Free and Affordable Accessibility & Inclusive Technology Tools
Accessibility tools can make digital information easier to see, hear, read, understand and control. This page brings together practical tools for people who use assistive technology, alongside checkers that help authors create more inclusive documents, designs and websites. Start with the accessibility features already built into your device, then add specialist tools where they offer something useful. Automated checkers are helpful guides, but they cannot prove that something is fully accessible, so manual checks and feedback from real users remain important.
Links, prices and features last checked September 2026.
Jump to: Reading, Vision & Screen Access, Speech, Captions & Voice Control, Creating Accessible Content, Checking Websites & Colours
Quick Picks
| I want to… | Quick pick |
|---|---|
| Use a free Windows screen reader | NVDA |
| Try the screen reader included with Windows | Windows Narrator |
| Use a screen reader on an Apple device | Apple VoiceOver |
| Use a screen reader on an Android device | TalkBack |
| Listen to text and make it easier to read | Microsoft Immersive Reader |
| Hear descriptions of text, objects and photographs | Seeing AI |
| Ask a volunteer or AI for visual assistance | Be My Eyes |
| Caption audio playing on a Windows computer | Windows Live Captions |
| Control a Windows computer by speaking | Windows Voice Access |
| Transcribe a conversation on an Android device | Google Live Transcribe |
| Control an Apple device by speaking | Apple Voice Control |
| Check a Word, Excel or PowerPoint file | Microsoft Accessibility Checker |
| Check a Canva design before sharing it | Canva Design Accessibility |
| Check and repair the accessibility of a PDF | Adobe Acrobat Pro |
| Check a webpage quickly | WAVE |
| Check whether two colours have sufficient contrast | WebAIM Contrast Checker |
| Carry out a more detailed website assessment | Accessibility Insights for Web |
Reading and Screen Access
NVDA
NVDA—NonVisual Desktop Access—is a powerful screen reader that reads text, controls and other information from a Windows computer aloud. It works with web browsers, email, Microsoft Office and many other applications and can also support compatible braille displays.
Best for: Blind and visually impaired Windows users who need a full-featured screen reader
Cost: Free and open source; donations are welcomed
Works on: 64-bit versions of Windows 10 and 11
Worth knowing: NVDA has many keyboard commands and takes time to learn. It can read accessible websites and applications, but it cannot correct content that has been designed badly.
Windows Narrator
Narrator is the screen reader built into Windows. It reads text, buttons, menus and other screen elements aloud and can be controlled using a keyboard, touchscreen or supported braille display. Because it is already installed, it is particularly useful when setting up a computer or when another screen reader is unavailable.
Best for: Immediate screen-reading access without installing additional software
Cost: Included with Windows
Works on: Windows 10 and 11
Worth knowing: Press the Windows key, Ctrl and Enter together to start or stop Narrator. Its commands differ from those used by NVDA and other screen readers, so some practice is required.
Apple VoiceOver
VoiceOver is Apple’s built-in screen reader. It describes what appears on the screen and allows users to navigate using keyboard commands, touchscreen gestures, a trackpad or a compatible braille display. It is included across Apple’s principal devices.
Best for: Screen access on a Mac, iPhone or iPad
Cost: Included with Apple devices
Works on: macOS, iPhone and iPad
Worth knowing: VoiceOver changes the way normal keyboard, trackpad and touchscreen actions behave. Apple provides interactive tutorials to help new users practise the essential commands and gestures.
Visit Apple’s VoiceOver support
TalkBack
TalkBack is Google’s screen reader for Android. It provides spoken feedback as users move around the screen and allows a phone or tablet to be controlled using gestures. It is supplied through Android Accessibility Suite and includes support for an on-screen braille keyboard.
Best for: Screen-reading and eyes-free control on an Android device
Cost: Free and included with many Android devices
Works on: Android
Worth knowing: Gestures and available features can differ according to the device manufacturer, Android version and TalkBack version. Turning it on changes how touchscreen gestures work.
