A screen reader is a type of assistive technology that allows people who are blind or have visual impairments to read and interact with digital content. More specifically, it’s a software that reads aloud the information on the screen or converts it to a braille display — a system of raised dots on a tactile pad. When screen readers were introduced in 1988, a few years after the invention of the personal computer, they opened access to technology and unlocked new employment opportunities for people with visual impairments. 

As computer technology continued to evolve, screen readers changed and adapted, albeit not at the same pace. Today, we have a number of screen readers available at different price points. For the purposes of this article, we list only the top free screen readers.