How to create content that works well with screen readers
How to create content that works well with screen readers
Posted by:
Léonie Watson, Posted on: 8 February 2017
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Categories:
Accessibility, Assistive technology, Content
The video below shows a screen reader in use on the GOV.UK homepage:
Screen readers are applications that turn on-screen content into speech or show it on a Braille display. Most screen readers are made up of two things: the screen reader software, and a Text To Speech (TTS) engine, which is what converts the text from the screen reader into speech.
Through our Accessibility community, we often get asked about how to create content that works well with screen readers. The broad answer is to write content that is as clear and simple as possible – as you would in any case.
Here’s a closer look at how screen readers respond to content, and what it means for the people creating that content.
Punctuation
One thing to consider is the way screen readers handle punctuation. This can vary depending on the screen reader. Some announce important punctuation marks by default, like the @ sign in [...]