screen reader

American  

[skreen ree-der] / ˈskrin ˌri dər /

noun

Digital Technology.

1. a piece of software that renders visual data as synthesized speech or Braille.

   Your social media posts would be more accessible for blind people and others using screen readers if you’d just add alt text to your images.

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Etymology

Origin of screen reader

First recorded in 1935–40 in the sense “a device for reading microfilm or microfiche”

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

screen reader

For their youngest child, maternity notes came in an app which could be accessed with a screen reader on their phone, rather than being handwritten in the traditional NHS blue book.

From BBC ● Sep. 12, 2026

Apple has prioritized accessibility features for decades, with features such as the gesture-based screen reader VoiceOver and eye-tracking navigation.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 29, 2026

Indeed, if you’re listening to this on a screen reader, you’re enjoying digital accessibility, which was built on the foundation of usability for those with disabilities.

From Slate ● Apr. 4, 2026

The first three points could be solved with a screen reader, but for the free navigation a so-called navigation agent had to be implemented.

From Science Daily ● Mar. 11, 2024

He has a home setup where clients email him lines, which a screen reader says into his earpiece and which he then repeats into his microphone.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 12, 2022