RIM launches BlackBerry Screen Reader for users with visual impairments

We are all born with a set of gifts, talents and abilities, along with it a few imperfections as well. Take my case for example: I don’t have a 20/20 vision and I have to wear glasses most of the time. Today, Research In Motion has launched the BlackBerry Screen Reader, a free software application that helps blind or visually impaired mobile users in operating their BlackBerry smartphone.

Greg Fields, Senior Product Manager at RIM, said that the BlackBerry Screen Reader helps customers with visual impairments stay connected with the people and information that matter most to them, and that the feature represents RIM’s continuing commitment to support customers with disabilities.

The BlackBerry Screen Reader supports all BlackBerry core applications. This means that users can easily access core BlackBerry applications including email, calendar, phone calls and more. With the Screen Reader, users can also customize the text-to-speech settings and preferences for punctuation and verbosity. It also features keyboard shortcuts to access speech and audio preferences quickly and easily and a user guide for documentation. The BlackBerry Screen Reader is available for free and you can download it from www.blackberry.com/screenreader.