Good Day Adaptive Technology Instructor here:

Mac OS systems are good for Blind individuals in general but may be more expensive then what you or your friend is willing to spend. Windows based systems have Windows Magnifier for Screen Magnification along with Windows Narrator that is a Screen Reader built into the Operating system similar to Zoom and Voice Over in Mac OS systems. You can get a good Screen Reader that is more advanced then Windows Narrator called NVDA link provided here \($1\). If you want Industry Standard then go to Freedom Scientific Jaws but NVDA is free and does many of the same things. If your friend is using Linux or Unix I would have to research that more but that should help your friend.

I used to use a Mac, but last year I switched to Windows with NVDA and am not looking back. While NVDA does not have anything like VoiceOver's Trackpad Commander I personally find that way of using VoiceOver quite inconvenient. It's useful on phones ant tablets since those devices lack a physical keyboard by default, but pressing key combinations to invoke screen-reader and (in the case of Windows) operating system commands is much more efficient, and NVDA shines there, as NVDA's commands are much more comfortable than VoiceOver's.

The old reddit layout is particularly hard to navigate using VoiceOver's trackpad commander since you can't easily do things like jump to the next tab index or jump to the link immediately following a button without messing with rotor settings. With NVDA and Chrome, for example, you just need to press tab to jump to the next headline, or B followed by K to jump to the link following a button.

Another advantage of PCs over Macs for disabled people is Windows' lower hardware requirements. I'm on a Lenovo IdeaPad 100s which is a very low-end computer without moving parts much like the MacBook and this thing runs blazing fast with Windows 10 for a third the price of a MacBook.

I'd recommend NVDA www.nvaccess.org and a windows laptop. Here's a video on getting started with NVDA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aop4qYc5mqg&pbjreload=10

I'd not recommend JAWS as it's expensive and You can do the same or nearly the same things with NVDA that you would be able to do with JAWS.

There's also VoiceOver for the IPhone and applevis.com They have guides on using the IPhones for beginners and they're really good.

I personally use Mac, it comes with a built in screen reader and if you get a macbook, most of what you do is able to be done by gesturing on the trackpad. I taught myself to use it comfortably in a few months.

Others use Windows, although I personally find it annoying, since so much of it is using key combinations and Windows is naturally slower, although it has more accessible apps.

Do they use a phone or tablet?

I am going to make a slightly different suggestion. I would step back first and ask why they want a computer? What would your friend like to do? Maybe a computer is not the right choice. A tablet or phone might be a good first step. In this case I would definitely recommend an iPhone or iPad. Both of these devices have a shorter learning curve and might be a good place to begin. An added benefit is the free training if you have an Apple store close to where you live. It does not have to be the newest iPhone or iPad to start.

What are the resources like where you live? In some countries, blind people can get training how to use technology or help purchasing it through the government.

Computers, smartphones, tablets, etc are accessed with a screen reader. On a computer typically a person will type with the keyboard, and then receive audible feedback. The cheapest fully functional computer option is to buy a windows PC and install [NVDA]
(https://www.nvaccess.org/) on it. Macs are great too, but more expensive. (Don't bother with linux for a blind person who is new to using a computer.)

iphones and ipads are very accessible to blind people using voiceover. [Applevis]
(https://www.applevis.com/new-to-ios) has good info. You use the touchscreen for most things (using gestures) but you can also use Siri and dictation. Android devices are also accessible with talkback, but there is typically more of a learning curve and it's not as consistent between apps and devices. For a new smartphone user, I would definitely recommend an iphone if it's affordable.

If your friend reads braille, braille displays can be attached to a computer or smartphone using a USB cable or bluetooth. They show the same text that is being read out loud by the screen reader in braille, using raised mechanical pins. They're typically expensive however. The cheapest one (by far) you can buy currently that I know of is the Orbit Reader 20, which is $449 through APH. A braille display is not necessary if your friend is able to hear and understand speech.

There are also dedicated devices for blind people, like notetakers which are basically PDAs designed for blind people. They're very expensive, and honestly not necessary for most blind people these days with how accessible regular computers and smart phones are.

[deleted]