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Screen readers
These tools will help you find and fix accessibility issues. To make the best use of these tools, you should build them into your workflow when publishing a webpage or digital document.
Disclaimer: Reference on this page to any specific commercial product, process, or service, or any trade, firm, or corporation name is for information and convenience. It does not constitute endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the City of Philadelphia.
Why it matters
People who are Blind or who have low vision use screen readers to navigate digital spaces. Experiencing these tools builds empathy and understanding for how your content is experienced by people who use assistive technology. It helps us check for genuine usability.
What they do
A screen reader vocalizes the content on a screen and interprets a page’s navigation features for the user. It allows users who can’t see your page to navigate and understand your content.
How to use these tools
Turn on a screen reader and unplug your mouse. Try to navigate your page using only the keyboard using keys like: Tab, Shift+Tab, Enter, and arrow keys. Consider the following tasks:
- Can you complete the main goal of the page?
- Is the order of information logical?
- Do all images have descriptive alt text?
- Are all links and buttons clearly described?