About Speaking Access
What Assistive Tech Instructors Are Saying
Brandon — known online as “ThatBlindGuy” — is an Assistive Technology Instructor and host of the Sightless Dungeon podcast. After putting Speaking Access through its paces, he immediately saw how it could help blind and visually impaired users.
“I saw Speaking Access on AppleVis and it caught my eye because every similar program I’ve ever used needed so many peripherals — hardware, scripts, or multiple apps talking to each other. When I read the features and saw it only needed the program itself with a microphone headset and worked with the NVDA screen reader, it honestly blew my mind.”
“I taught one of my clients how to use it — selecting text, spelling, proofreading — and she found it very, very smooth and natural. She got comfortable with it fast.”
Hearing things like “This is smoother,” “It just works,” “No extra hardware,” and “It’s light; it’s not heavy” from someone who trains blind users is real-world validation of how Speaking Access feels in daily use.
Why I Built Speaking Access
Speaking Access didn’t start as a software idea — it started the moment I watched a customer who was blind from birth use a computer with no screen. He was moving through his system confidently using a screen reader, and as a sighted person who had never seen that before, it honestly changed something in me.
I went home that night, downloaded NVDA, made a donation, and tried using a computer the way he did. And that’s when it hit me: if you haven’t grown up using a screen reader, learning hundreds of keyboard shortcuts later in life is more than just difficult — it’s discouraging. Many people lose their vision as they get older, and returning to the computer can feel overwhelming.
What I kept coming back to was how much easier it is to use plain language. Saying “copy selection” is easier than remembering a shortcut. Saying “browser address bar” or “next heading” is easier than figuring out what key does what. So I started building something where you could control most of your computer by simply speaking the words you already know.
As I kept developing it, I noticed something: the same voice-based approach worked beautifully for dyslexic users, seniors, and anyone who finds the keyboard painful or confusing. It didn’t need extra hardware, scripts, or complicated setup — just the program and a screen reader.
It took five years of refining, testing, breaking things, fixing things, and listening to real users. I kept the price low on purpose, because the people who need this shouldn’t have to buy extra equipment or expensive add-ons.
Speaking Access exists because using a computer shouldn’t be about memorizing shortcuts or fighting with setup. It should feel smooth, natural, and simple — something you can rely on every day without extra effort.
— Christopher Mutch, developer of Speaking Access
Key Benefits
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Hands-Free Control
Navigate 90% of Windows apps and tasks with simple voice commands instead of hard to remember keyboard shortcuts.
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Guided Lessons, Real Time
Step-by-step audio and video lessons show commands as you use them—making learning simple, friendly, and never overwhelming.
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Assistive Tech Friendly — All Offline
Designed to work with the NVDA screen reader for smooth, reliable operation. All voice commands and features run entirely offline. Speaking Access never goes online, so your words stay private.
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Always Ready
Speaking Access runs quietly in the background, ready to respond the moment you speak—no extra setup or waiting. No wake up commands.
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Voice Menu & Search
Say “Access menu” to hear a list of commands, then speak the item to run it—fast.
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Audio Proofreading
Have your text read back with clear cues — including uppercase letters, punctuation, and symbols — so you can catch mistakes by ear and fix them quickly.
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Post Mode (dictation with audio feed back)
Dictate or search, then drop text straight into fields—no copying around or losing focus.
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Full Document Navigation
Move through text entirely by voice — navigate by words, lines, or characters; select text precisely; and jump instantly to the start or end of a document without touching the keyboard.
Screenshots
Videos
What Is Audio Proofreading?
The Menu In Action
Commands at a Glance
These are just a few examples. Say “Access menu” anytime to explore the full command list.
Browser commands
Browser New TabBrowser Next TabBrowser Address Bar— jump focus to the URL fieldBrowser Favorites— open Favorites; navigate with keys belowBrowser History— open History; navigate with keys belowBrowser Downloads— open Downloads
Tip: After opening Favorites/History/Downloads, use the Navigation Keys to move and select.
Desktop Commands
Show Desktop— instantly minimize all windows to view the desktopDesktop Notifications— open and review recent system notificationsDesktop Taskbar— focus or toggle the Windows taskbarMaximize Window— make the current window full screenMinimize Window— shrink the active window to the taskbarWindows Key— open the Windows Start menu
Control the essentials of your workspace—clear the view, manage windows, or access notifications—all hands-free.
Document navigation & selection
Selection commands
Select Three Rows BelowSelect Everything AboveBeginning Of DocumentEnd Of The LineSelect 5 Words To The Right
Moving commands
Move Right 5 WordsMove Left 8 WordsAdd To This Selection
With selected text you can have the letters spelled aloud, change to uppercase or lowercase, and even proofread the selection—entirely by voice.
Magnifier commands
Open Magnifying Glass— turn Windows Magnifier onClose Magnifying Glass— turn Windows Magnifier offMagnifier Settings— open the Windows Magnifier settings pageZoom In— increase magnificationZoom Out— decrease magnificationZoom In Two Times— zoom in twice in a rowZoom In Three Times— zoom in three times in a rowInvert Colors— switch screen colors for better contrast
Control Windows Magnifier entirely by voice — from basic on/off to advanced zooming and color adjustments.
Screen Reader commands
Next Heading— move to the next heading on the pagePrevious Heading— move to the previous headingNext Landmark— jump to the next landmark or regionPrevious Landmark— jump back to the previous landmarkNext Level 2 Heading— move to the next level 2 heading onlyPrevious Level 3 Heading— move to the previous level 3 heading onlyNext Heading Four Times— advance through four headings in a rowNext Key Four Times— press the "next" navigation key four timesPrevious Key Four Times— press the "previous" navigation key four times
Move by heading levels, landmarks, or links — and repeat actions like “Next Heading Four Times” or “Next Key Four Times” to skip ahead quickly.
Dictation (Post Mode) Commands
Access Words— list dictated words for reviewAccess Next Word— move forward by one dictated wordAccess Previous Word— move back by one dictated wordAccess Capitalise— capitalize the current wordAccess Clear— clear the current dictation boxProofread Paste Box— read back dictated text, including punctuation and symbols
Post Mode lets you work directly with your dictated text — check spelling, identify symbols or punctuation, and refine words seamlessly while staying in dictation flow.
Pricing
7-day free trial, then a one-time purchase of $29.95 USD
Buy on Windows Store WebsiteContact Us
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