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Assistive Technology Deep Dive

Understanding the tools people use to access digital content.

🔧 Essential knowledge

Why learn about assistive technology?

To build accessible content, you need to understand how people actually use it. Assistive technology (AT) includes any software or hardware that helps people with disabilities interact with computers and the web.

💡 Key insight

The best way to understand accessibility is to try these tools yourself. Spend 10 minutes navigating with a screen reader—you'll never forget to add alt text again!

Screen readers

Screen readers convert on-screen text and interface elements into synthesized speech or braille output. They're used primarily by blind users but also by people with learning disabilities, low vision, or cognitive disabilities.

🗣️ NVDA (NonVisual Desktop Access)

Windows Free

The most popular free screen reader. Excellent quality and actively developed by a nonprofit.

Download: nvaccess.org/download

Essential NVDA shortcuts

  • Insert + Space — Toggle focus/browse mode
  • H — Next heading
  • Shift + H — Previous heading
  • 1-6 — Next heading level 1-6
  • K — Next link
  • F — Next form field
  • T — Next table
  • Insert + F7 — Elements list (links, headings, landmarks)
  • Ctrl — Stop speaking

🗣️ JAWS (Job Access With Speech)

Windows

The industry standard, especially in workplace settings. Most robust, but expensive.

Info: freedomscientific.com

Free 40-minute trial: Runs in trial mode without purchase.

Essential JAWS shortcuts

  • Insert + Z — Toggle virtual cursor
  • H — Next heading
  • V — Next visited link
  • Insert + F6 — Heading list
  • Insert + F7 — Links list
  • R — Next region/landmark

🗣️ VoiceOver

macOS iOS Built-in

Apple's built-in screen reader. Excellent on iOS; good on Mac.

Essential VoiceOver shortcuts (Mac)

  • Cmd + F5 — Toggle VoiceOver on/off
  • VO = Ctrl + Option (VoiceOver keys)
  • VO + → — Next item
  • VO + Cmd + H — Next heading
  • VO + U — Open rotor (quick navigation)
  • VO + Space — Activate (click)

Essential VoiceOver shortcuts (iOS)

  • Triple-click Home/Side — Toggle VoiceOver
  • Swipe right — Next item
  • Double tap — Activate
  • Two-finger swipe up — Read all from top
  • Rotor (two-finger twist) — Change navigation mode

🗣️ Narrator

Windows Built-in

Windows built-in screen reader. Improved significantly in Windows 11.

Essential Narrator shortcuts

  • Win + Ctrl + Enter — Toggle Narrator
  • Caps Lock + → — Next item
  • Caps Lock + H — Next heading
  • Caps Lock + K — Next link

🗣️ TalkBack

Android Built-in

Android's built-in screen reader.

Essential TalkBack gestures

  • Swipe right — Next item
  • Double tap — Activate
  • Swipe up then right — Change navigation mode
  • Three-finger tap — TalkBack menu

Screen magnification

Used by people with low vision to enlarge portions of the screen. About 3x more people use magnification than screen readers.

🔍 ZoomText

Windows

Professional-grade magnification with screen reader capabilities.

Features: Up to 60x zoom, screen reader, color enhancement, cursor enhancement

🔍 Windows Magnifier

Windows Built-in

  • Win + + — Zoom in / Open Magnifier
  • Win + - — Zoom out
  • Win + Esc — Close Magnifier
  • Ctrl + Alt + F — Full screen mode

🔍 macOS Zoom

macOS Built-in

Enable in System Preferences → Accessibility → Zoom

  • Option + Cmd + 8 — Toggle zoom
  • Option + Cmd + = — Zoom in
  • Option + Cmd + - — Zoom out

What magnification users need

  • Responsive design: Content must work when zoomed
  • Reflow at 400%: WCAG requires content to reflow at 400% zoom
  • No horizontal scrolling: Single-column layout when zoomed
  • Focus indicators: Must be clearly visible when magnified
  • Proximity: Related content should be close together (labels near fields)

Voice control & speech recognition

Used by people with motor impairments who cannot use a mouse or keyboard.

🎤 Dragon NaturallySpeaking

Windows Mac

The most accurate and powerful voice recognition software. Used for both dictation and computer control.

Commands: "Click Submit button", "Move down 5", "Select paragraph"

🎤 Voice Control

macOS iOS Built-in

Apple's built-in voice control. Surprisingly powerful.

Enable: System Preferences → Accessibility → Voice Control

Commands: "Show numbers" (overlays numbers on clickable elements), "Click [item]", "Scroll down"

🎤 Windows Voice Access

Windows 11 Built-in

Microsoft's new voice control system. Available in Windows 11.

Enable: Settings → Accessibility → Speech → Voice Access

What voice control users need

  • Visible labels: Users say what they see
  • Unique names: Multiple "Submit" buttons cause confusion
  • Accessible names match visible text: If button says "Send" but has aria-label="Submit Email Form", voice users can't activate it
  • Large click targets: Easier to point to

Switch devices

For users with severe motor impairments who can only control one or two buttons (switches).

Switch Access

Users navigate by scanning through interface elements and pressing a switch to select. Very slow—a single action can take 10-30 seconds.

Methods:

  • Auto-scan: System highlights items one by one; user presses switch to select
  • Step-scan: User presses switch to move, second switch to select
  • Row-column: First highlights rows, then items within selected row

What switch users need

  • Keyboard accessibility: Everything switch access does goes through keyboard APIs
  • Logical focus order: Scanning order follows focus order
  • Skip links: Save enormous amounts of time
  • No timeouts: Or at least the ability to extend them
  • Minimal required interactions: Every click is expensive

Reading & cognitive aids

📖 Immersive Reader

Microsoft 365 Included

Built into Word, Outlook, Edge, Teams, OneNote, and D2L Brightspace.

Features:

  • Text-to-speech with word highlighting
  • Adjust text spacing, font, line height
  • Focus mode (shows one line at a time)
  • Syllable splitting
  • Part-of-speech highlighting
  • Picture dictionary

📖 Read&Write

Windows Mac

Popular in education settings for literacy support.

Features: Text-to-speech, word prediction, vocabulary support, screenshot reader

📖 NaturalReader

Windows Mac Free tier

Simple text-to-speech tool. Free version available.

Website: naturalreaders.com

Browser accessibility features

Chrome

  • Zoom: Ctrl + + / -
  • Reader mode: Click icon in address bar (on supported pages)
  • High contrast: Install High Contrast extension
  • Live captions: Settings → Accessibility → Live Caption

Firefox

  • Reader mode: Click icon in address bar
  • Text-only zoom: View → Zoom → Zoom Text Only
  • Accessibility Inspector: F12 → Accessibility tab

Edge

  • Immersive Reader: F9 or click icon
  • Read aloud: Ctrl + Shift + U
  • Web capture: Take screenshots for annotation

Safari

  • Reader mode: Click icon in address bar
  • Custom stylesheets: Preferences → Advanced → Style sheet

Try it yourself challenge

🎯 10-minute challenges

  1. Keyboard only: Unplug your mouse and navigate your favorite website using only Tab, Enter, Space, and Arrow keys
  2. Screen reader: Turn on VoiceOver (Mac) or NVDA (Windows) and try to fill out a form
  3. Magnification: Zoom your browser to 400% and try to read an article
  4. Color blindness: Install a color blindness simulator and check your site
  5. One hand: Use only one hand on the keyboard—can you still navigate?

These exercises build empathy and reveal accessibility issues you'd never otherwise notice.

Resources