Help

What is accessibility?

Accessibility describes how easy or difficult it is for people with disabilities to use a product, for example a website, user interface, or a piece of technology. On this website, it means that we aim to ensure that all people can access and use our products, no matter their abilities and disabilities.

 

The following subsections offer a variety of ways in which users with disabilities can be assisted in their experience of this site, including people who can’t see well or are blind, people who can’t hear well, people who experience difficulty with words, and people who experience difficulty with computer hardware.

We hope that you will enjoy visiting our website!

 

I can’t see very well

Alter the font size or zoom

Changing the font size can help you see the text more clearly. Alternating the zoom can also help you see the webpage in general more clearly. The instructions depend on the browser you use (such as Safari, Chrome, etc) and what type of computer you have (either Mac or PC). Below are the instructions for each browser and computer type.


Safari

Alter the font size

Mac

Make font size bigger: Push Option + Command + Plus sign (+)
Make font size smaller: Push Option + Command + Minus sign (-)

Alternative way to do this:

  1. Click on “View,” which is on top of the screen.
  2. While pressing Option, click on either “Make Text Bigger” or “Make Text Smaller.”

 

PC

Make font size bigger: Push Option + Alt + Plus sign (+)
Make font size smaller: Push Option + Alt + Minus sign (-)

Alternative way to do this:

  1. Click on “View,” which is on top of the screen.
  2. While pressing Option, click on either “Make Text Bigger” or “Make Text Smaller”

 

Alter the zoom

Mac

Zoom in: Command + Plus sign (+)
Zoom out: Command + Minus sign (-)

Alternative way to do this:

  1. Click on “View,” which is on top of the screen.
  2. Click on “Zoom in” to see closer. Click on “Zoom out” to see farther away

 

PC

Zoom in: Alt + Plus sign (+)
Zoom out: Alt + Minus sign (-)

Alternative way to do this:

  1. Click on “View,” which is on top of the screen.
  2. Click on “Zoom in” to see closer. Click on “Zoom out” to see farther away

 

Chrome

Make a standard zoom setting for Chrome pages

  1. Press the menu button
  2. Click “Settings”
  3. Press “Show advanced settings”
  4. Go to the “Web Content” area, then go to “Page zoom.” Zoom in or out as much as you want.

 

Make a zoom setting for the individual Chrome page you are on

  1. Press the menu button
  2. Click “Zoom.”
  3. Depending on what you want, do one of the following:

– Click the plus sign (+) to make the objects bigger. Or use the keyboard buttons:

Mac: Command + Plus sign (+)

PC: Ctrl + Plus sign (+)

 

– Click the minus sign (-) to make the objects smaller. Or use the keyboard buttons:

Mac: Command + Minus sign (+)

PC: Ctrl + Minus sign (+)

 

  • To go into full-screen:

Mac: Command + Shift + F

PC: F11

 

Make a standard font size setting for Chrome pages

  1. Press the menu button
  2. Click “Settings”
  3. Press “Show advanced settings”
  4. Go to the “Web Content” area, then go to “Font size.” Choose the font size that you want.

 

Firefox

  1. Click on “Tools”
  2. Press “Options”
  3. Press “Content”
  4. Find “Fonts and Colors”
  5. Look for “size.” There is a drop-down menu next to it.
  6. Pick the desired size.

 

Internet Explorer

  1. Click on “View”
  2. Press “Text size”
  3. Pick the desired size

 

Make mouse cursor bigger

Mac

  1. Click the Apple icon on the top left of the screen
  2. Click “System Preferences”
  3. Press “Accessibility”
  4. Press “Display”
  5. There is a setting called “Cursor Size.” Move the slider to the size you want.

PC

  1. Press “Start” on the bottom of the screen
  2. Click on “Control Panel”
  3. Press “Ease of Access”
  4. Click on “Ease of Access Center”
  5. Go to the “Explore all settings” section
  6. Press “Make the mouse easier to use”
  7. A list of options will pop up regarding what the cursor will look like. The cursors will have different colors and sizes. Pick the one that you want.
  8. Press “Save”

Have the computer read to you

Mac

Macs have a software called “VoiceOver” which can read text to you.

