Accessibility User Guide
At RESDC we are committed to providing information to help our members navigate our site as easily as possible. Here are some tips and guidelines on how to use your internet browser accessibility settings to surf our website.
Google Chrome | Microsoft Edge | Safari (Apple) | Mozilla Firefox | Screen Readers | PDF Version
Google Chrome
Change text, image, and video sizes (zoom)
On your computer, you can change the size of text, images, and videos for one webpage or for all webpages. Note: To change the font size on a mobile device, update your display options in your device’s settings app.
Zoom in or out on your current page
Use the zoom options to make everything on a webpage larger or smaller.
1. At the top right, click “More”.
2. Next to “Zoom,” choose the zoom options you want:
Make everything larger: Click “Zoom in”
Make everything smaller: Click “Zoom out”
Use full-screen mode: Click “Full screen”
Tip
You can also use the keyboard shortcuts to zoom in or out:
Make everything larger:
Windows and Linux: Press Ctrl and +.
Mac: Press ⌘ and +.
Chrome OS: Press Ctrl and +.
Make everything smaller:
Windows and Linux: Press Ctrl and -.
Mac: Press ⌘ and -.
Chrome OS: Press Ctrl and -.
Use full-screen mode:
Windows and Linux: Press F11.
Mac: Press ⌘ + Ctrl + f.
Chrome OS: At the top of your keyboard, press the full screen key. Full screen hides tabs and launchers. This key is also called F4.
Set page or font size for all webpages
You can change the size of everything on the webpages you visit, including text, images, and videos, or you can change only the size of the font.
Note: Some websites don’t let browsers change only the text size. For those sites, Chrome won’t be able to adjust the font size.
1. At the top right, click “More” and then “Settings”.
2. Under “Appearance,” make the changes you want:
Change everything:
Next to “Page zoom,” click the Down arrow. Then select the zoom option you want.
Change font size:
Next to “Font size,” click the Down arrow. Then select the font size you want. You can also change more font options by clicking Customize fonts.
Use Chrome with accessibility extensions
You can make Chrome easier to use by installing accessibility extensions. An extension is an addon software that is downloaded to your computer and run through the browser. Accessibility extensions include accessibility components that encourage an inclusive user base by enabling people with visual impairments, hearing loss, limited dexterity, and other disabilities to access the information on a website.
Find & add accessibility extensions
To find accessibility extensions for Chrome, visit the Chrome Web Store and search for “accessibility.”
When you find an extension you want, add it to Chrome:
1. In the Chrome Web Store, click the extension you want to install.
2. At the top right, click “Add to Chrome”.
3. When prompted, confirm by clicking “Add extension”. An icon for the extension will appear to the right of your address bar.
Chrome has been tested with recent versions of the following assistive technology:
• JAWS (Windows)
• NVDA (Windows)
• Dolphin Supernova (Windows)
• ZoomText (Windows)
• VoiceOver (Mac OS X)
Microsoft Edge
Change font size
To change the default font size on Microsoft Edge use these steps:
1. Open Microsoft Edge.
2. Click the “Settings and more” (three-dotted) button from the top-right.
3. Click on “Appearance”.
4. Under the “Fonts” section, use the Font size drop-down menu and select a predefined option:
• Very small.
• Small.
• Medium.
• Large.
• Very large.
Change colors
To adjust the colors of websites it is best to enter Edge’s Reading view. While viewing a webpage, you can toggle on or off the Reading view by clicking the book icon on the address bar or pressing Ctrl + Shift + R keys.
Here is how to change the Reading view background color in Edge in Windows 10.
1. Open the Edge browser and open a webpage that you want to read in Reading mode.
2. Click on the book icon in the address bar or use Ctrl + Shift + R keys to turn on the Reading view. Note that you will see the grayed-out book icon if the webpage doesn’t support the Reading view.
3. You can now see the webpage in Reading view. To change the background color, click the grammar tools icon in the toolbar. If you cannot see the toolbar, click anywhere on the page.
4. Under Text options tab, click on one of the themes to change the background color immediately.
Tips
Edge will remember the new background color and will use the same when you open webpages in Reading view in future.
To exit the Reading view, click on the book icon in the taskbar again or press Ctrl + Shift + R keys.
Safari (Apple)
Magnify your screen
This feature will increase and decrease the size of text and images on the screen for better visibility.
1. Press and hold down the COMMAND key on your keyboard. At the same time as holding the COMMAND key:
press the ‘+’ key to increase the size of the text and images or
press the ‘-‘ key to decrease the size of the text and images.
Keep repeating until you reach the desired size.
Choose colors and fonts used on web pages
To change the type, size and color of your font and the background color:
1. Select the Safari menu, then select “Preferences”.
2. Select “Appearance”.
3. Under “Standard font”, select the “Select” button. Choose your desired font type, size and color.
4. Click “OK” on the Preferences screen.
To set the minimum font size for all web pages
1. Select the Safari menu, then select “Preferences”.
2. Select “Advanced”.
3. Under Universal Access, find “Never use font sizes smaller than” and select your chosen font size from the drop-down menu.
4. Click OK on the Preferences screen.
Further information
Mozilla Firefox
Zoom Text
1. Press the “Alt” key to reveal Firefox’s menu bar.
2. Click the “View” menu at the top of the Firefox window. Point to “Zoom” and select “Zoom Text Only.”
3. Press and hold the “Ctrl” key while pressing “+” or “-” to enlarge or reduce the text size. Alternatively, hold the “Ctrl” key while rotating the mouse’s scroll wheel, or click the “View” menu, “Zoom” and “Zoom In” or “Zoom Out.”
Change Text Size
1. Click the “Firefox” menu and select “Options.”
2. Click the “Content” icon at the top of the Options window.
3. Click the drop-down menu next to Size in the Fonts & Colors section and click a number from the list to set a default font size. Firefox uses this size when a Web page doesn’t specify its own font size.
4. Click the “Advanced” button in the Fonts & Colors section.
5. Click the drop-down menu next to Size to the right of Proportional and Monospace and select numbers from the list to set a default font size for proportional and monospace fonts.
6. Click the drop-down menu next to Minimum Font Size and select a number from the list to set a minimum font size. Firefox automatically enlarges text below this size.
7. Uncheck the “Allow pages to choose their own fonts, instead of my selections above” check box to override Web page font settings and force all websites to obey your default font sizes.
8. Click “OK” twice to save your settings.
Tip
Press “Ctrl-0” to reset a page to its default zoom level, or click the “View” menu, point to “Zoom” and select “Reset.”
Change colors
With the Firefox browser, you can view web pages in high contrast or select your own colors. These techniques apply to at least browser versions 11 – 14.
Change to high contrast view
Firefox gives you the option of viewing the page with large text in high-contrast white-on-black, or black-on-white.
1. Click on “Accessibility” in the menu bar to open the drop-down menu.
2. Go to “Style” and select either “High contrast view 1” (white on black) or “High contrast view 2” (black on white). Note: The size of the text will also increase when you select a High contrast view.
Tip
Unselect High contrast to go back to the original color settings.
Set the colors to be used on web page
1. Click on “Tools” in the main menu bar to open the drop-down menu
2. Select “Options”
3. In the “Options” panel select “Content”
4. In “Content” panel click the “Colors” button to open the “Colors” popup box.
5. To change colors, click on the colored box next to the item (e.g. Text) to open a box with different colors.
6. Choose new colors for the various page items you want to change.
7. Unselect the checkbox for “Allow pages to choose their own colors, instead of my selections above”
8. Unselect the checkbox for “Use system colors” (this step may not be necessary)
9. Click “Colors” box “OK” button, and “Options” box OK button.