Hear text read aloud with Narrator in Windows 7

Windows 7 includes a pretty cool tool for people visually impaired called Narrator. It can read aloud the text on-screen and even describe some of the events that happen (error messages, notifications, etc.)

How to start Narrator

1. Click on the Start button
2. Then click on All Programs
3. Then click on Accessories
4. Then click on Ease of Access
5. Then click on Narrator.

Choose your preferences for Narrator

Under Main Narrator Settings box, select any of the following checkboxes:

• Select the Echo User's Keystrokes checkbox to hear what you type.
• Select the Announce System Messages checkbox to hear background events, such as notifications
• Select the Announce Scroll Notifications checkbox to hear an announcement when the screen scrolls
• Select the Start Narrator Minimized checkbox to start Narrator minimized. The next time you start Narrator, it will appear as an icon on the Taskbar instead of being open on your screen.

Note: To restore the Narrator dialog box to its full size, click on Narrator in the Taskbar.