  1. Click the Apple icon on the top left of the screen
  2. Press “System Preferences”
  3. Press “Universal Access”
  4. Go to the “Seeing” section
  5. In the “Seeing” section, go to the “VoiceOver” area
  6. Click the “On” button.

Alternatively, press Apple + F5 to activate “VoiceOver”. You can also deactivate it by pressing those keys again.

 

PC

PC’s have a software called “Narrator” which can read text to you.

How to activate Narrator:

  1. Press “Start” on the bottom of the screen
  2. Click “Control Panel”
  3. Press “Ease of Access”
  4. Click “Ease of Access Center”
  5. Go to the “Quick access to common tools” area
  6. Click “Start Narrator.” The computer should now be able to read out loud.
  7. Choose the settings that you would like:

-To have the computer read what you type, click “Announce System Messages”

 

-To have the computer read screen scrolls, click “Announce Scroll Notifications”

 

How to make Narrator get activated every time your computer is on:

  1. Press “Start” on the bottom of the screen
  2. Click “Control Panel”
  3. Press “Ease of Access”
  4. Click “Ease of Access Center”
  5. Go to the “Explore all settings” section
  6. Press “Use the computer without a display”
  7. Go to the “Have text read aloud” area
  8. Click on the option to “Turn on Narrator”
  9. Click “OK”
  10. To have the Narrator become minimized every time the computer is turned on, click “Start Narrator Minimized”

Use these keyboard shortcuts to help Narrator know what you want it to read:

 

  • Insert + F3 – Read current character.
  • Insert + F4 – Read current word.
  • Insert + F5 – Read current line.
  • Insert + F6 – Read current paragraph.
  • Insert + F7 – Read current page.
  • Insert + F8 – Read current document.

 

I am blind

Have the computer read to you

Mac
Macs have a software called “VoiceOver” which can read text to you.

  1. Click the Apple icon on the top left of the screen
  2. Press “System Preferences”
  3. Press “Universal Access”
  4. Go to the “Seeing” section
  5. In the “Seeing” section, go to the “VoiceOver” area
  6. Click the “On” button.

 

Alternatively, press Apple + F5 to activate “VoiceOver”. You can also deactivate it by pressing those keys again.

PC
PC’s have a software called “Narrator” which can read text to you.

How to activate Narrator:

  1. Press “Start” on the bottom of the screen
  2. Click “Control Panel”
  3. Press “Ease of Access”
  4. Click “Ease of Access Center”
  5. Go to the “Quick access to common tools” area
  6. Click “Start Narrator.” The computer should now be able to read out loud.
  7. Choose the settings that you would like:

-To have the computer read what you type, click “Announce System Messages”

-To have the computer read screen scrolls, click “Announce Scroll Notifications”
How to make Narrator get activated every time your computer is on:

  1. Press “Start” on the bottom of the screen
  2. Click “Control Panel”
  3. Press “Ease of Access”
  4. Click “Ease of Access Center”
  5. Go to the “Explore all settings” section
  6. Press “Use the computer without a display”
  7. Go to the “Have text read aloud” area
  8. Click on the option to “Turn on Narrator”
  9. Click “OK”
  10. To have the Narrator become minimized every time the computer is turned on, click “Start Narrator Minimized”

Use these keyboard shortcuts to help Narrator know what you want it to read:

  • Insert + F3 – Read current character.
  • Insert + F4 – Read current word.
  • Insert + F5 – Read current line.
  • Insert + F6 – Read current paragraph.
  • Insert + F7 – Read current page.
  • Insert + F8 – Read current document.

 

I am deaf

YouTube: Activate Subtitles

The following instructions will work regardless of the type of computer or browser you use.
To turn on Subtitles for just one video on Youtube:

  1. Press “CC” on the bottom of the video. You will need to have the mouse on the video itself for it to appear.

If you’d like to change the font, opacity, color, etc of the subtitles:

  1. Press the gear-looking icon on the bottom of the video. You will need to have the mouse on the video itself for it to appear.
  2. Click “Subtitles”
  3. Scroll up within that “Subtitles” area on the screen
  4. Press “Options”
  5. Click whatever settings you want

To turn on subtitles for all future videos:

Note: You must have a Youtube account to do this. This will only show the subtitles that the Youtube creators provide.

