The image of a computer keyboard and screen is so universal that the idea that a computer can communicate with its user by other means rarely, if ever, crosses our minds. However, for the visually impaired, a computer screen is of little or no use as a means of conveying information. Synthetic speech systems have thus been developed to 'read' computer outputs to visually impaired readers. Here, Crista Earl and Jay Leventhal of the American Foundation for the Blind give an overview of how such systems work. Then, along with Gisela Dimigen and Mike Burton of Glasgow University, and Archie Roy of the Royal National Institute for the Blind, they review how leading screen readers fare when interpreting the output from statistical programs.