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Re: [EXT]question about presenting with screen reader

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From: Bossley, Peter (TR Product)
Date: Apr 19, 2022 11:19AM

I agree with what Glen says below. If I want the audience to be able to understand what the screen reader is saying, most times I have to slow it down significantly from where I normally keep the speed.
Of course if I am not using it for demo purposes, I don't share the screen reader audio with the meeting.


-----Original Message-----
From: WebAIM-Forum < <EMAIL REMOVED> > On Behalf Of glen walker
Sent: Tuesday, April 19, 2022 1:01 PM
To: WebAIM Discussion List < <EMAIL REMOVED> >
Subject: [EXT] Re: [WebAIM] question about presenting with screen reader

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It depends what the presentation is for. If you want to demo a screen reader to those not familiar with it, definitely slow it down. If you are using a screen reader for your notes or are navigating a site to find a particular part of the site, running at your normal speed is fine and is a good demo in and of itself to show people how it works.

It also depends on the audience. Native English speakers might be able to handle a speaking rate that is a little faster than normal English. But those who have English as a second (or third) language might need the speed slower than typical speech.

Accents also matter. If my audience is solely Chinese or Indian, sometimes I run the screen reader in English but with a Chinese or Indian accent to hopefully make it a little easier to understand. But oftentimes the audience is very mixed so I just use plain English (possibly with British or American accent) at a slower pace.