Microsoft Immersive Reader
Microsoft Immersive Reader can read text aloud and change its appearance to make it more comfortable to follow. Depending on the application, it can adjust spacing and colours, focus attention on individual lines, divide words into syllables and provide picture or translation support.
Best for: Supporting reading, concentration, language learning and dyslexia
Cost: No separate charge; included in supported Microsoft products, some of which require a licence
Works on: Microsoft Edge and supported Microsoft apps on Windows, macOS, web browsers, iOS and Android
Worth knowing: The precise tools available vary between applications. Immersive Reader changes how text is presented to the reader but does not alter the original document.
Visit the Immersive Reader guide
Seeing AI
Seeing AI is Microsoft’s visual-assistance app for blind and low-vision users. Using a phone or tablet camera, it can read printed text, identify products, describe photographs and scenes and provide information about objects in the surrounding environment.
Best for: Hearing descriptions of printed text, products, photographs and everyday surroundings
Cost: Free
Works on: iPhone, iPad and Android
Worth knowing: Descriptions are generated using artificial intelligence and can be incorrect. Do not rely on the app for medical, safety-critical or similarly important decisions.
Be My Eyes
Be My Eyes provides visual assistance for people who are blind or have low vision. Users can connect through live video to a sighted volunteer or use Be My AI to receive an automated description of an image, document or situation. Desktop versions can also describe information shown on a computer screen.
Best for: Getting help with labels, documents, images, equipment and other visual tasks
Cost: Free for individual users; paid workplace and business services are available
Works on: iPhone, iPad, Android, Windows and macOS
Worth knowing: AI descriptions can contain errors, while a volunteer will see whatever is shared through the camera. Take care before displaying confidential, financial or personal information.
Speech, Captions and Voice Control
Windows Live Captions
Windows Live Captions automatically turns speech from videos, calls, podcasts and other computer audio into text on the screen. It can also use the computer’s microphone to caption an in-person conversation, and users can customise the position and appearance of the caption window.
Best for: Captioning audio from different Windows applications in one place
Cost: Included with Windows
Works on: Windows 11
Worth knowing: Live Captions can work without an internet connection once the required language files have been downloaded. Accuracy varies according to the speaker, language, microphone and background noise.
Visit the Windows Live Captions guide
Windows Voice Access
Voice Access allows users to control a Windows computer and write text using spoken commands. It can open and switch between applications, select items, browse websites, position the mouse and dictate or edit text without needing a keyboard or touchscreen.
Best for: Controlling a Windows computer and writing text by voice
Cost: Included with Windows
Works on: Windows 11
Worth knowing: Voice Access can work offline after its language files have been downloaded. Its commands take time to learn, and the selection of supported languages and dialects continues to vary.
Visit the Windows Voice Access guide
Google Live Transcribe
Google Live Transcribe turns nearby speech and sounds into text as they happen. It is designed particularly for people who are deaf or hard of hearing but can also be useful in noisy environments or when communicating with someone who finds spoken conversation difficult.
Best for: Displaying a live written version of a face-to-face conversation
Cost: Free
Works on: Android
Worth knowing: Live Transcribe requires access to the device’s microphone. Accuracy depends on the language, speaker and surroundings, so important information should always be confirmed.
Visit the Live Transcribe guide
Apple Voice Control
Apple Voice Control allows a Mac, iPhone or iPad to be operated using spoken commands. Users can open applications, select controls, move around the screen and dictate or edit text. Numbered labels or a grid can be displayed when an item does not have an obvious spoken name.
Best for: Hands-free control of an Apple device
Cost: Included with supported Apple devices
Works on: macOS, iPhone and iPad
Worth knowing: An internet connection is needed for the initial language-file download, after which Voice Control can operate offline. Available commands and languages vary between devices and operating-system versions.
Visit Apple’s Voice Control guide
Apple Live Captions
Apple Live Captions creates a real-time transcription of speech from applications, media, calls and conversations taking place near the device. Users can reposition the caption window and customise the font, size and colour of the displayed text.
