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Screen Readers and Accessibility Features on Chromebooks
Bluebook now has an embedded text-to-speech feature. Students approved to use text-to-speech will automatically get access to it.
But if students are approved to use a screen reader, dictation, magnification, or other assistive technology and accessibility features, special steps must be taken. Because Bluebook runs in kiosk mode, technology staff must enable kiosk accessibility features first, and students may be unfamiliar with the way they work.
Kiosk Accessibility Features
Students need the accessibility menu and accessibility shortcuts to use ChromeVox and Select-to-speak properly.
Both must be enabled in your school’s Google Admin console. Complete instructions for technology staff are available at Accessibility Features in Chromebook Kiosk Mode.
Accessibility Menu
- Students use the Accessibility menu to turn ChromeVox and Select-to-speak on and to personalize their settings.
- They need to take these steps every time they open Bluebook.
- In kiosk mode, the Accessibility menu is disabled unless technology staff change the setting for the kiosk floating accessibility menu in the Admin console.
Accessibility Shortcuts
- Students use accessibility shortcuts to navigate Bluebook and select the text they want to hear.
- If accessibility shortcuts are enabled, students can use Ctrl + Alt + Z to turn ChromeVox on even if the Accessibility menu is unavailable. But students can’t personalize their settings or use Select-to-speak without the menu.
- In kiosk mode, accessibility shortcuts are enabled by default and should work unless technology staff disabled them.