Foundation launches free online screen-reader for blind

Many in the disability community are working to increase computer accessibility. For blind and visually impaired users, that goal recently got a big boost. The Accessibility Is a Right (AIR) foundation has launched a new program, called System Access To Go (SATOGO). Free and online, it is a newly developed screen- reader program for people who are blind and visually impaired.

Formerly Freedom Box, System Access (SA) was designed and used for the past seven years. The brainchild of Michael Calvo, founder and CEO of Serotek Corporation, SA will give blind and visually impaired people around the world free access to the SATOGO screen reader. Access to SATAGO is as easy as visiting their web site www.satogo.com with an open Web browser.

Art Schreiber, Executive Director of the AIR Foundation, recently explained some of the details of the new system. The two major benefits to SATAGO for users are that it is free to all, anytime they want to use it, and, it is available anywhere, with few restrictions (it currently it only works with Windows XP and Vista products). Serotek also provides technical answers free of charge. In addition, SATOGO offers nine voices—four male and five female. Voices from Naturally Speaking and others are not available with this product, mainly because SATOGO is free and cannot offer product where the vendor requires a payment. However, a full range of voices is available from Serotek with its System Access Mobile product line.

For more information, contact the AIR Foundation at [email protected]