Screen Reader

Meaning

According to the American Foundation for the Blind: 
A screen reader is an interface between the computer's operating system, its applications, and the user. The user sends commands by pressing different combinations of keys on the computer keyboard or braille display to instruct the speech synthesizer what to say and to speak automatically when changes occur on the computer screen.

 

Background

In 1986 Jim Thatcher created the first screen reader that worked with the text-based Desktop Operating System (DOS). Initially, the technology was available only within IBM's DOS ecosystem and was called IMB Screen Reader (for DOS). Screen reading technology is now available for most operating systems and is utilized by millions of users. 

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