Use Accessibility Tools and Software: Difference between revisions

Accessibility tools can enhance your digital experience by supporting various needs, such as reading text aloud, converting speech to text, and more. This guide covers key accessibility features across popular platforms, as well as useful library resources and tools for academic support.

* macOS offers **VoiceOver**, a screen reader that speaks items on the screen and provides descriptions of what is happening.

* To enable text-to-speech:

  1. Go to **Apple Menu** > **System Preferences** > **Accessibility**.

  2. Select **Spoken Content** and customize options for spoken text.

* For more details, refer to Apple’s guide on [having your Mac speak text that’s on the screen](https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/have-your-mac-speak-text-thats-on-the-screen-mh27448/mac).

* **Narrator** is Windows’ built-in screen reader, which provides text-to-speech for reading on-screen items.

* To enable Narrator:

  1. Open **Settings** > **Ease of Access** > **Narrator**.

  2. Customize Narrator settings based on your preferences.

* For full instructions, visit [Microsoft's Narrator support page](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/chapter-1-introducing-narrator-7fe8fd72-541f-4536-7658-bfc37ddaf9c6).

* iPads support **VoiceOver** and **Speak Screen** to read text aloud.

* To activate:

  1. Go to **Settings** > **Accessibility** > **VoiceOver** or **Spoken Content**.

  2. Turn on **Speak Screen** and swipe down with two fingers from the top of the screen to have text read aloud.

* For more details, see [Apple’s iPad accessibility guide](https://support.apple.com/guide/ipad/hear-whats-on-the-screen-or-typed-ipad9a247097/ipados).

* Chromebooks offer **Select-to-Speak** for reading selected text aloud.

* To activate:

  1. Open **Settings** > **Advanced** > **Accessibility** > **Manage Accessibility Features**.

  2. Enable **Select-to-Speak** and follow prompts to select text for playback.

* More information is available on [Google’s Chromebook accessibility page](https://support.google.com/chromebook/answer/9032490?hl=en).