4 ms·

Just install a screen reader and close your eyes.

• elliekelly 7y ago
  Cool, I didn't even know that was a thing I could do. I suppose I imagined screen readers as some sort of expensive software.
  • wccrawford 7y ago
    The open source ones are basically as good as the for-pay ones at this point.
• kls 7y ago
  Yep when I was doing accessibility dev, that was exactly how I tested. It's pretty effective and it also gives you a feel for how crappy the tools are for the blind.
  • sterlind 7y ago
    what is the learning curve like for screen readers? ...and what form does documentation come in? I'd like to learn but not sure where to get started.
    • oliveremberton 7y ago
      You can figure out the basics in about 20-60 minutes. If you use a Mac, just enable VoiceOver: https://www.apple.com/voiceover/info/guide/_1121.html https://www.apple.com/voiceover/info/guide/_1121.html If you use Windows, I suggest NVDA - it's a free screen reader that's similar to the most-popular-but-expensive one (JAWS): https://www.nvaccess.org/download/ https://www.nvaccess.org/download/ IMHO the best screen readers are on your phone / tablet. This might sound crazy (how can a touchscreen work when you can't see it?) but they're much better designed than their desktop equivalents. Mobile software tends to be simpler, resulting in a better experience: iOS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDm7GiKra28 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDm7GiKra28 Android: https://support.google.com/accessibility/android/answer/6007100 https://support.google.com/accessibility/android/answer/6007... If you work in web tech and take 1-2 hours to learn one of these you'll be able to dazzle others with it for the rest of your life.
• sixstringtheory 7y ago
  On iOS you can also enable the “Screen Curtain” to see how well voiceover will do: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201443 https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201443