I am excited to share with you my selection of blind-friendly and accessible software that I utilize on my Windows computer. Each entry will include a link to the software’s website and a short description of the software.
This list will be continually updated as I find the time.
Please let me know your feedback and opinions.
Last Updated: Thursday, 25 April 2024.
System Utilities
Web Browser: Brave
In my opinion, Brave offers the most robust blocking of online ads and is incredibly fast and responsive. It works seamlessly with Jaws for Windows and NVDA. There is also an accessible version for iOS, and you can sync all your browsing history, settings, and bookmarks between the browsers without having to provide your email address. That’s really cool!
File Compression: 7Zip
After trying several options, 7Zip has won my heart. It’s fast, open-source, and does an excellent job of compressing files better than its competitors.
Email Client: Mozilla Thunderbird
Mozilla Thunderbird remains the top choice for desktop email clients, and recent updates have modernized its interface, making it more user-friendly. It works well with NVDA and Jaws for Windows, although I have noticed some lag on the portable version for some reason.
FTP Client: WinSCP
WinSCP is a free open-source FTP client that supports both regular FTP and secure FTP connections for uploading and downloading files from an FTP server. The focus is on the security of the files being exchanged.
Password Manager: Bitwarden
Bitwarden is a freemium, open-source password management service that stores sensitive information, such as website credentials, in an encrypted vault. The platform offers a variety of client applications, including a web interface, desktop applications, browser extensions, mobile apps, and a command-line interface, all of which work excellently with various screen readers, even on the mobile apps. Bitwarden offers both a free cloud-hosted service and the option to self-host.
Download Manager: Internet Download Manager
Even after all these years, Internet Download Manager remains one of the best download managers for Windows, as it offers unparalleled functionality. It helps you download files and manage them in a list, and there are tons of other features to explore. Though this is not a free application, in my view, it is worth every cent.
Terminal Emulator: PuTTY
PuTTY is a versatile and free terminal emulator, serial console, and network file transfer application. It supports protocols like SSH, Telnet, and SCP
for secure remote connections to servers and network devices.
Desktop Search Utility: Everything
This is a free and incredibly fast desktop search engine for Windows. It locates files and folders by name almost instantaneously with minimal system resource
usage.
Games
Mist World
– Mist World is a MMORPG audio game that lets you immerse yourself in a fantasy world where humans are threatened by beasts and demons. You can choose one of eight classes and customize your character’s appearance and skills. You can also join forces with other players to take on quests, dungeons, and raids, or compete in the arena for glory and rewards. Besides combat, you can also engage in mining, fishing, crafting, marriage, guilds, and more.
QuentinC’s Playroom
– The Playroom is a free online gaming platform, especially made to be accessible to visually impaired people. Anyone can connect! 23 664 players around the world areregistered on the platform, as of this update.
– The Playroom offers a variety of games, from classic board games like chess, checkers, battleship, and monopoly, to card games like uno, blackjack, and poker, to original and fun games like escape room, blind test, and 1000 miles. You can also chat with other players, make friends, and join clubs.
– To play, you just need to download the client software and create an account. You can use your preferred screen reader or the built-in voice synthesizer. The interface is simple and intuitive, and the games are fully customizable. You can adjust the speed, volume, and sound effects of each game to suit your preferences.
RS Games
– Monopoly, the classic board game of buying and selling properties, making deals, and avoiding bankruptcy. You can play with up to six players, and choose from different rule sets and board layouts.
– Uno, the popular card game of matching colors and numbers, and using special cards to thwart your opponents. You can play with up to ten players, and customize the rules and deck size.
– Blackjack, the casino game of trying to get as close to 21 as possible without going over, while beating the dealer’s hand. You can play with up to five players, and adjust the number of decks, the minimum and maximum bets, and the payout rates.
– Battleship, the strategic game of guessing where your opponent’s ships are hidden on a grid, and trying to sink them before they sink yours. You can play with up to two players, and choose from different grid sizes and ship arrangements.
– Yahtzee, the dice game of rolling combinations of numbers and scoring points based on the categories. You can play with up to six players, and select from different scoring modes and bonus rules.
