Name
Narrator
Synopsis
A not-so-cool tool for visually impaired individuals.
To Launch
Start → Programs → Accessories → Accessibility → Narrator
Command interpreter →
narrator.exe
Description
If you have speakers and a sound card installed on your computer, you can use Narrator to read aloud text you type, the contents of folders, menu items, dialog box buttons, and system events. This is a great idea in principle, but it’s poorly implemented since the amount of information read aloud is often overwhelming.
When you start Narrator, the key options you can choose are:
- Announce events on screen
This is the option that generates way too much talk and should be disabled.
- Read typed characters
Not very useful because it doesn’t read words—only letters you type.
- Voice
This customizes Narrator’s voice. One thing you should do immediately is slow it down a bit, as the default setting reads too fast. Even slowed down, there are some words I just can’t make out.
Notes
Pressing Ctrl is supposed to shut this tool off, but sometimes Narrator responds by saying “Control! Control!” instead.
See Also
Accessibility Options , Magnifier, On-Screen Keyboard, Utility Manager
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