Assistive Technology

A braille display

An understanding of the assistive technologies that are used by users with disabilities can help you to create better websites. Images and detailed descriptions of number of assistive technologies can be viewed as part of the WebAim Resource Kit and the Guild of Accessible Web Developers website.

Physical Assistive Devices

Other devices used by those with hand tremors, dexterity difficulties, or other physical impairments such as missing limbs include:

  • Mouse Adaptor - helps users hold an mouse more easily
  • Ballpoint Mouse - more like a pen than a mouse
  • Head Mounted Pointers - movement of the head moves the on-screen mouse
  • Keyboard Emulations - on screen software that functions as and looks like a keyboard
  • Sip and puff switch - can signify on and off by blowing or sucking
  • Joysticks - used instead of a mouse
  • Mouth Stick - a stick held in the mouth used for typing or mouse control
  • Mouse Keys - system settigns can be altered so that keys perform special functionality such as 'sticky keys' for users who cannot hold down several keys at once
  • Touch Pads - used to control a cursor
  • Trackball Mouse- a mouse with a rollable large ball, operable by foot or hand
  • Eye tracking software - control the cursor with eye movements
  • Adaptive Keyboards - curved for those with one hand, or with sunken keys

Screen magnifiers

The Google website viewed using a screen magnifier showing enlarged input box

A screen magnifier is an assistive software programme that 'magnifies' an area of the computer screen. Some screen magnifiers also incorporate a screen reader.

Screen magnifiers are used primarily by visually impaired people. They often still have some useful sight and would prefer to use their remaining sight rather than rely on screen readers.

A screen magnifier allows the user to magnifying or zoom in on specific areas of the website.

The following screen magnifiers are amongst those commerically available:

Screen Readers

A braille display

A screen reader is a software programme that reads aloud a webpage or a software application. Visually impaired people use screen readers to access computer software and information that sighted people can see. Users with severe dyslexia and other cognitive disabilities sometimes use screen readers. Some screen readers are able to output to refreshable Braille displays.

A braille display

You can view a simulation of a screen reader.

How do they work?

Once the screen reader software is installed on the user's computer a synthesised voice, chosen from a selection, automatically begins to read the screen from the top left corner of the screen. Using certain keystrokes, the user then actively navigates around the page using the speech output, in a similar way as sighted users rely on the visual elements of the page. For instance a sighted user may scan a list of headings on the page, and a screen reader user may listen to a list of all the headings using keyboard commands.

The website or software developer's coding can assist the user by providing further navigational elements. For example by coding 'skip navigation' at the top of a webpage the screen reader user who is familiar with a site can then skip to main content without having to listen to the same information over and over again.

There are a variety of screen readers available commercially, some of which have free trial versions. Several now combine both readers and magnifiers.

JAWS is the most commonly used screen reader. There is a 'cheat sheet' of JAWS commands for sighted web developers and testers.

[return to top]