Vispero

Blind and low-vision users install JAWS or ZoomText to navigate sites that ignore semantic HTML. Vispero is a provider of assistive technologies that enable individuals with visual impairments to interact with digital environments, offering tools that serve both as primary access methods and as necessary compensations for inaccessible design.

ENABLE Model location

• Post-launch Compensations → Use Assistive Technologies

info

Screen readers are not workarounds -- they are necessary interfaces. But when digital environments don’t support them, assistive tech becomes an act of compensation rather than care.

What it is

Vispero is one of the largest providers of assistive technology for blind and low-vision users. Its products include:

• JAWS (Job Access With Speech) is a screen reader that transforms digital content into synthesized speech or Braille, providing an auditory and tactile interface for blind users. When digital environments are built with foundational accessibility, JAWS allows users to engage comprehensively, navigating and interacting with content as a primary and effective means of participation. However, its necessity when sites ignore semantic HTML means its use often highlights a breakdown in pre-launch development, pushing its function into the realm of a compensation.

• ZoomText is a screen magnifier and reading program for individuals with low vision. It enhances visual perception by increasing text size and adjusting colors, which becomes essential when digital products fail to offer scalable interfaces or sufficient color contrast natively. Its necessity often highlights an existing barrier in the environment itself, serving as a compensatory tool.

These tools are essential for navigating digital systems that presume sight and offer no alternative. While screen readers provide structured access for non-visual users, they are often pushed beyond their limits -- interpreting visual layouts that were never meant to be parsed linearly, or interacting with interfaces that offer no semantic clues.

Why it matters

The presence and widespread use of tools like these underscore the systemic failures in digital accessibility. While screen readers like JAWS offer a robust, alternative means of interacting with the web, their effective use depends heavily on the underlying accessibility of the content. When requirements are not set for inclusive design, and content or interfaces are not built with semantic structures, users are compelled to employ these powerful tools to overcome fundamental obstacles that should not exist. Tools like ZoomText become particularly crucial as a direct response to visual design shortcomings, allowing users to adapt their viewing experience when default settings or design choices render content unreadable. This reliance reflects a significant downstream burden on the user, forcing them to bring their own solutions just to participate. These tools, while powerful, are often bent beyond their original intent to compensate for barriers.

Real-world example

Maria, a graduate student with low vision, uses the screen reader JAWS to navigate her university's learning portal. The site was built without proper semantic HTML, so many buttons are unlabeled, and form fields aren't announced correctly. Still, she spends hours figuring out ways to get the information she needs using keyboard shortcuts, screen reader workarounds, and occasionally reaching out to tech support. She shouldn't have to do any of this -- but her assistive technology is the only reason she can access her coursework at all.

What care sounds like

• "We must develop our product in a way that screen readers can understand."
• "We tested the signup form with a screen reader before shipping it."
• "We included blind and motor-impaired testers in our usability test."
• "We're prioritizing fixing keyboard traps ahead of the new feature launch."
• "We designed this form to be navigable by screen reader users."

What neglect sounds like

• "Accessibility is not a deliverable."
• "It looks fine, so we assumed it works."
• "The screen reader can't read it? Maybe they just need a newer one."
• "Keyboard support isn't part of MVP."
• "Only one user reported that issue, so it's not a priority."

What compensation sounds like

• "I use a screen reader, but this site has unlabeled buttons everywhere."
• "I rely on zoom, but it crashes on their online form."
• "I had to install a screen reader just to apply for this job."
• "I never know which website will be usable today."
• "My assistive tech worked, but I still couldn't check out without sighted help."
• "Why should I need expensive software to do what others can do for free?"