How accurate is the simulation?

It is an approximation. The tool applies a subset of the accessible name computation and the implicit ARIA role mappings, then formats the result the way JAWS and NVDA typically speak it: name, then role, then state. Real screen readers vary by version, verbosity setting, and browser, so always confirm with an actual reader before release.

What does the announcement string mean?

Screen readers generally announce an element as its accessible name followed by its role and any states, for example 'Mute, button, pressed' or 'Remember me, checkbox, checked'. The tool reproduces that order so you can spot missing names and wrong roles.

Why is an element announced with no name?

If an element has no aria-label, no associated label, no alt text, and no text content, screen readers announce only its role, such as 'button'. The tool flags these because users cannot tell what the control does.

Does it catch non-descriptive links?

Yes. Links whose text is generic, such as 'Read more' or 'Click here', are flagged against WCAG 2.4.4 because they are meaningless when a screen-reader user pulls up a list of all links out of context.

Is my HTML uploaded anywhere?

No. The HTML is parsed with the browser's own DOMParser and all computation runs locally, so your markup never leaves your device.

Screen Reader Announcement Simulator

The Screen Reader Announcement Simulator gives developers a fast preview of how JAWS or NVDA would speak each interactive element, landmark, and heading in a block of HTML. It will not replace testing with a real screen reader, but it catches the most common announcement bugs — missing names, wrong roles, and meaningless link text — before you ever open one.

How it works

Parse and select. The HTML is parsed and the tool walks every focusable control, landmark element, heading, image, and element carrying an explicit role.
Compute the role. Each element gets a role: an explicit role attribute if present, otherwise the implicit role from its tag and type (an a[href] is a link, an input[type=checkbox] is a checkbox, a nav is a navigation landmark, and so on).
Compute the accessible name. Following a subset of the accessible name algorithm — aria-labelledby, then aria-label, then associated label / alt / text content — the tool derives the name the reader would speak.
Assemble the announcement. Name, role, and state (checked, pressed, expanded, disabled, heading level) are combined into the spoken string, and any problems are flagged.

Example

The markup <button aria-pressed="true">Mute</button> is announced as “Mute, button, pressed”, while <img src="logo.png" alt=""> is silent because an empty alt marks it decorative.

Tips and notes

An element announced as “(no accessible name), button” needs an aria-label or visible text before it is usable.
Replace generic link text with something descriptive — “Read the accessibility report” rather than “Read more”.
Verbosity settings change what real readers speak; use this as a structural check, then confirm the live experience with NVDA, JAWS, or VoiceOver.