For people who are living with sight loss, understanding the words that come up on their screens can be a tricky thing indeed. For these individuals, surfing the internet or using computer devices would be practically impossible without the implementation of screen reader tools. As such, screen readers are important tools for allowing a website to ensure that it is fully automated and ready to cater for all visitors, irrelevant of whether or not these visitors are struggling with sight loss or not.
Sight loss is affecting more and more people on an annual basis, and as a result of this, it is important that tools designed to enable these individuals to retain their independence and continue looking after their own interests are provided. One such tool is the screen reader. But how many people live with sight loss?
Sight loss might seem like something that doesn’t have a huge imapct on our modern society but this would be incorrect. In fact, sight loss is quite an important disability that people suffer from nowadays. In fact, according to the RNIB, as many as 300 million people worldwide suffer from either total blindness or partial sight loss, and around 1 in 5 individuals will begin to experience the symptoms of sight loss at some point in their lives.
Screen readers are important tools for people living with sight loss, however, it may not be clear to someone who does not have sight loss what the screen reader tools actually does. In short, screen readers do exactly what they say on the tin—they “read off” information on the computer screen or device screen so that the individual who is suffering from sight loss is able to still understand and “see” what they are missing out on.
Screen readers are highly important for people living with sight loss, as we have already established. However, for some people, it can be a little hard to understand how they work. But don’t worry! We’re here today to help you understand how screen reader tools work to allow people with visual impairments to see the content that is on their screens.
Screen readers are important not only for people who are completely blind, and so who cannot see the computer screen at all, but also for those individuals who are partially sighted. By reading off the content that appears on the screen for these individuals, the screen reader serves to explain the content of the website or application to the individual. This means that, despite being unable to see and read the content of the website themselves, they are still capable of independence and can use the internet for their own goals and intentions.
If you think that your website or application could benefit from investing in screen reader technology to help people who are partially sighted with using your content, then we here at Purple Lens can help! As specialists in the Screen Reader industry, we have products that are designed to make sure your visitors have every chance possible to enjoy the content that you have to offer for them! Make your product inclusive for those who are partially sighted or blind with our screen reader tool integration today!
