you will be most impressed. As I understand it, NVDA still uses the older virtual buffering scheme for IE and older versions of the Mozilla apps.
Good Luck,
Dave H
hay, i c every1 is talkin about the jaws demo. Wel, i hav the full version of jaws 8.0, and its good, because i don't hav2 restart my pc all the time. lol
wel, i've actually got the crack 4 it. lol
Can i have both firefox and internet explorer on my computer? If yes then i can test the new vertual buffers in NVDA but also i can use the internet with my supernova screen reader because it doesn't support firefox the version i have anyway.
Of course you can have both browsers on your computer. You may even have two firefoxes, assuming one is a beta.
Where can i get version 3 beta5? In the mozila website i can only see version2 which must be the oficial release at the moment.
I think if u google it, it'll pop up.
i suggest using www.satogo.com its system access and its well reliable. oh and if you buy the software you can use alt ctrl and a to start it. or if you don't just hit windows key r and then type www.satogo.com and it will speak the rest of the way.
You can get the mozilla 3 apps at mozilla.com, but be aware that they are in the beta phase, so may have major bugs. You run them at your own risk. HTH!
I think I'll stick with the version of fire fox I have.
I use jaws, and have recently started using satogo. I was so sick of having to restart every 40 minutes. I'm liking satogo so far. Is nvta better than satogo?
NVDA is still very mutch in progress...
Yes, but its coming along nicely.
Isn't JAWS also in progress, or do they just like upping the version number in order to get more $$$.
hehehe wx1g. every screen reader is in progress, as the AT world are always playing catch up with the mainstream. heheheh.
Yeah, but a lot of jaws 9 is just modified scripts and a new eloq.jls or whatever it is.
Yes, I looked at the "what's new in JAWS 9", and it didn't look like much. Not sure I could justify ever upgrading from 8 if I had to pay for it. I'll stick with my NVDA, which proudly admits that it's an evolving work; lol.
does anybody know when nvda 0.6 is being released?
Probably within the next few months. For now you could try the latest NVDA snapshots (may be unstable.)
HTH!
Yeah that's what I use as well, the snapshots. I haven't had any trouble with them. Just keep updating every few days or so, and you'll be good to go.
There is already an NVDA 0.6 preview release, but I just get the development snapshots (the installer version). Remember to remove the current one before installing the new. You may keep your NVDA settings file, however.
If you're installing, you don't need to remove anything, the installer will overwrite for you, and will keep your settings.
tried the nvda 0.6 preview and didn't like it all that much
Try the snapshots. They may work out a bit better.
Yes, try the snapshots, also, try Firefox and Thunderbird 3 for best results. IE will force NVDA to use the old virtual buffer code.
I guess i'm so used to a review currsor such as the jaws currsor and the we currsor that it's hard to get used to not having that functionality! SOmeone tell me if I missing something
Hi,
NVDA has something similar, object navigation. Way better than the JAWS cursor!
Way better than the jaws currsor is of course a relative statement! There are a few points on the screen in an app that I use that I can't get to with NVDA, but the jaws currsor can get there. So I don't think saying it's way better than the jaws currsor would be accurate.
One thing I will say that I like about NVDA is the use of mouse echo. It's really sweet to run your mouse over a program and explore it to get a feel of the layout.
Yeah I love that! I was able to delete some shortcuts on my desktop with my mouse, by dragging them to the recycle bin! It was awesome! Big grin.