  1. Sign in to your account
  2. Click “Playback Settings”
  3. Press “Captions”
  4. Press “Always show captions”

 

I find the keyboard or mouse hard to use

Activate Speech Recognition

Macs and PC’s have basic software that can detect your voice and follow your verbal commands. While useful, Macs and PCs can only do rudimentary tasks. If you would like software that can do something more complicated, there are commercial products that can meet those needs.


Mac

  1. Press “System Preferences”
  2. Press “Speech”
  3. Go to the “Speech Recognition” area
  4. Turn on “Speakable Items”
  5. You can now talk to the computer. Press “Esc” on the keyboard when you talk.
  6. If you don’t want to press any buttons while talking, choose the option “Listen continuously with Keyboard.”

There are some voice commands that your computer will understand. To find these commands:

 

  1. Find the drop-down menu in the “Speakable Items” section
  2. Click “Open Speech Commands window” to access the list of commands


PC

Active Speech Recognition:

  1. Press “Start”
  2. Click “Control Panel”
  3. Press “Ease of Access”
  4. Click “Speech Recognition”

For first time users, you will additionally need to prepare the microphone and teach the computer to recognize your voice.

 

Prepare the microphone:

  1. Once Speech Recognition is on, press “Set up microphone”
  2. Press on the type of microphone you will be activating
  3. Press “Next”
  4. Follow the prompts that the computer will ask you to do.
  5. Press “Finish”

 

Teach your computer to recognize your voice.:

  1. When Speech Recognition is on, press “Train your computer to better understand you”
  2. Follow the computer prompts, pressing “Next” whenever you finish a prompt
  3. Once the training session is up, you can either click on “More Training” or “Finish”

 

 

I find words difficult

Have the computer read to you

If you have a hard time reading, this can be a way to make your computer experience easier.

 

Mac

Macs have a software called “VoiceOver” which can read text to you.

  1. Click the Apple icon on the top left of the screen
  2. Press “System Preferences”
  3. Press “Universal Access”
  4. Go to the “Seeing” section
  5. In the “Seeing” section, go to the “VoiceOver” area
  6. Click the “On” button.

 

Alternatively, press Apple + F5 to activate “VoiceOver”. You can also deactivate it by pressing those keys again.

 

PC

PCs have a software called “Narrator” which can read text to you.

How to activate Narrator:

  1. Press “Start” on the bottom of the screen
  2. Click “Control Panel”
  3. Press “Ease of Access”
  4. Click “Ease of Access Center”
  5. Go to the “Quick access to common tools” area
  6. Click “Start Narrator.” The computer should now be able to read out loud.
  7. Choose the settings that you would like:

-To have the computer read what you type, click “Announce System Messages”

 

-To have the computer read screen scrolls, click “Announce Scroll Notifications”

 

How to make Narrator get activated every time your computer is on:

 

  1. Press “Start” on the bottom of the screen
  2. Click “Control Panel”
  3. Press “Ease of Access”
  4. Click “Ease of Access Center”
  5. Go to the “Explore all settings” section
  6. Press “Use the computer without a display”
  7. Go to the “Have text read aloud” area
  8. Click on the option to “Turn on Narrator”
  9. Click “OK”
  10. To have the Narrator become minimized every time the computer is turned on, click “Start Narrator Minimized”

 

Use these keyboard shortcuts to help Narrator know what you want it to read:

 

  • Insert + F3 – Read current character.
  • Insert + F4 – Read current word.
  • Insert + F5 – Read current line.
  • Insert + F6 – Read current paragraph.
  • Insert + F7 – Read current page.
  • Insert + F8 – Read current document.

 

Alter the font size or zoom

Changing the font size can help you see the text more clearly. Alternating the zoom can also help you see the webpage in general more clearly. The instructions depend on the browser you use (such as Safari, Chrome, etc) and what type of computer you have (either Mac or PC). Below are the instructions for each browser and computer type.

