Text to speech

This section lists devices and software that convert text to sound / speech.

Text to speech scanning machines scan and translate printed text into synthetic speech, you place a book or sheet of text in/on the machine and it will read the text to you.

DAISY players play DAISY audible books and replace the old audio books on cassette tape format. DAISY is an acronym standing for 'Digital Accessible Information System'. These digital reading systems help make audio books accessible to individuals with visual difficulties that affect their ability to read printed material.

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Text to speech scanning machines

DAISY talking book players

Talking dictionaries and thesauruses

Text to speech software

Textphones, screen telephones and accessories

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Help and advice

Alternatively, a computer and scanner can be used to provide speech from text with appropriate software. This requires setting up and tends to be slower to use than the purpose built machines.¹ There is also software which can be added to certain mobile phones to give it a reading aid function. The software uses the phone's built-in camera to capture an image of text and then converts it to synthetic speech. For information about this software refer to the RNIB factsheet What is an electronic reading aid?

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