Adobe® Acrobat® Reader® DC is free software you can use to read and access the information contained within PDF files. Adobe Acrobat Reader DC contains many capabilities specifically designed to make it easier for people with disabilities to read PDF files, regardless of whether the files have been optimized for accessibility. Visually impaired people often have difficulty distinguishing between the numbers 3, 5, 8 and 0. Use a font type that is easy to read and, where practical, confirm numbers in words. Spacing and alignment. Use left alignment and at least 1.5 line spacing. Some people prefer to read columns rather than long lines of text across a page. Category: Reading Description: The MDevReader is a free app for the iPad or Android tablets, which has been developed to help people with a central vision loss read. It presents text from eBooks in a scrolling stream across the screen, in a similar way to a news ticker or a display board on a train.
Every Mac is built with assistive technologies to support people who are blind or have low vision. The VoiceOver screen reader describes exactly what’s happening on your screen. Hover Text lets you instantly magnify a selection of text. And Display Accommodations support color blindness and other vision needs.
Hover TextGet a quick size boost of what you’re reading.
Hover Text makes it easier to view text on your display. If a paragraph, caption, or headline is too small to read, just hover over it with your cursor and press Command. You’ll get a dedicated window with a large, high-resolution version of your selection. You can even choose the fonts and colors that work best for you.
VoiceOverHear what’s happening on your screen.
VoiceOver does more than tell you what’s happening on your Mac. It helps you make things happen. It gives you auditory descriptions of each onscreen element and provides helpful hints along the way — whether you prefer using gestures, a keyboard, or a braille display. And it supports more than 35 languages, including multiple voice options.
VoiceOverIntegrated throughout macOS and every built-in app.
VoiceOver is unique because it’s not a standalone screen reader. It’s deeply integrated in macOS and all the built-in apps on Mac. And as developers update their apps to take advantage of the accessibility interfaces provided by Apple, their apps can start working with VoiceOver right away.
VoiceOverImproved PDF, web, and messages navigation.
We’ve refined VoiceOver to make it easier to navigate PDFs, websites, and messages. In Safari, improved conformance with HTML5 accessibility standards allows for more consistent navigation of websites. VoiceOver is now better at reading aloud tagged PDFs and email messages. If you start reading a website in a different language, VoiceOver can switch to the voice for that language automatically.¹ And you can add custom commands and workflows to your MacBook Pro with Touch Bar.
Audio DescriptionsHear the details in every scene.
Watch movies with detailed audio descriptions of every scene on your Mac. Movies with audio descriptions are displayed with the AD icon in the iTunes Store.
VoiceOverNavigate VoiceOver with simple gestures.
You can control VoiceOver using many of the same gestures you use with iOS. Touch the trackpad to hear a description of the item under your finger, drag to hear items continuously, and flick to move to the next item. Enable the VoiceOver Trackpad Commander, and the trackpad surface will represent the current window or document, so you can navigate quickly to any corner or edge with a tap.
VoiceOverA virtual controller with customizable commands.
VoiceOver features a virtual control called the rotor. Turning the rotor — by rotating two fingers on the trackpad as if you were turning an actual dial — lets you access an array of fully customizable commands. Use it to browse web pages more efficiently and intuitively. The rotor lists common elements like “headings,” “links,” and “images,” and lets you navigate directly to the element of your choosing.
VoiceOverPlug-and-play support for braille displays.
VoiceOver is the first screen reader to provide plug-and-play support for refreshable braille displays. Plug in or sync one of over 100 compatible displays, supporting more than 80 international tables, and the VoiceOver description is presented to you in braille. You can edit seamlessly in Grade 2 Braille, viewing your edits in the context of the actual line of text. Optimized for fast braille typists, VoiceOver makes working in braille easy and efficient. Converting between braille and text happens automatically so you see only Grade 2 Braille. And for sighted users who sit alongside you, there’s an onscreen braille panel that displays both braille and plain-text versions of the descriptions spoken by VoiceOver.
Dark ModeWorking hard gets easier on the eyes.
