Screen readers are used mainly by people who do not have useful vision to read text on the screen. Each screen reader incorporates a different command structure, and most support a variety of speech synthesizers.

Screen readers are currently available for use with personal computers running Linux, Windows, and Mac, IOS, Android, and more. Users may also use the spell checker in a word processor or read the cells of a spreadsheet with a screen reader. In addition, it allows users to perform more advanced functions, such as locating text displayed in a certain color, reading pre-designated parts of the screen on demand, reading highlighted text, and identifying the active choice in a menu.

A command can instruct the synthesizer to read or spell a word, read a line or full screen of text, find a string of text on the screen, announce the location of the computer's cursor or focused item, and so on. The user sends commands by pressing different combinations of keys on the computer keyboard or braille display to instruct the speech synthesizer what to say and to speak automatically when changes occur on the computer screen. A screen reader is the interface between the computer's operating system, its applications, and the user. Screen readers are software programs that allow blind or visually impaired users to read the text that is displayed on the computer screen with a speech synthesizer or braille display.

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