Other sites and programs
There is a wealth of other software out there for blind people and screenreader users. Here are some of your options: some are affiliated with WebbIE, some are competitors.
If you are interested in accessible and assistive software you might also be interested in some of the following external sites:
- Thunder Screenreader
- Thunder is a completely free screenreader for Windows: it supports any SAPI 4 or SAPI 5 voice, so you can use lots of free voices in many different languages, and it works with Microsoft Word, Notepad, Outlook Express, Excel, Windows and the Internet with WebbIE. It is a complete way for a blind people to use a computer - and it's completely free for download!
- EdWord a speaking word processor.
- A word processor which speaks as you type and has speaking controls and menus. Another piece of software from the University of Manchester and the SENSE Deafblind charity.
- Catalogue of accessible web browsers.
- Lots of links to other (competing!) accessible web browsers.
- Lightning Express screen magnifier letting you see the screen with low vision.
- A free screen magnifier from Claro Software (Alasdair's company). Use this if you need to make everything on your computer bigger. No installation, but need to download each day you use it.
- iZoom screen magnifier letting you see the screen with low vision.
- A free screen magnifier from Issist. Use this if you need to make everything on your computer bigger.
- easyRead Internet Explorer zoom
- Adds two buttons to your Internet Explorer toolbar: zoom in and zoom out, which magnify and shrink web pages so you can read them more easily.
- AMIS Daisy Book Reader lets you read Digital Talking Books.
- A free self-voicing (speaking) DAISY Book Reader.
- SpeakOn
- A complete, free, self-voicing (speaking) way to get newspapers, talking books and audio.
- Non-Visual Desktop Access (NVDA)
- A free, open-source screenreader for Microsoft Windows.
- Microsoft SAPI4 voices
- These free voices can be used with the Thunder screenreader. American English, British English, Dutch, German, French, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portugese, Spanish, Russian.
- Asharir SAPI5 voices
- These free voices can be used with the Thunder or NVDA screenreaders. Hindi, English, Tamil, Kannada, Telugu.
- eSpeak SAPI5 voices
- These free voices can be used with the Thunder or NVDA screenreaders. Includes Afrikaans, Bosnian, Czech, Greek, Esperanto, Finnish, Croatian, Hungarian, Kurdish, Romanian, Slovak, Serbian, Swedish, Swahili, Tamil, Turkish.
- Digital Competence Screenreader Network
- Distributes Thunder and WebbIE in various European languages and provides help and contacts in Austria, Estonia, UK, Slovakia, Ireland, France, Italy and Germany.
Websites in non-English languages:
- SliKom
- Website for blind computer users in Bosna and Herzegovina, including discussion mailing list and lots of resources.
And finally, a word from our sponsors:
- ScreenReader for a full range of commercial products.
- A full range of affordable high-quality assistive technology, including the LookOUT screen reader, from Choice Technology, supporters of WebbIE.
- Claro Software for people with print impairments like dyslexia.
- Software for people with different visual and print problems from Choice Technology, supporters of WebbIE.
