Chrome Accessibility Options for the Classroom
All About Chromebook Accessibility Options
Chromebooks are quick and easy units for the classroom, however are they a very good possibility for learners with particular wants?
How do Chromebook accessibility options evaluate with iPad accessibility options, text-to-speech instruments, or display screen readers out there on Home windows units?
What accessibility choices can be found on a Chromebook?
Google’s mission is to prepare the world’s info and make it accessible to everybody, together with people with disabilities.
“Everybody ought to be capable of entry and benefit from the internet. We’re dedicated to creating {that a} actuality.” – The Google Accessibility staff (@GoogleAccess)
The Google Accessibility staff has made vital enhancements to the accessibility options for Chromebooks. Options like ChromeVox (display screen reader), Choose-to-speak (Textual content to speech), Dictation (voice typing) assist college students and adults navigate and work together with the net.
I’m not a particular training or adaptive expertise professional, however I’ve had many college students in my classroom with IEPs and varied studying challenges. I additionally work with a number of topic space academics in the identical scenario.
This Chromebook accessibility information provides you with easy, clear explanations of every Chromebook accessibility characteristic and counsel ways in which you need to use them to assist college students overcome studying obstacles.
It’s our responsibility as educators to do no matter we are able to to eradicate obstacles to pupil studying. Understanding the accessibility options out there on a Chromebook is a good place to begin!
You is likely to be shocked!
Whereas these Chromebook accessibility options had been created people with visible impairments, studying disabilities, or bodily impairments, they’ve some artistic purposes that may profit everybody!
As I examined and experimented with these Chromebook accessibility options I found that a lot of them are extremely helpful when presenting to a big group of scholars or adults.
Options like Display zoom, “spotlight mouse cursor” and dictation are fantastic for expertise academics and trainers!
Don’t restrict your use of Chromebook accessibility options to college students with studying wants! Everybody can profit!
Chromebook Accessibility Apps and Extensions
This publish focuses completely on the built-in Chromebook accessibility options.
There are some useful Chrome apps and extensions that supply much more assist for college kids with particular studying wants. However for now, we’ll simply be trying on the built-in accessibility options for Chromebooks.
Let’s get began!
Find out how to allow accessibility options on a Chromebook
Accessibility options are turned off by default on a Chromebook. The very first thing you’ll want to do is flip them on in order that they are often simply accessed by the system menu the place you usually sign off, hook up with wifi, and so forth.
Find out how to allow accessibility characteristic on a Chromebook:
- Click on on the “snowman” on the high proper nook of the Chrome browser and choose “settings”
- On the settings web page, seek for “accessibility”
- Search for the choice that claims “At all times present accessibility choices within the system menu” and switch the change on.
- That’s it! The accessibility options at the moment are simply accessible within the system menu on the backside proper nook of your Chromebook.
Find out how to Disable Chromebook Accessibility Options
You’ll be able to simply allow and disable accessibility options by the system menu. That is essential as some accessibility options are annoying to have enabled on a regular basis.
As a expertise coach, I often flip options like dictation and spotlight mouse cursor on and off all through the day.
Simply click on the system menu (backside proper nook of your Chromebook, the place you usually sign off), choose “accessibility” and choose the characteristic you need to allow or disable.
Options which are enabled are recognized with a inexperienced test mark.
Modify your accessibility settings within the Google Admin console to keep away from issues
Chromebook accessibility options are “machine sticky” by default. This will trigger issues in a classroom setting.
Here’s a quite common scenario:
- Pupil A makes use of a Chromebook throughout first interval and turns an accessibility characteristic on
- Pupil B makes use of the identical Chromebook throughout second interval and discovers that the accessibility options are nonetheless enabled.
In a college setting the place Chromebooks are shared by many various college students, you need accessibility settings to be linked to a pupil account, not the machine.
When accessibility settings are “machine sticky” issues can happen!
Center faculty college students discover it entertaining to activate the extra annoying accessibility settings (like ChromeVox) proper earlier than they signal out of the machine.
The subsequent pupil who indicators into the Chromebook is startled when their Chromebook begins speaking to them!
