How to Add Accessibility Options to Google Chrome

I was setting up a new Chromebook today with a brand new Google Account. One of the things that I did on that Chromebook was enable some accessibility options (more on Chromebook accessibility in a future post). The Chrome web browser supports a handful of accessibility options.

To enable accessibility options in the Chrome web browser visit the Chrome Web Store list of accessibility extensions. While signed into your Google Account select "Add to Chrome" listed next to any of the extensions.

In the video embedded below I provide a short overview of how to enable accessibility options in the Chrome web browser.


Join me at the Practical Ed Tech Chromebook Camp to learn more about using Chrome, Chromebooks, and Google Apps in your classroom.

Oweb Voice Input - Use Your Voice to Complete Google Forms

You can search Google using your voice, but once you get to a site then you're back to typing. Oweb Voice Input is a free Chrome extension that enables you to use your voice to search on websites. With Oweb Voice Input installed anytime that you see a search box on a website you can speak your query. On some sites Oweb Voice Input can be used to complete forms too.

Applications for Education
I tried Oweb Voice Input on a Google Form and it worked perfectly for filling in short answer questions. If you're using Google Forms to collect information from students and they need an accessibility option, Oweb Voice Input is a tool worth trying.

Read & Write - An Accessibility App for Google Docs

Read & Write is a free Google Chrome Web App that increases the accessibility of the text of documents in your Google Drive account. After installing the app you will see a Read & Write tab appear at the top of your browser window whenever you have a document open in Google Drive. Clicking that Read & Write tab will open a menu of accessibility options.

Some of the accessibility options include a picture dictionary and a talking dictionary. To use either dictionary just highlight a word then click on the dictionary that you want to use. The dictionary that you select will pop-up in your document. Read & Write will also read the text of your documents aloud. In the settings menu you can select from nine voices and three playback speeds. Learn more about Read & Write in the video below.


Thanks to Jen Deyenberg for sharing this handy Chrome app.

About Google Accessibility

I recently received an email from a reader who was seeking more information about online resources that are accessible to students with vision, hearing, and other physical impairments. I referred that reader to the best place I knew of for resources and articles about accessibility. That place is Teaching Learners With Multiple Special Needs. After I sent that email I read Miguel Guhlin's post Debunking 6 Google Apps for Education Myths. In that post Miguel mention Google Accessibility.

Google Accessibility provides information about how people who have vision and or hearing impairments can access many of Google's services. Where appropriate, Google links to special versions of its services designed for accessibility. One such example of that is Google Accessible Search. Google Accessible Search is a search engine that promotes to the top of search results sites that are accessible to the visually impaired.