Along with the plethora of phones launched at the Nokia World 2011, the Nokia Screen Reader app was also disclosed. The newly declared application converts screen content into speech so that users don’t have to necessarily look at the screen for reading messages as they can simply hear them reeled out loudly.
The Nokia app helps users surf the web and manage the calendar feature besides providing access to call lists and contacts. Text messages are read out to users while they are engaged in other activities like exercising. This app is capable of conversing in eight languages namely, English, Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, Finnish, Swedish and Italian.
“For a blind person, the only way to use a mobile phone without accessibility software is to know it by heart. That is, you need to know that if you press the Menu key and scroll down four times, you will be at the Message folder. And, when you get there, it is necessary to press the right softkey to open Options. It’s difficult to learn the different functions and memorize them. This makes the phone largely inaccessible. The Nokia Screen Reader provides a great alternative,” commented Eduard Sánchez, CEO of Spain-based Code Factory, software supplier for the Nokia Screen Reader.
The Screen Reader can optimally function with touchscreen phones as well as those equipped with QWERTY keyboards. It is touted to be integrated with a simple and easy to remember command structure and a configurable control panel.
The Nokia Screen Reader app can be downloaded from the Nokia Store for free and it will be available by the end of this year for the Nokia C5 5 MP, 700 and 701 with Symbian Belle.