Dark Mode transforms the desktop and built-in apps with a dark color scheme that helps you focus on your work.2 The fine points of your content take center screen as toolbars and menus recede into the background. Light text against darker backdrops in Mail, Safari Reader, Calendar, and more makes everything easier to read in low lighting conditions. And the Accessibility preferences for increased contrast and reduced transparency work with Dark Mode enabled.
DictationYou say it. Mac types it.
Dictation lets you talk where you would type — and it works in over 40 languages. So you can reply to an email, search the web, or write a report using just your voice. Navigate to any text field, activate Dictation, then say what you want to write. macOS also comes with more than 50 editing and formatting commands. So you can turn on Dictation and tell your Mac to bold a paragraph, delete a sentence, or replace a word. You can also use Automator workflows to create your own Dictation commands.
SiriStreamline the things you do every day.
Siri helps you do more with your desktop.³ Ask Siri to send messages, track down files, create reminders, search the web, and even turn on and off VoiceOver and Invert Colors, without interrupting what you’re doing on the keyboard. And because Siri is integrated with VoiceOver, you can ask it to find a file and hear the answer read out loud. If you prefer to communicate by typing, you can easily set Siri to “Type to Siri” mode.
ZoomMake your screen up to 20 times bigger.
Zoom is a powerful built-in magnifier that lets you enlarge your screen up to 20 times, so you can better see what’s on the display. You can zoom using full screen or picture-in-picture, allowing you to see the zoomed area in a separate window while keeping the rest of the screen at its native size. A shortcut key lets you pan the screen without moving the pointer while zoomed in. macOS can also flash the screen for notifications offscreen or speak text under your pointer. The hardware acceleration engine lets you boost the size of anything on your screen — text on a web page, family photos, or a place on a map.
Zoom DisplaySee content up close and at a distance simultaneously.
Now with macOS Catalina, if you have two displays, you can keep one zoomed in close while the other stays at a standard resolution. So you can tackle everyday work or give a presentation more efficiently.
Cursor SizeMagnify your cursor so it’s easier to use.
macOS lets you magnify your cursor so it’s easier to see where you are and follow along as you move around your Mac. Set the cursor size once and it stays magnified even when its shape changes. And when you swipe back and forth on your trackpad or quickly shake your mouse, the pointer grows so it’s easier to locate.
Contrast and Color OptionsInvert colors or enable color filters.
macOS lets you invert colors, enable grayscale, or choose from a range of color filters to support different forms of color blindness or other color vision deficiencies. You can select a common preset or fine-tune the color tint and hue to customize a display setting that works for you.
Reduce MotionDecrease the movement of onscreen elements.
If you’re affected by the motion of screen elements, you can turn on Reduce Motion to decrease movement in areas like Spaces, Notification Center, and the Dock.
Music, Podcasts, Books and TVNavigate and play with VoiceOver.
The Apple Music, Apple Podcasts, Apple Books, and Apple TV apps are compatible with VoiceOver, so you can navigate and play all your content even if you can’t see the screen. Browse the apps as VoiceOver reads out headers, links, and other elements on the page.
Resources
Support
User Guides
Or order an embossed copy of macOS VoiceOver User Guide
External Resources
Hadley Institute for the Blind and Visually Impaired
Explore instructional videos with tips on using vision accessibility features in macOS.
Learn more about the Hadley Institute instructional videos at their websiteJoin a community of blind and low-vision users of Apple products.
Learn more about AppleVis.com at their websiteGet information on the use of Apple products by those who are blind or low vision.
Learn more about Mac-cessibility Network at their websiteSeeing the screen is just one way to experience iPad. VoiceOver describes exactly what’s happening on the screen and lets you navigate using gestures or a braille display. Display Accommodations support color blindness and other vision needs. And Magnifier works like a digital magnifying glass. Mac vs windows vista.
VoiceOverHear what’s happening on your screen.
