Lesson 6 of 9
Describe each reader consistently
A useful product profile should explain more than availability and price. It should connect the screen reader's design to real use and product work.
Use a repeatable structure when researching or documenting an individual screen reader.
Identity
Developer, history, current status, licence model, supported languages, and official documentation.
Environment
Operating systems, devices, browsers, apps, TV platforms, and relevant version boundaries.
Input and output
Keyboard, touch, remote, voice, braille, speech, tones, and visual focus support.
Navigation model
How users move by object, structure, text, space, or application-specific modes.
Distinctive behaviour
Features and concepts that differ meaningfully from other screen readers.
Product implications
What designers, developers, testers, and product owners should understand.
Testing
Representative tasks, setup, relevant combinations, limitations, and reproducible reporting.
Sources
Primary platform documentation, release information, and clearly labelled community knowledge.
What to remember
Keep platform facts separate from team recommendations, and label version-sensitive information.
Try this with your team
Use these eight headings to compare two screen readers on different device types. Note which comparisons are useful and which are misleading.