Best for: Captioning spoken and computer audio on an Apple device
Cost: Included with supported Apple devices
Works on: Supported Mac, iPhone and iPad models
Worth knowing: Live Captions is not available on every model or in every language and region. Automatically produced captions may be inaccurate and should not be relied upon in emergencies or other high-risk situations.
Visit Apple’s Live Captions guide
Creating Accessible Content
Microsoft Accessibility Checker
Microsoft Accessibility Checker examines documents, spreadsheets, presentations and emails for issues that may make them difficult for disabled people to use. It detects errors and warnings and explains why each issue matters, and also how it may be corrected.
Best for: Checking Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook content before sharing it
Cost: Included with supported Microsoft Office and Microsoft 365 products
Works on: Supported Microsoft apps on Windows, macOS and web browsers
Worth knowing: The checker cannot judge everything. Authors should still inspect heading structure, reading order, link wording, colour use and the quality of alternative text.
Visit the Microsoft Accessibility Checker guide
Canva Design Accessibility
Canva’s Design Accessibility checker looks for common problems involving colour contrast, alternative text and typography. Canva also allows creators to add alternative text to meaningful images and export PDF Standard files with accessibility tags and reading-order information.
Best for: Improving the accessibility of social-media graphics, presentations and simple PDFs
Cost: Included with Canva; a free plan is available
Works on: Web browsers and Canva desktop applications
Worth knowing: Canva states that its checker covers visual issues only. Authors must still consider reading order, captions, understandable wording and how the exported design works with assistive technology.
Visit Canva’s Design Accessibility guide
Adobe Acrobat Pro Accessibility Tools
Adobe Acrobat Pro includes tools for checking and improving the accessibility of PDF files. It can identify missing document information and tags, examine reading order, add alternative text and help authors repair structural problems that affect screen-reader users.
Best for: Checking and repairing PDFs that will be distributed professionally
Cost: Paid Acrobat Pro subscription or licence; a trial may be available
Works on: Windows and macOS
Worth knowing: Acrobat Reader can help people read accessible PDFs, but the full preparation and repair tools require Acrobat Pro. Passing the automated check does not guarantee that the reading order or alternative text is meaningful.
Visit Adobe’s PDF accessibility guide
Checking Websites and Colours
WAVE
WAVE checks webpages for potential accessibility problems and displays its findings directly alongside the page. It can identify issues involving alternative text, headings, form labels, document structure and colour contrast while also showing useful accessibility features that are already present.
Best for: Carrying out a quick accessibility check on an individual webpage
Cost: Free online tool and browser extensions; paid services are also available
Works on: Web browsers; extensions are available for Chrome, Firefox and Edge
Worth knowing: Not every WAVE alert represents a definite error, and a page without detected errors is not necessarily accessible. The results need to be interpreted and followed by keyboard and screen-reader testing.
WebAIM Contrast Checker
WebAIM Contrast Checker compares a foreground colour with a background colour and reports whether the combination meets common WCAG contrast requirements. Colours can be entered as hexadecimal values or selected using its colour and eyedropper controls.
Best for: Checking whether text is sufficiently distinct from its background
Cost: Free
Works on: Web browsers
Worth knowing: Passing a contrast check covers only one aspect of accessibility. Information should not depend on colour alone, and links, controls, graphics and keyboard focus indicators also need to be considered.
Accessibility Insights for Web
Accessibility Insights for Web is a browser extension that combines automated checks with guided manual testing. Its quick assessment can identify several common, high-impact problems, while its more detailed assessment takes website creators through a broader collection of accessibility requirements.
Best for: Developers and website managers carrying out a structured accessibility assessment
Cost: Free and open source
Works on: Chrome and Microsoft Edge on Windows, macOS and Linux
Worth knowing: It is more technical than WAVE and assumes some knowledge of websites and accessibility standards. Automated results still need to be supplemented with keyboard testing and human evaluation.
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Note: please read the disclaimer before downloading or using any software.