To keep away from this irritating scenario I like to recommend that district directors test a single, essential field within the Google Admin console: “Flip off accessibility setting on sign-in display screen upon logout.”
Admin Console Path: System administration > Chrome > System Settings > Signal In Settings > Accessibility Management
Checking this field will disable any enabled accessibility when person indicators out of a Chromebook.
Enabling this setting is not going to stop a pupil from utilizing accessibility options when they’re signed in, however these modifications gained’t affect different college students who use the identical machine.
▶ Observe: to make this transformation you’ll need entry to the Google Admin console.
Now that we’ve got these essential setup notes out of the best way, let’s dive into every Google Accessibility characteristic and contemplate how we are able to use it within the classroom.
ChromeVox (Spoken Suggestions)
ChromeVox is a display screen reader for blind customers that permits them to navigate the net by verbal prompts.
When enabled, ChromeVox locations an orange field round chosen objects and reads the on-screen textual content.
Of all the accessibility options on a Chromebook, ChromeVox is essentially the most excessive and the one you might be least seemingly to make use of.
If you’re blind, ChromeVox is succesful display screen reader. If you’re not blind ChromeVox is extremely annoying!
One of many high accessibility associated searches on Google is “Find out how to eliminate the orange field on Chromebook.” This characteristic often will get turned on unintentionally and will be fairly startling and irritating for those who don’t know tips on how to disable it!
▶ To disable ChromeVox, click on on the system menu of your Chromebook, choose accessibility options, and take away the inexperienced checkmark by clicking “ChromeVox”.
Whereas it is likely to be the primary characteristic listed within the Chromebook accessibility menu, ChromeVox spoken suggestions is designed for a really particular incapacity. Until you’ve gotten a blind pupil in your classroom, you may flip off Chromevox.
Choose-to-Communicate (Textual content to Speech for Chromebooks)
Choose to talk is a Chromebook reader that may learn most on-screen textual content!
Whereas just like ChromeVox, select-to-speak doesn’t activate except a pupil requests it. This makes it a extra helpful classroom accessibility characteristic for college kids who would profit from having textual content learn aloud, however don’t want it on a regular basis.
First, you’ll need to allow select-to-speak from the accessibility system menu in your Chromebook.
As soon as enabled you will notice a brand new icon seem on the shelf (the black bar on the backside of your Chromebook).
You’ll be able to allow choose to talk in two methods:
- Press the speaker icon on the Chrome Shelf after which drag to pick out the textual content you need learn.
- Spotlight some textual content in your display screen and press search + s
Choose-to-speak works on MOST web sites together with:
- Google Docs
- Google Kinds
- Google Slides
- PDFs (most, not all)
Choose to talk can assist you meet one of the vital widespread lodging listed in IEPs – having textual content learn aloud. It even works in Google Kinds throughout a locked quiz!
Dictation
The Dictation characteristic (Chromebook voice typing) is the latest addition to the accessibility lineup…And it’s superior!
Most grownup smartphone customers can be conversant in the idea of voice typing. This characteristic is now out there on all Chromebooks!
Voice typing is superior for college kids who’re gradual typers, poor spellers, or want some additional assist getting their ideas “on paper.”
First, you’ll need to be sure that dictation is enabled by the Chromebook accessibility menu.
When you’ve achieved that, you will notice a microphone icon seem on the shelf, proper subsequent to the select-to-speak icon.
Click on it to allow Google voice typing in your Chromebook!
I’m typing this sentence proper now utilizing the dictation to textual content characteristic! You’ll be able to even add punctuation by saying “interval,” “exclamation level” or “query mark.”
▶ You’ll be able to activate voice typing by utilizing the keyboard shortcut Search + d
The dictation characteristic will work in any textual content discipline, together with Google Docs, Slides, Drawing, and so forth.
When you present this to your college students and fellow academics they may need to know tips on how to activate Google voice typing too!
You’ll be able to allow voice typing in two methods:
- Click on in a textual content discipline after which press the mic icon on the Chrome Shelf. When you hear a delicate “chirp”, start speaking.
