How do people use screen readers?

When testing with screen readers, it’s essential to understand that using them differs from general ways of navigating websites and apps. People who use screen readers do not use a mouse. Instead, they will typically use keyboard commands with a desktop screen reader and touch gestures with a mobile screen reader. 

A screen reader will read all the content on a page in audio format or, if used, with a refreshable braille display in Braille. It will also read any hidden content added to improve the screen reading experience, such as labels or instructions. 

As well as reading the content, a screen reader will provide more information about the content’s structure and purpose. For example, if a screen reader finds a link to “ISA and Savings”, it will announce the role of the link and its name, e.g., “Link, ISA and Savings”. This extra information helps a user understand the purpose of the content and whether it is interactive.

Fundamentally all screen readers work in this way. However, they do not all behave in the same way. For example, they will announce content differently and have different commands or keyboard shortcuts. While this can be confusing if you are new to screen reader testing, this is nothing to worry about. 

Desktop screen readers

There are desktop screen readers available for both Windows and macOS operating systems. Windows screen readers are more popular, according to a Webaim survey. However, it’s best to test with both Windows and macOS screen readers to get good coverage. 

Desktop screen readers include: 

• NVDA, JAWS and Narrator (Windows). 
• VoiceOver (macOS).  
• ChromeVox (Chromebook) 

Navigation

To test with a desktop screen reader, try to distinguish between these two ways when testing:  

1. Use the arrow keys, screen reader shortcuts and built-in screen menus to move around the page. 
2. Remember that standard keyboard navigation using “tab” and “shift + tab” keys differs from screen reader navigation. 

Screen reader users can use far more keyboard commands to help navigate around a page, such as navigating by different elements, searching for specific content or reading content by word, sentence or paragraph. To learn about different screen reader commands, read the how to use a screen reader guide.

Modes

Windows screen readers such as JAWS and NVDA have different interaction modes to help users with specific tasks. Often, the screen reader will switch to the most appropriate mode to help the job at hand. Screen reader modes are important to understand when testing with Windows screen readers. You may get unexpected results if the screen reader is in the “wrong” mode. For more information, see Understanding Screen Reader Interaction Modes. 

Browse mode

When reading documents or web pages, a screen reader will use browse mode (sometimes called read mode).

In this mode, a user can interact with every element on a page, even on those which aren’t focusable by keyboard, for example, headings or paragraphs. Users can also navigate a page by using screen reader shortcuts. 

Focus mode

When interacting with forms or other fields needing input, a screen reader will switch to focus mode (sometimes called forms mode). Without this mode, it wouldn’t be possible for a user to enter information into text fields or tick checkboxes, for example. In this mode, screen reader shortcuts such as pressing “h” to jump between headings do not work. Instead, pressing “h” would enter the letter “h” into a form field.  

Mobile screen readers

There are two major screen readers available on mobile devices. These are: 

• VoiceOver (iOS) 
• TalkBack (Android) 

Testing with both iOS and Android screen readers is essential to ensure that our websites and apps are accessible. 

There are different ways that users can navigate when using a mobile screen reader, so it’s important to test each of them to ensure a good experience, no matter how someone is using their mobile screen reader. 

Swiping

Swiping is the primary way of using a screen reader on a mobile device. As a user swipes, the screen reader will find and announce items on the screen, which it will read aloud and suggest actions the user can take. Exploring by swiping involves swiping up or down, left or right, with one finger. Multiple finger gestures will allow a user to control different aspects of the screen reader, such as activating buttons, pausing reading or opening built-in menus. 

Explore by touch

As well as swiping, mobile screen readers let users “explore by touch”. Exploring by touch involves a user dragging their finger over the screen. As the user drags, the screen reader will read the content under their finger. All elements, such as icons, buttons and text, will be announced. Most mobile screen readers will also suggest actions for the user to take. For example, how to view the content or, if it’s interactive, how to activate it. 

Explore by touch is the primary way some users use a mobile screen reader. However, “explore by touch” can be time-consuming and frustrating for other people, and exploring by swipe is often more efficient.

For testing purposes, it’s good to test “exploring by touch”, especially for smaller elements which may be challenging to reach or activate with a screen reader. 

External keyboard

For some people with mobility impairments, swiping or “exploring by touch” may be too difficult. Some people use an external keyboard to work a screen reader on their mobile devices. For completeness, it’s important to test using a mobile screen reader with an external keyboard on both iOS and Android devices. Please note some configuration will be necessary to use an external keyboard effectively with both VoiceOver and TalkBack.   

Screen reader and browser combinations

When testing websites, there are recommended browsers and screen reader combinations, as not all screen readers work effectively with all browsers. For testing, these combinations provide the most coverage of those screen readers used by our customers, members and colleagues. The table below shows the recommended combinations.