Access HKETO via Assistive Tools for the Visually Impaired

For users with needs of assistive tools to browse HKETO, the following sections explain the function of screen reader and screen magnifying software.

What Screen Readers Do
A screen reader is an audio computer program that reads out the content displayed on a computer screen for visually impaired people. The reader can also output the content to Braille. In Hong Kong, three of the common screen readers are:

NVDA is an open source screen reader that supports over 35 languages with switchable speech synthesizer. It is light weight and can be run from a USB drive with no installation. JAWS is also a popular choice among screen readers with voices for different languages. It is available as a commercial product. Windows Light is another screen reader for the visually impaired and non-profit-making organisations. Those who qualify for a copy of Windows Light can register with Retina Hong Kong to apply for a CD of Windows Light. Aside from reading sequential text, as long as a website has a consistent structure, visually impaired users can easily navigate it with the short-cut keys on the screen reader.

What Screen Magnifying Software Do
Screen magnifying software such as Zoomtext and SuperNova Reader Magnifier enlarges the content displayed on a computer screen up to a few thousand times. Users can choose the magnification level that best suits their personal needs. This kind of software can also display webpage content in black and white or in monochrome. In this way, content can be displayed in high color contrast.