- Click on in a textual content discipline and press search + d
▶ Observe: Google Docs and Slides even have a characteristic referred to as “voice typing” nonetheless the dictation accessibility characteristic is way extra versatile and can work in additional locations. Give it a attempt!
Excessive distinction mode
Excessive distinction mode is a Chromebook accessibility for visually impaired customers.
Some college students who’re delicate to brilliant lights can also profit from enabling excessive distinction mode.
Some academics have complained that the “white” look of Google classroom is troublesome for college kids to learn and causes elevated eye pressure.
When you can’t modify the theme of Google Classroom, turning on high-contrast mode would possibly assist.
This image illustrates what Google Classroom seems like with high-contrast mode turned on.
▶ You’ll be able to activate excessive distinction utilizing the keyboard shortcut Search + ctrl + h
Fullscreen magnifier
That is one other characteristic for customers with visible impairments, but it surely additionally occurs to be a characteristic I depend on each day!
Fullscreen magnifier is usually used to enlarge a portion of the display screen for simpler studying or to scale back display screen litter, serving to college students who’re simply distracted give attention to a selected activity.
It can be utilized by expertise academics who need to emphasize a component of the Chrome browser throughout a dwell demo.
This can be a marvelous characteristic that I exploit as a presenter each day.
Allow full-screen magnifier within the accessibility menu. Once you do that, your display screen will zoom in slightly bit.
Press and maintain ctrl + alt whereas “scrolling” with two fingers on the trackpad. This can zoom the display screen in / or out based mostly in your scroll route.
▶ To unzoom a Chromebook display screen, maintain the ctrl + alt key and “scroll” out together with your fingers, or disable display screen zoom from the Chromebook accessibility menu.
It’s a bit robust to elucidate this in phrases. Watch the video embedded under for a visible information to utilizing the display screen zoom characteristic.
Docked magnifier
Docked magnifier is a variation of the fullscreen magnifier. When enabled, the highest third of your display screen exhibits a extremely enlarged portion of the underside 2/3 of your display screen.
Lots of people unintentionally allow this characteristic and it may be fairly annoying for those who don’t need it! To unzoom your Chromebook display screen, click on on accessibility and uncheck docked magnifier.
The docked magnifier can also be helpful for graphic design tasks if you might want to exactly align objects or have a look at one thing right down to the closest pixel.
For those who go to the accessibilities settings you may modify the zoom magnification from 4x-20x.
You’ll be able to activate the docked magnifier by utilizing the keyboard shortcut ctrl + search + d
Computerized clicks
Whoever named this characteristic did an ideal job! When enabled, blue and inexperienced circles will seem round your mouse. When the inexperienced circle is full, a click on is enabled.
This characteristic is useful for people who’re unable to make use of each arms or for youthful college students who wrestle to click on successfully.
On-screen keyboard
It would come as a shock that the Chromebook, a tool that has a bodily keyboard, additionally has an on-screen keyboard. This is identical expertise that you’ve got in your cellphone or pill.
The on-screen keyboard is often utilized by people who use eye-tracking software program to navigate their machine. It is usually activated in case you have a Chromebook that converts right into a pill.
At first look, the on-screen keyboard is fairly regular. However for those who take a better look, there are some fairly neat options you may’t discover wherever else!
Draw to Kind – click on the squiggly line on the keyboard and you’ll draw to sort! This might be a tremendous approach to assist elementary college students observe their writing expertise!
Emoji Keyboard – similar to your cellphone, the Chromebook on-screen keyboard provide you with entry to a whole lot of emoji characters!
Dictation – The speech-to-text characteristic is baked proper into the on-screen keyboard, making it simple to put in writing, sort, or communicate your content material onto the display screen.
Mini Keyboard – that is really fairly helpful. You’ll be able to “come out” the on-screen keyboard right into a mini display screen that floats on high of your different home windows. That is handy for those who solely want the keyboard for emoji or particular math symbols.
If the on display screen keyboard retains popping up, it may be tremendous annoying. To cover the on-screen keyboard you’ll need to disable it from the accessibility menu in your Chromebook.