 

Safari

Alter the font size

Mac

Make font size bigger: Push Option + Command + Plus sign (+)
Make font size smaller: Push Option + Command + Minus sign (-)

 

Alternative way to do this:

  1. Click on “View,” which is on top of the screen.
  2. While pressing Option, click on either “Make Text Bigger” or “Make Text Smaller.”

 

PC

Make font size bigger: Push Option + Alt + Plus sign (+)
Make font size smaller: Push Option + Alt + Minus sign (-)

 

Alternative way to do this:

  1. Click on “View,” which is on top of the screen.
  2. While pressing Option, click on either “Make Text Bigger” or “Make Text Smaller”

 

Alter the zoom

Mac

Zoom in: Command + Plus sign (+)
Zoom out: Command + Minus sign (-)

 

Alternative way to do this:

  1. Click on “View,” which is on top of the screen.
  2. Click on “Zoom in” to see closer. Click on “Zoom out” to see farther away

 

PC

Zoom in: Alt + Plus sign (+)
Zoom out: Alt + Minus sign (-)

 

Alternative way to do this:

  1. Click on “View,” which is on top of the screen.
  2. Click on “Zoom in” to see closer. Click on “Zoom out” to see farther away

 

Chrome

Make a standard zoom setting for Chrome pages

  1. Press the menu button
  2. Click “Settings”
  3. Press “Show advanced settings”
  4. Go to the “Web Content” area, then go to “Page zoom.” Zoom in or out as much as you want.

 

Make a zoom setting for the individual Chrome page you are on

  1. Press the menu button
  2. Click “Zoom.”
  3. Depending on what you want, do one of the following:

– Click the plus sign (+) to make the objects bigger. Or use the keyboard buttons:

Mac: Command + Plus sign (+)

PC: Ctrl + Plus sign (+)

 

– Click the minus sign (-) to make the objects smaller. Or use the keyboard buttons:

Mac: Command + Minus sign (+)

PC: Ctrl + Minus sign (+)

 

  • To go into full-screen:

Mac: Command + Shift + F

PC: F11

 

Make a standard font size setting for Chrome pages

  1. Press the menu button
  2. Click “Settings”
  3. Press “Show advanced settings”
  4. Go to the “Web Content” area, then go to “Font size.” Choose the font size that you want.

 

Firefox

  1. Click on “Tools”
  2. Press “Options”
  3. Press “Content”
  4. Find “Fonts and Colors”
  5. Look for “size.” There is a drop-down menu next to it.
  6. Pick the desired size.

 

Internet Explorer

  1. Click on “View”
  2. Press “Text size”
  3. Pick the desired size

 

Activate Speech Recognition

Macs and PC’s have basic software that can detect your voice and follow your verbal commands. While useful, Macs can only do rudimentary tasks, and PCs can do rudimentary tasks and write down your words.  If you would like software that can do more complicated tasks, there are commercial products that can meet those needs.


Mac

  1. Press “System Preferences”
  2. Press “Speech”
  3. Go to the “Speech Recognition” area
  4. Turn on “Speakable Items”
  5. You can now talk to the computer. Press “Esc” on the keyboard when you talk.
  6. If you don’t want to press any buttons while talking, choose the option “Listen continuously with Keyboard.”

 

There are some voice commands that your computer will understand. To find these commands:

 

  1. Find the drop-down menu in the “Speakable Items” section
  2. Click “Open Speech Commands window” to access the list of commands

 

PC

How to active Speech Recognition:

  1. Press “Start”
  2. Click “Control Panel”
  3. Press “Ease of Access”
  4. Click “Speech Recognition”

 

For first time users, you will additionally need to prepare the microphone and teach the computer to recognize your voice.

Prepare the microphone:

  1. Once Speech Recognition is on, press “Set up microphone”
  2. Press on the type of microphone you will be activating
  3. Press “Next”
  4. Follow the prompts that the computer will ask you to do.
  5. Press “Finish”

 

Teach your computer to recognize your voice:

  1. When Speech Recognition is on, press “Train your computer to better understand you”
  2. Follow the computer prompts, pressing “Next” whenever you finish a prompt
  3. Once the training session is up, you can either click on “More Training” or “Finish”

 

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