ASSISTIVE

TECHNOLOGIES
Assistive Capabilities Within Common Classroom Technology Tools
Ashley Stubblefield, Joseph Martinez, & Malie Koehler

WINDOWS 10
PCs that run on the Windows
10 operating system have
many built in accessibility
features. By understanding
how to use these features,
educators can ensure they are
meeting the needs of all
learners. These features can
help visually impaired
students to navigate the
Windows user interface.
Continue reading to see how
to assist your students.
Start by using the search bar that is on the Windows task bar.
It the little magnifying glass usually at the bottom left-hand
side of the screen. Within this search bar you can find "Ease
of Access" "Narrator" "Use Your Voice to Control Your PC"
Ease of access
In this menu, you can adjust the size of the text on screen,
adjust the brightness level, and set a default
magnification.
Narrator
In this Menu, you can can allow the Narrator feature. This
screen reader will read and describe any of the onscreen text
whether it is part of the Windows user interface or in a browser
window. (Ctrl + Win + N)
Use Your Voice to Control Your PC
When this feature is enabled and the user has a
microphone, they are able to use voice typing. This could be
helpful for students that have dexterity issues in their
hands.

GOOGLE DOCS
This application is completely
free and accessible to most
schools. In addition to its
Screen Reader
Open a Document > Tools > Accessibility settings > Turn on screen
reader support
*You can also use the screen reader function to edit documents.

popular, collaborative nature, it

also features functions that
assist users with different Click here to find out how.

abilities, especially those who

may have a visual impairment,
through use of screen readers,
braille functions and more
(Google, 2022). Read below to
Speech-to-Text
Ensure that your system's microphone is turned on (System
Preferences or Control Panel). Once your microphone is on,
open a document > Tools > Voice Typing. When you're ready to
speak, click the microphone icon. Click it again when finished.

see how to utilize a few of these

functions.
*This only works within a Chrome browser.

Keyboard Shortcuts
Within a document, press Ctrl + Windows key to
open the shortcuts menu. Some examples are:

Ctrl + p                print

Ctrl + Enter insert         page break
Ctrl + b                bold
Ctrl + i                      italicize
Ctrl + shift + y             dictionary

CHROMEBOOKS
Chromebooks have many
Accessing Accessibility Features
accessibility features built in Press Alt, Shift, then S.
Select the settings option by clicking the gear icon.
that work on all programs. ⚙
These features include, but are Click advanced.
Click accessibility.
not limited to, text-to-speech, Click manage accessibility features.
Here you can see all available features and enable and
screen magnifier, adjustable disable features to your liking.
cursor size, and an on-screen
keyboard. These features
provide alternatives to written Text-to-Speech
Follow the steps above.
responses, assessment Click enable select-to-speak.
Highlight what you want to hear, then click Search + S.
options for hearing impaired Click here to see a demonstration.
students, and different forms
of content presentation for
Screen Magnifier
visually impaired students. Follow the steps under Accessing Accessibility Features
above.
Click enable docked magnifier.
Click the down arrow next to docked zoom level.
Change what is magnified by moving the cursor.
Disable: press Ctrl, search, then D.
Click here for a demonstration by Chromebook (2019).

Click here for an interactive tutorial (Google, 2021).

REFERENCES
Chromebook. (2019). How to use screen magnification on your Chromebook [video].
       https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbhQLjxA34Q
Google. (2022). Accessibility for docs editors. Google Support.
        https://support.google.com/docs/answer/6282736hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DDesktop
Google. (2021). Chromebook simulator: Turn on accessibility features. Partner Dash.
       https://partnerdash.google.com/apps/simulator/chromebook#?l=en
Saeed, S. (2021). How to manage accessibility features in Windows 10. TechEngage.
       https://techengage.com/how-to-manage-accessibility-features-in-windows-10/