Windows' Narrator now with support for more languages

Feb 16, 2012 10:45 GMT  ·  By

One thing that Microsoft wanted to ensure with the upcoming Windows 8 platform was that as many people as possible had access to it. The company has already packed a variety of accessibility capabilities to the older flavor of Windows, so that they can be used broadly.

Some of the assistive technologies (ATs) that have been shipped with Windows include a built-in screen reader called Narrator, designed for people with visual impairments, or the Magnifier, which was meant to make text and graphics large enough for people with low vision to see.

Microsoft also included Speech recognition in older Windows flavors, such as Windows Vista, so that people with mobility impairments would be able to navigate and use their PC, as well as an on-screen keyboard, which was included in Windows starting with Windows Vista.

Windows 8 is meant to bring along a series of enhancements in these areas, as Microsoft is always keen on ensuring richer AT offerings in its products.

Microsoft notes that some of the enhancements that Windows 8 will bring in this area include:

- We redesigned Narrator to improve its performance so that it quickly reads out what you have selected. - We added more languages and voices to Narrator to support additional countries and preferences. - We updated components and features within Windows to leverage UI Automation that allows them to be read by Narrator. - We updated UI Automation (UIA) with more text patterns and document content so that Narrator can use it to read the outputs from applications.

These improvements were meant to address two specific scenarios, including the installation, setting up, and configuring of a PC, as well as web browsing.

For example, the Narrator in Windows 7 will enable users to download and install Windows 8. Users will also be guided through the setup process.

“Narrator has some new configuration options in Windows 8. You can select a voice, change the speed at which it speaks, create customizable commands, and specify some other aspects of Narrator’s behavior,” Jennifer Norberg, a senior program manager lead on the HID team, notes.

“Right out-of-the-box with a new Windows 8 tablet, you will be able to press the Windows logo key and Volume Up to launch Narrator and walk through the setup of your machine. Whether you’re blind, have low vision, or are fully sighted, you’ll be able to start experiencing a Windows 8 tablet from the moment you get it,” she explains.

The new Narrator was meant to offer more info to users as they browsed various web pages. It will continuously read a page (to enable reading, just hit Windows logo key + Alt + \). Ctrl will instantly stop the Narrator from speaking.

“This allows you to interact with a control like a hyperlink (Windows logo key +Alt + Enter tells Narrator to select the hyperlink, and Windows logo key + Alt + Space navigates to the linked page),” Jennifer Norberg explains.

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