– Hangman, the word game of guessing letters and trying to figure out the hidden word before you run out of chances. You can play with up to four players, and pick from different word lists and difficulty levels.
These are just some of the games you can enjoy on the RS Games client. There are also games like Connect Four, Dominoes, Rummy, Spades, Trivia, and more. Each game has its own instructions and help menu, so you can learn how to play and master the strategies. You can also chat with other players, make friends, join tournaments, and earn achievements. The RS Games client is a fun and accessible way to play online games with people from all over the world. Download it today and join the community!
Screen Readers
Open Source and Free Screen Reader: NVDA (NonVisual Desktop Access)
NVDA is a free and open-source screen reader that enables blind and visually impaired individuals to use computers running Windows.
It reads text on the screen, provides navigation, and supports braille displays.
Commercial Screen Reader: Jaws for Windows
Jaws is a commercial screen reader for the Windows operating system. JAWS offers robust accessibility features and tailored support for many popular software applications. JAWS also supports scripting, which allows users to customize the behaviour of the screen reader for specific programs or tasks. JAWS is compatible with braille displays, magnification software, and other assistive technologies.
Online Meeting and Collaboration
Online Meetings And Collaboration Platform: Cisco Webex Meetings
Webex is a cloud-based platform for video conferencing, online meetings, screen sharing, webinars, and team messaging. Webex enables users to communicate and collaborate effectively across different devices and locations. Webex also offers features such as noise cancellation, transcription, live captions, and polling. Webex is secure, reliable, and easy to use.
Communications Platform For Gamers: Discord
Discord is a communication platform that was initially created for gamers. It allows users to chat with text, voice, and video in different communities.
Business Communications Platform: Microsoft Teams
Team Home Page on Microsoft.com
Microsoft Teams is a business communications platform combining chat, video meetings, file storage, and application integration. It’s often part of the
Microsoft 365 suite.
Unified Communications Platform: RingCentral
RingCentral is a cloud-based business communications system. The flagship product, RingCentral MVP, offers a unified platform for phone calls, video meetings, team messaging, and even SMS. Designed with flexibility in mind, RingCentral easily integrates with popular tools like Salesforce, Google Docs, and Dropbox, streamlining operations for businesses of all sizes.
Classic Conferencing App: TeamTalk
Teamtalk is a free classic conferencing app focused on voice communication, particularly suitable for gaming groups or smaller-scale audio chats. If you love really clear audio when chatting away with your close circle of friends, TeamTalk is just the right app. It works on Linux, Windows Android and iOS.
Web Conferencing: Zoom
Zoom is probably one of the most well-known and most certainly very popular video conferencing and online meeting solutions known for its ease of use and features like screen sharing and virtual backgrounds.
Multimedia
Audio Editor: Audacity
Audacity is a free, open-source, and cross-platform audio editor and recorder. It offers a wide range of tools for editing, mixing, and creating audio files.
Media Player: Calliope
Calliope is a free media player designed for blind users. It supports playing various file formats including audiobooks and music. Users can listen to internet radio and Youtube videos as well. Calliope allows users to browse and organize their music libraries, and integrates with services like Deezer and LibriVox providing access to a vast collection of media. Calliope also allows you to convert audio files to another format. This is a feature-packed application and is definitely one of my favorite media applications on Windows.
File Conversion
File Converter: Switch Sound File Converter
Switch Audio File Converter home page
Switch Sound File Converter is a paid-for audio file conversion software supporting 75 formats, enabling users to convert files in bulk with options for customization.
File Converter: Doxillion Document Converter
With Doxillion, you can easily convert files from one format to another, such as text, image, or eBook files. It has a batch converter option that lets you convert many files in one go and adjust the conversion parameters as you like. There is a limited free version available for home use but, if you can afford it, just upgrade. It is worth it.
Word Processor: VisCon
No web site
This concept software is at its core, a word processing program. The difference between VisCon and other word processing programs is that VisCon uses a markup language to format your documents, which may sound a little advanced, but it is quite easy to learn in a short time, and there are several benefits taking advantage of this Model. Unfortunately, the web site is no longer around but, the app still works on my computer. If interested, just let me know and I will share the file.