VoiceOver is a gesture-based screen reader that lets you enjoy iPad even if you don’t see the screen. With VoiceOver enabled, just triple-click the Home button (or the top button on iPad Pro with Face ID) to access it wherever you are. Hear a description of everything happening on your screen, from battery level to who’s calling to which app your finger is on. You can also adjust the speaking rate and pitch to suit you.
VoiceOverWorks with every built-in app. And many third-party ones.
Because VoiceOver is integrated in iOS and iPadOS, it works with all the built-in iPad apps. You can create custom labels for buttons in any app — including third-party apps. And Apple works with the developer community to make even more apps compatible with VoiceOver.
VoiceOverNavigate VoiceOver with simple gestures.
You can control VoiceOver using a simple set of gestures. Touch or drag your finger around the screen and VoiceOver tells you what’s there. Tap a button to hear a description, then double-tap to select. Or flick left and right to move from one element to the next. When you interact with an element, a black rectangle appears around it so sighted users can follow along. When you prefer privacy, you can activate a screen curtain to turn off the display completely, but still hear all that VoiceOver has to say. And now with iPadOS, you can customize existing gestures to other ones you prefer.
VoiceOverType and edit with speed and accuracy.
With VoiceOver enabled, each character on the keyboard is read aloud as you touch it, and again when you enter it. A flick up or down moves the cursor so you can edit precisely. To help you type more quickly and accurately, iOS and iPadOS support multiple character input methods — including handwriting — and correct misspelled words. Enable Speak Auto-text and you hear a sound effect and the suggested word spoken. Keep typing to ignore it, or tap the space bar to have your iPad type it for you.
VoiceOverIt can even describe images to you.
VoiceOver can describe images to you, such as telling you if a photo features a tree, a dog, or four smiling faces. It can also read aloud text in an image — whether it’s a snapshot of a receipt or a magazine article — even if it hasn’t been annotated. And in the Photos app, you can touch to explore the facial expressions of people in your photos. Just tap the image with three fingers to have VoiceOver describe what’s there.
VoiceOverA virtual controller with customizable commands.
VoiceOver features a virtual control called the rotor. Turning the rotor — by rotating two fingers on the screen as if you were turning an actual dial — lets you efficiently move through a web page or document. When you’re on a web page or PDF, turn the rotor to hear settings like “headings,” “links,” and “images.” Then flick to choose how you navigate the page. For example, you can skip from one heading to the next.
VoiceOverDirect braille entry without a braille display.
VoiceOver includes systemwide support for braille chords in 6 and 8 dot braille, enabling direct braille entry without the need for a physical braille keyboard. The braille keyboard is available in the rotor, so you can use it to type text, unlock your iPad, launch apps, and find content in apps like Music.
VoiceOverUse a braille display for input and output.
iPad supports over 80 international braille tables and more than 70 refreshable braille displays. You can connect a Bluetooth wireless braille display to read VoiceOver output, including contracted and uncontracted braille and equations using Nemeth Code. When you edit text, your display shows the text in context, and your edits are seamlessly converted between braille and printed text. And braille displays with input keys can be used to control your iPad when VoiceOver is turned on.
VoiceOverHear it the way you say it with the Pronunciation Editor.
The Pronunciation Editor allows you to create a list of words or phrases and the phonetic ways you want them to be pronounced by VoiceOver. These words and phrases will then be read aloud with your preferred pronunciation in documents, messages, web pages, and other text.
Pdf Screen Reading Software For Mac For Visually Impaired Students
Audio DescriptionsHear the details in every scene.
Watch movies with detailed audio descriptions of every scene on your iPad. Movies with audio descriptions are displayed with the AD icon in the iTunes Store.
iPad also lets VoiceOver users access closed caption and subtitle tracks audibly or through their braille displays.
Dark ModeMake everything easier on the eyes.
Dark Mode transforms every element on your screen with a new dark color scheme to help you focus on the things that matter most. Light text against darker backdrops in Mail, Safari Reader, Calendar, and more makes everything easier to read in low lighting conditions. And the Accessibility preferences for increased contrast and reduced transparency work with Dark Mode enabled.
Display AccommodationsFind the right view for you.
