Abstract: A screen reader software product feature referred to as a custom summary view, or custom summary, has been developed. The custom summary feature solves the major problem faced by blind users when working with large sets of data. That problem occurs as a result of an inefficiency of gleaning important data from within these larger sets. The custom summary provides the ability to gather such data into a summary that can be navigated easily. This ease of navigation greatly levels the playing field in the competitive workplace for blind workers and students alike. Also taught is a feature, referred to as a multiple region support, which allows users to define blocks of contiguous cells containing data as “regions” when a document such as a spreadsheet is displayed by a screen reader. Regions can either be named by the user or be defined simply by the top left and bottom right cell addresses that represent the boundaries of the block of contiguous cells containing data.

Abstract: Disclosed is a system and method for synchronizing virtual and physical documents. The system can be used in conjunction with screen reading software for synchronizing the screen reader's virtual representation of a component to components that are visually displayed to a sighted user.

Abstract: A speech-generating product for controlling the output of tabular or other composite data in a computer having a screen reader function. The product provides a customized control presentation tool that configures a screen reader to present tabular or other composite data to a user in the order most useful to the user. The tool includes the ability to configure the screen reader independently for both speech and Braille output on a control by control basis. This customized control presentation is saved in permanent storage. Consequently, each time the screen reader is presented with this instance of the control, the screen reader immediately knows how to present it to the user. The software product allows a user to modify the output by the screen reader of the data according to preferences configurable by the user.

Abstract: A screen reader feature is described that enables end users to assign their own descriptions to forms and navigational elements in electronic documents such as web pages, word processing documents and portable document formats. The form or navigational element is identified by the end user. A dialog box provides a text entry box for accepting a user-defined description. The description is saved in association with the document and its particular form or navigational element.

Abstract: The present invention is a computer software product and method including an XML parsing module, a translation module communicatively coupled to the XML parsing module and an output module communicatively coupled to the translation module, the output module configurable by the end user to execute a predefined event responsive to the processing of an associated XML tag. The predefined event may be selected from a group consisting of audio output modification, visual output modification, and tactile output modification. These output modifications may include, but are not limited to, voice inflection, voice gender, voice volume, voice pitch, voice speed, visual display modification, visual display cues, tactile device output modification and the like.

Abstract: Disclosed is a system and method for synchronizing virtual and physical documents. The system can be used in conjunction with screen reading software for synchronizing the screen reader's virtual representation of a component to components that are visually displayed to a sighted user.

Abstract: A screen reader software product feature referred to as a custom summary view, or custom summary, has been developed. The custom summary feature solves the major problem faced by blind users when working with large sets of data. That problem occurs as a result of an inefficiency of gleaning important data from within these larger sets. The custom summary provides the ability to gather such data into a summary that can be navigated easily. This ease of navigation greatly levels the playing field in the competitive workplace for blind workers and students alike. Also taught is a feature, referred to as a multiple region support, which allows users to define blocks of contiguous cells containing data as “regions” when a document such as a spreadsheet is displayed by a screen reader. Regions can either be named by the user or be defined simply by the top left and bottom right cell addresses that represent the boundaries of the block of contiguous cells containing data.

Abstract: A screen reader feature is described that enables end users to assign their own descriptions to forms and navigational elements in electronic documents such as web pages, word processing documents and portable document formats. The form or navigational element is identified by the end user. A dialog box provides a text entry box for accepting a user-defined description. The description is saved in association with the document and its particular form or navigational element.

Abstract: A speech-generating product for controlling the output of tabular or other composite data in a computer having a screen reader function. The product provides a customized control presentation tool that configures a screen reader to present tabular or other composite data to a user in the order most useful to the user. The tool includes the ability to configure the screen reader independently for both speech and Braille output on a control by control basis. This customized control presentation is saved in permanent storage. Consequently, each time the screen reader is presented with this instance of the control, the screen reader immediately knows how to present it to the user. The software product allows a user to modify the output by the screen reader of the data according to preferences configurable by the user.

Abstract: A screen reader software product including a pattern store containing at least one user-definable array of keywords relating to a subject of interest and skim reading module adapted to apply the at least one array of keywords to a target document whereby only portions of the target document matching the at least one array of keywords are output by the screen reader software to an end user.

Abstract: The present invention is a computer software product and method including an XML parsing module, a translation module communicatively coupled to the XML parsing module and an output module communicatively coupled to the translation module, the output module configurable by the end user to execute a predefined event responsive to the processing of an associated XML tag. The predefined event may be selected from a group consisting of audio output modification, visual output modification, and tactile output modification. These output modifications may include, but are not limited to, voice inflection, voice gender, voice volume, voice pitch, voice speed, visual display modification, visual display cues, tactile device output modification and the like.

Abstract: A screen reader software product for low-vision users, the software having a reader module collecting textual and non-textual display information generated by a web browser or word processor. Font styling, interface layout information and the like are communicated to the end user by sounds broadcast simultaneously rather than serially with the synthesized speech to improve the speed and efficiency in which information may be digested by the end user.