- Click on the Chrome settings menu (three dots within the higher proper nook)
- Click on on settings
- Seek for “accessibility” from the settings menu
- Open up the accessibility settings and search for “on-screen keyboard”
- Slide the change to disable the on display screen keyboard for Google Chrome
Mouse Pointer Accessibility Options
Ever lose your mouse cursor on the display screen? It occurs.
People with low imaginative and prescient or youthful college students who’re nonetheless studying to navigate their Chromebook can profit from a collection of mouse cursor accessibility options:
Giant mouse cursor
Enlarges the mouse cursor for elevated visibility. That is useful for younger college students who wrestle to click on exactly.
Spotlight Textual content Caret
When enabled, this characteristic identifies textual content fields with a blue circle; A great possibility for college kids who lose the cursor on an online web page.
Spotlight object with Keyboard Focus
This characteristic is similar to spotlight textual content caret, however as an alternative of emphasizing the mouse cursor, it highlights all the textual content discipline with an orange field, just like ChromeVox.
Observe: Spotlight textual content caret and keyboard focus don’t work in Google Docs or Slides.
Spotlight mouse cursor
When enabled a crimson circle seems across the mouse pointer always. That is a substitute for the big mouse cursor and will be useful for college kids who often lose the pointer on the web page.
This can be a nice characteristic for pc academics and expertise trainers. I allow spotlight mouse cursor when I’m main Chromebook workshops. It’s loads simpler to see from the again row when you may comply with the crimson circle!
▶ To eliminate the crimson circle round your cursor, go to the settings web page on your Chromebook, and search for “spotlight mouse cursor.” Disable it and the crimson circle will disappear!
Mono audio
Most audio recordings (music, podcasts, YouTube movies, and so forth) are recorded with stereo audio which implies there are barely totally different sounds coming from the left and proper audio system in your Chromebook. When you’ve got headphones in, take one out and you’ll hear the totally different channels.
Audio recorded in stereo could be a drawback for people who’re deaf in a single ear as they solely hear one a part of the recording.
Enabling mono audio in your Chromebook forces audio to play the identical sounds from each the left and proper channels so that you gained’t miss a factor.
You’ll be able to hear the distinction by listening to a track on Spotify and flipping the mono audio setting on and off a number of occasions.
Sticky keys
Typing requires a number of coordination! There are roughly 100 keys on a conventional keyboard, however due to varied keyboard combos, these 100 keys will be mixed to make 1000’s of combos when urgent the shift, management, or alt keys.
What do sticky keys do? This characteristic was developed for people who’ve issue urgent a number of keys concurrently. When enabled, ctrl, alt, shift, and search turn out to be “sticky” so that you just don’t have to press two keys on the similar time.
This can be a helpful characteristic for college kids with bodily impairments that stop the usage of each arms (i.e. a pupil who breaks an arm) or younger college students who’re nonetheless creating their high-quality motor expertise.
When sticky keys are enabled, a clear notification will seem within the high left nook of your display screen for those who press the ctrl, shift, alt or search keys.
Wrapping Up
Despite the fact that I’d contemplate myself a Chromebook professional, (hey, I WROTE the guide on Chromebook!?) I’ve realized a lot by researching this publish.
My main takeaway is that accessibility options are NOT only for people with particular wants. Many of those options I’ve begun utilizing regularly (spotlight mouse cursor, dictation, and display screen zoom are my favorites!).
However right here’s the factor. For me, these accessibility options are a pleasant BONUS that makes my life simpler. For people who’ve disabilities, these options are important.
“For individuals with out disabilities, expertise makes issues simpler. For individuals with disabilities, expertise makes issues potential.” – IBM Coaching Handbook 1991
Each trainer has a duty to develop a fundamental understanding of the options and controls that may open alternative for college kids with particular wants. That goes for iPads, PCs, and Chromebooks; no matter machine you employ in your classroom. I hope this detailed overview of Chromebook accessibility options will allow you to assist the learners in your classroom!
Contributors: I want to thank Robin Pegg (@RSPegg), Jeff Crocket (@jeffcrockett8), and Karen Chichester (@kchichester) for reviewing and contributing to this publish.