You can invert colors, reduce white point, enable grayscale, or choose from a range of color filters to support different forms of color blindness or other vision challenges. You can select a common preset or fine-tune the color tint and hue to customize a display setting that works for you. With the Smart Invert Colors setting, iPad automatically recognizes when a piece of media is using a dark color style, so you can reverse the colors of the display without affecting the look of images, videos, and certain apps. And once you set your filters, the settings apply to everything that appears on your iPad.
ZoomMake your screen up to 1500 percent bigger.
Zoom is a built-in screen magnifier that works wherever you are on your iPad. And it works with all apps from the App Store. Turn Zoom on for full-screen or picture-in-picture view, allowing you to see the zoomed area in a separate window while keeping the rest of the screen at its native size. You can adjust the magnification between 100 and 1500 percent and access multiple filter options in either view. While you’re zoomed in, you can use all the familiar gestures to navigate your iPad. And Zoom works with VoiceOver, so you can better see — and hear — what’s happening on your screen.
Font AdjustmentsApps can automatically adapt to larger type.
When you activate Larger Dynamic Type, the text inside a wide range of apps, including Calendar, Contacts, Mail, Messages, Music, Notes, Settings, and even some third-party apps, is converted to a larger, easier-to-read size. Apps adapt to accommodate larger font sizes so text remains legible and clear as it grows. And you can choose bold text to make the text heavier across a range of built-in applications.
MagnifierUse your camera to get a closer look.
Magnifier works like a digital magnifying glass. It uses the camera on your iPad to increase the size of anything you point it at, so you can see the details more clearly. Use the flash to light the object, adjust filters to help you differentiate colors, or snap a photo to get a static close-up.
Speak ScreenFrom email to books, let your iPad read to you.
If you have a hard time reading the text on your iPad, use Speak Screen to read your email, iMessages, web pages, and books. Turn on Speak Screen and swipe down from the top of the screen with two fingers, or just tell Siri to Speak Screen and have all the content on the page read back to you. You can adjust the voice’s dialect and speaking rate, and have words, sentences, or words within sentences highlighted as they’re being read. And the new Speech Controller provides a Speak Under Finger feature for more precise control.
SiriStreamline the things you do every day.
Siri helps you with the things you do every day.* Siri can send messages, place phone calls, schedule meetings, and even turn on and off VoiceOver, Guided Access, and Invert Colors. And because Siri is integrated with VoiceOver, you can ask where the nearest sushi restaurant is and hear the answer read out loud. With Siri Shortcuts, you can cue custom, multi-action commands by voicing a preferred phrase. If you’re commuting home, for example, say “Heading Home” to get directions, bring up a favorite podcast, and adjust your thermostat — without having to go into each individual app.
DictationYou say it. iPad types it.
Dictation lets you talk where you would type. Tap the microphone button on the keyboard, say what you want to write, and your iPad converts your words (and numbers and characters) into text. So it’s easy to type an email, note, or web address — without typing at all.
Accessibility ShortcutsGet quick access to your favorite features.
Control Center is customizable, so you can easily add and organize shortcuts for the tools and settings you use the most. For example, you can add a quick link to Magnifier so it’s always handy, or add a Text Size control so you can adjust text size on the fly without leaving the app you’re using. You can also turn on Guided Access or get to all the Accessibility Shortcuts you have enabled.
Resources
Support
User Guides
Or order an embossed copy of iOS VoiceOver Getting Started guide
External Resources
Hadley Institute for the Blind and Visually Impaired
Explore instructional videos with tips on using vision accessibility features.
Learn more about the Hadley Institute for the Blind and Visually ImpairedJoin a community of blind and low-vision users of Apple products.
Learn more about AppleVis.comConnect with a community of people using VoiceOver and other Apple products.
Learn more about VIPhone Discussion ListGet information on the use of Apple products by those who are blind or low vision.
Learn more about Mac-cessibility NetworkDeveloper Resources
Resources to help developers make their apps more accessible.
Learn more about Apple Accessibility for Developers