Digital Accessibility
The following resources are highlighted the accessibility features of some of the frequently utilized technology at Western University.
General Resources
- Western’s Web Accessibility Guidelines
- UDL: The UDL Guidelines (cast.org)
- WebAIM: Alternative Text
- Creating accessible digital content - Province of British Columbia (gov.bc.ca)
Zoom
Zoom general "how-to" videos: The strategies in this resource will help host and the participants of Zoom with making video calls and chats more accessible to your needs.
Vision
- Size and Font: Change this feature for the chat and captions
- Manage captions: As a host, let participants have access to this either in the meeting or breakout rooms for manual captions; learn how to assign a participant to type closed captions
- Enable captions: As a host, learn how to let groups have access to this function
- Access captions: As a participant
- Dark mode: Enable this on the screen
Hearing
- Mute or unmute: As a host or co-host, select specific or all participants to manage distractions
- Enable captions: As a host, and let groups have access to this function
- Access captions: As a participant
Cognition/Mental Health
- Focus mode: Will let users only view the video of the host, co-host, or any participants that are spotlighted by the host, and their own video
- Control Zoom as a participant during a meeting
- Set up a custom gallery: To have participants in a specific order of your choosing
Microsoft Windows and Office
There are multiple features in Windows to support productivity, creativity and ease of use. Learn more about the general accessibility resources for Windows here:
Vision
Need a larger screen? A brighter screen? A narrator to read text? Find out about accessibility tools and features for people who are blind, color blind, or have low vision. Learn about vision-related tools.
Hearing
For those who are hard of hearing, have hearing loss, or have deafness, there are specialized features that can provide solutions including closed captioning, mono sound, and live call transcription. Explore hearing-assistive tools.
Neurodiversity
Innovative tools such as dictation and Windows Hello sign-in can make the digital world more accessible for those who with dyslexia, seizures, autism, or other cognitive differences. Discover tools for neurodiversity.
Learning
There are applications for people living with learning disabilities can help increase focus, concentration, and understanding—and include tools to improve reading and writing skills. Uncover tools for learning.
Mobility
Our suite of products helps people living with arthritis, quadriplegia, spinal cord injuries, and other mobility issues to navigate the digital world in new ways. Find mobility-assistive tools.
Mental health
Learn more about assistive technologies for people living with issues such as bipolar disorder, anxiety, PTSD, depression, or ADHD. Our products can help reduce distraction and improve concentration and reading. Try mental health assistive tools.
Google and Google products
General
- Google’s accessibility features and products
- Google Belonging
- Chrome Browser
- Google Assistant
- Google Assistant: Helps you get things done throughout your day, check your agenda, manage tasks, set a reminder
- Google Reminders: Create, find, and edit reminders in Google Calendar to track tasks
- Google Docs
- Accessibility Scanner
- Accessibility Scanner: Accessibility Scanner can help Andriod app creators identify opportunities to improve their apps for users
Vision
- Chrome Browser
- Browser Zoom: Change the size of text, images, and videos for one or all webpages
- Color Enhancer: Adjust the color in webpages and improve color perception
- High Contrast Mode: Customize and invert the color scheme on webpages for easier browsing
- Long Descriptions: Open long descriptions for complex images, charts, or graphs
- Screen Reader Compatibility: Chrome is compatible with many screen readers and magnifiers that offer synthesized text-to-speech or a refreshable braille display
- TalkBack: Get spoken feedback to navigate your Chrome browser eyes-free
- Gmail
- Gmail Buttons To Text: Change the icon buttons on Gmail’s toolbar for more accessibility with screen readers
- Screen Reader Compatibility: Experience Gmail with a desktop screen reader
- TalkBack: Use Google’s built-in screen reader, included on Android devices, to experience Gmail hands-free
- Google Docs
- Braille Display: Read and edit Google Docs with braille display
- Screen Magnification: Use screen magnification with Docs editors to make everything bigger on your screen
- Voice Typing: The Voice typing feature uses your computer’s microphone to record what you say and convert it into text
- Google Search
- Assistive Technology Navigation: Navigate the search results page with compatible assistive technology like screen readers and keyboards
- Voice Commands: Use your voice to search, adjust settings, and more
- Google Calendar
Hearing
- Chrome Browser
- AI Image Descriptions: Get automatic descriptions of unlabeled images or graphics
- Live Caption: Get automatic captions for any media you play in the Chrome browser
- Google Maps
- Voice Guidance: Receive detailed audio information when you’re navigating to your destination
- Google Meet
- Live Caption: View real-time subtitles as everyone speaks
- Chrome Browser
Cognition/Mental Health
- Chrome Browser
- Long Descriptions: Open long descriptions for complex images, charts, or graphs
- Google Assistant
- The Google Assistant helps you get things done throughout your day, saving you time to focus on the things that matter most
- Google Reminders
Mobility
- Chrome Browser
- Accessibility: Keyboard Access
- Keyboard Browsing: Browse webpage text using your arrow keys
- Keyboard Shortcuts: Use keyboard combinations to expedite common operations on a webpage as an alternative to a mouse
- Gmail
- Keyboard Shortcuts: Turn on and use Gmail’s keyboard shortcuts to navigate your inbox and messages, format text, and complete actions like archiving and deleting
- Google Maps
- Accessible Places: Find wheelchair accessibility information, including accessible entrance, seating, restrooms, and parking
- Accessible Transit: Find accessible transit options in Google Maps
Additional Google Resources
Apple products
YouTube
- Add subtitles & captions - YouTube Help (google.com)
- Edit or remove captions - YouTube Help (google.com)
- Tips for creating a transcript file - YouTube Help (google.com)
- Accessibility features supported on YouTube (iu.edu)
- Manage accessibility settings - YouTube Help (google.com)
- Keyboard shortcuts for YouTube - YouTube Help (google.com)
- Accessibility for YouTube mobile app - Android - YouTube Help (google.com)
- Use YouTube with a screen reader - YouTube Help (google.com)
- Use YouTube with a screen reader on Apple TV - YouTube Help (google.com)
- Change font size - Computer - YouTube Help (google.com)
- Search for videos with captions - YouTube Help (google.com)
- Manage subtitle settings - Computer - YouTube Help (google.com)
- YouTube Accessibility / U-M Information and Technology Services (umich.edu)
