Chrome Accessibility Features Guide

Introduction

Google Chrome offers a variety of accessibility features that cater to users with different needs, including screen reader support, high contrast mode, text scaling, and more. This guide will help you enable and troubleshoot Chrome accessibility features across Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS platforms.

Quick Fixes to Try First

• Restart Chrome to apply any recent changes.
• Ensure Chrome is updated to the latest version.
• Check if the desired accessibility extension is enabled.
• Verify system settings for accessibility are correctly configured.

Screen Reader Support

ChromeVox Screen Reader

ChromeVox is Google’s screen reader designed for Chrome OS, but it can be used on other platforms via the ChromeVox extension.

1. Open Chrome and go to the extensions page.
2. Search for “ChromeVox” in the Chrome Web Store.
3. Click “Add to Chrome” and follow the prompts to install the extension.
4. Activate ChromeVox using Ctrl + Alt + Z on Windows/Linux or Cmd + Option + Z on macOS.

Using Screen Readers on Different Platforms

• Windows: Use built-in Narrator or third-party options like NVDA or JAWS.
• macOS: Enable VoiceOver by pressing Cmd + F5.
• Linux: Use Orca screen reader, available in most distributions.
• Android/iOS: Enable TalkBack (Android) or VoiceOver (iOS) from system settings.

High Contrast Mode

1. Open Chrome and navigate to Settings.
2. Scroll down and click on Advanced.
3. Under Accessibility, enable High contrast mode.
4. Alternatively, visit the chrome://flags page and search for “High contrast mode” to enable it.

Text Scaling

Adjust text size for better readability using Chrome’s built-in features.

1. Go to Settings > Appearance.
2. Under Font size, choose the desired text size from the dropdown menu.
3. For more granular control, click on Customize fonts and adjust the slider for font scaling.

Keyboard Navigation

Improve navigation using keyboard shortcuts in Chrome.

• Tab: Navigate through clickable items.
• Shift + Tab: Move focus backwards.
• Spacebar: Scroll down the page.
• Shift + Spacebar: Scroll up the page.
• On Windows/Linux, use Ctrl + L or on macOS, Cmd + L to focus on the address bar.

Accessibility Extensions

Enhance Chrome’s accessibility with various extensions from the Chrome Web Store.

• Read Aloud: Text-to-speech extension for reading webpages aloud.
• Grammarly: Assists with grammar and spelling, useful for dyslexic users.
• Color Enhancer: Adjusts webpage colors to assist users with color vision deficiencies.

Conclusion

Enabling and customizing Chrome’s accessibility features can significantly enhance browsing for users with diverse needs. By following this guide, you can ensure that your Chrome experience is both accessible and user-friendly. Always refer to the official Google Chrome Help articles for additional support and information.