Accessibility 'How to' guide

This ‘how-to’ guide points out some of the accessibility features in the most commonly used browser, Google Chrome.  We have created the guide to accompany our accessibility statement.

Downloading the Chrome Browser

If you do not have Chrome as your browser and would like to, you can download it at https://www.google.com/chrome/

Going to the Chrome Advanced Settings to get further accessibility features

In the latest version of Chrome, you can find the Settings by clicking on the icon at the top right of screen which is called ‘Customize and control Google Chrome’.  You’ll see that one of the options is called Settings.  Alternatively, you can just go to chrome://settings/.

Once you are at the Settings page, scroll down and click on Show Advanced Settings.

Changing the text size

On the Advanced Settings page, you’ll see options for changing text size and changing the font.  You can also zoom the whole page (including text and images) by up to 500%.

Getting Chrome extensions for accessibility

On the Advanced Settings page, click on the link to Add Additional Accessibility Features.  Alternatively, go to https://chrome.google.com/webstore/category/collection/accessibility

You’ll see how you can add particular ‘extensions’ to customize the way you see web pages with Chrome.

Suggested Chrome extensions for people with neurodiversity, including dyspraxia, dyslexia and scoptic sensitivity (Irlens) syndrome.

Open Dyslexic
Provides OpenDyslexic font and low contrast help

Care your eyes
Enables background colour to be changed, enable/disable mode.

Suggested Chrome extensions for converting text to speech

There are many types of text to speech software, apps and extensions which can open in separate windows or read directly from the website via selecting a sentence or a block of text.  Have a look at:

Speak It!
Reads blocks of text, adjustable voice speed, changeable voice

Click to Speech
Reads blocks of text, default speech and voice

Suggested Chrome extensions for people with colour blindness or enhance contrast/colour perception

Color Enhancer
Improves colour perception. Helps people who are partially colour-blind.