Screen reader demonstration
Yahoo’s User Interface Blog has an excellent video showing their Program Manager for Accessibility using a screen reader.
It’s probably aimed more for web developers who need to think about how the overall page is structured, but provides an insight into how someone who can’t see that page finds the content they’re looking for. As you’ll find the text in page titles and links, and the proper use of headings and lists are crucial.
There’s also a link through to a presentation on the history of screen readers which is also worth considering. As with web browsers we can’t assume that our audience has access to the latest, shiniest versions - especially when it comes to assistive technologies such as screen readers since they can also be an expensive investment.
