Read words or blocks of text aloud when highlighted or clicked

This feature involves a text-to-speech engine that reads the text on a web page aloud. This may be implemented in a number of different ways – as a built-in text-to-speech reader in the operating system, as downloadable screen reader software that operates on the user’s machine, or as a remote text-to-speech service that receives text online and returns a spoken copy as an audio file.

The way that text is read may vary depending on the implementation and the user group. This approach reads words or blocks of text aloud when they are highlighted or clicked, giving people with cognitive disabilities and/or low vision control over the sections they would like to hear spoken aloud.

This listing includes a wide range of products, from screen readers, to simple text-to-speech utilities, to large literacy suites that include a text-to-speech application. Please note that these products are not necessarily endorsed by RtF, but represent the range of available options.

Many operating systems, including Windows Vista and Mac OS X, include limited built-in screen reading ability as well.

Open Source and free

These products are free and their source code may be modified with few restrictions.

• AccessiBar Extension(link is external) – Mozdev, Edan Kemelman
• ATalker(link is external) – ATutor, ATRC at University of Toronto
• Audio Enriched Links(link is external) – UNC, Peter Parente
• CliCk, Speak(link is external) – CLC (Charles Chen)
• Clique(link is external) – UNC, Peter Parente
• EmacSpeak(link is external) – TV Raman
• FireVox(link is external) – CLC (Charles Chen)
• MozBraille(link is external) – Cedrik Chek, Mozdev
• NVDA(link is external) – NVDA Project
• Orca(link is external) – (open source), Sun
• Power Reader(link is external) – Project: Possibility
• PowerTalk(link is external) – FullMeasure
• RoboBraille(link is external) – RoboBraille Consortium
• WebAnywhere(link is external) – U. of Washington, Jeff Bigham

Free, not necessarily open source

These products are free to use, but may have strict restrictions on viewing and modifying source code.

• System Access To Go(link is external) – Serotek
• WebVisum(link is external) – WebVisum
• GhostReader(link is external) – Origin Instruments
• MathPlayer(link is external) – Design Science
• Natural Reader Text-to-Speech(link is external) – Natural Soft
• UltraHal(link is external) – Zabaware
• WordTalk(link is external) – Call Centre

Commercial, with free trial

These products are free to try for a limited period of time or with limited functionality. They must be purchased for full functionality.

• JAWS(link is external) – Freedom Scientific
• Virgo, Cobra(link is external) – Baum
• 2nd Speech Center(link is external) – 2nd Speech Center
• Ace Buddy(link is external) – Zero2000
• Aurora Suite(link is external) – Aurora Systems
• ClaroRead(link is external) – Claro Software
• CoolSpeech(link is external) – ByteCool
• Dolphin Guide(link is external) – Software Express
• Dolphin ScreenReader(link is external) – Dolphin
• Kurzweil 3000(link is external) – Kurzweil Educational Systems
• Literacy Productivity Pack(link is external) – Premier Literacy
• OpenBook(link is external) – Freedom Scientific
• Scan & Read Pro(link is external) – Premier Literacy
• Text to Wave/MP3(link is external) – Research Labs, Inc
• TextAloud(link is external) – Nextup.com
• VisioVoice, iVox(link is external) – AssistiveWare
• WordQ(link is external) – Quillsoft, Bloorview Kids Rehab
• WYNN(link is external) – Freedom Scientific
• ZoomText Magnifier/Reader(link is external) – AI Squared
• Read & Write(link is external) – Texthelp
• ScienceWriter(link is external) – CAST, Aquus Tech

Commercial, no free trial

These products must be purchased to be used, and did not offer free trials at the time of posting.

• Adept1(link is external) – Amazability
• J-Say(link is external) – Hartgen Consultancy
• Vocalizer Expressive for Android(link is external) – Code Factory
• System Access(link is external) – Serotek
• Windows Eyes(link is external) – GW Micro
• iCommunicator(link is external) – PPR
• Solo Literacy Suite(link is external) – Don Johnston
• Talking Desktop Clock(link is external) – Talking Desktop
• WebAdapt2Me(link is external) – IBM

• WebAnywhere: a screen reader on-the-go(link is external) – University of Washington – Bigham, J.P. and Prince, C.M. (2007)
• Towards one world web with HearSay3(link is external) – University of Washington – Borodin, Y., Bigham, J.P., Stent, A., and Ramakrishnan, I.V. (2008)
• A flexible VXML interpreter for non-visual web access(link is external) – University of Washington – Borodin, Y. (2006)
• AxsJAX: a talking translation bot using google IM: bringing web-2.0 applications to life(link is external) – Chen, C.L. and raman, T.V. (2008)
• Csurf: a context-driven non-visual web-browser(link is external) – University of Washington – Mahmud, J.U., Borodin, Y., and Ramakrishnan, I.V. (2007)
• VoxBoox:: a system for automatic generation of interactive talking books(link is external) – University of Texas, Dallas – Jain, A. and Gupta, G. (2006)
• Ongoing investigation of the ways in which some of the problems encountered by some dyslexics can be alleviated using computer techniques(link is external) – University of Dundee – DIckinson, A., Gregor, P., and Newell, A.F. (2002)
• Assistive Technology for reading – Cumley J. (2009)
• Technology tools to support reading in the digital age (link is external) – Biancarosa G, Griffiths GG. The Future of Children, 22(2), (2014)