These tips may be helpful in improving your browsing experience. 

Increase text size 

In most web browsers, you can increase or decrease text size by holding down the Ctrl key (Command key on a Mac) and pressing the plus or minus key: 

Ctrl+ = increase text size 

Ctrl- = decrease text size 

If this doesn’t work, you may need to upgrade to the latest version of your browser. You can also visit the Web Accessibility Initiative  (W3C) site for additional instructions or use a tool such as Windows Magnifier to enlarge parts of your screen.  

Increase volume 

Your computer volume can often be controlled by pressing the Ctrl key (Command key if you’re using a Mac) while pressing the F11 or F12 key: 

Ctrl F12 = increase volume 

Ctrl F11 = decrease volume 

Make the mouse pointer easier to see 

The mouse pointer is sometimes hard to see on your screen. The size and color of the mouse pointer can be adjusted to make it easier to identify. Most computer operating systems also provide options to show a trail when the pointer moves around the screen and may highlight it when a specific key is pressed. For more information, check out the links below: 

For Microsoft Windows 

Windows XP Accessibility Tutorials: Adjusting Mouse Options 

Windows Vista Accessibility Tutorials: Make the Mouse Easier to Use 

Windows 7 Accessibility Tutorials: Make the mouse easier to use 

For Apple Mac OS X  

Accessibility: Physical and Motor Skills 

W3C (Web Accessibility Initiative) Better Web Browsing: Tips for Customizing Your Computer 

Make the computer read web pages out loud 

These free tools can help your computer read a web page for you if you find a keyboard or mouse difficult to use: 

Text-to-Speech for Web Browsers 

Apple’s VoiceOver 

Windows Narrator – a screen reader that reads text aloud and describes events so you can use your computer without a display 

WebbIE works on Windows computers and incorporates tools for browsing, screen reading, RSS, Podcatcher and more 

NVDA screen reader – allows blind and vision-impaired people to access and interact with the Windows operating system and many third-party applications 

Use the keyboard instead of a mouse 

These keyboard commands allow you to navigate web pages without a mouse. (Note: these may not work with all Internet browsers.) 

Move forward from link to link or to controls = use the Tab key 

Move backward from link to link or to controls = Shift + Tab 

Select buttons = Spacebar 

Navigate and select Radio Buttons = Arrow 

Select/deselect boxes = Spacebar 

Move from box to box = Tab 

Open a List Box = ALT + Down arrow 

Read the prior screen = CTRL + Page Up 

Read the next screen = CTRL + Page Down 

Go to the top of the page = CTRL + Home 

Go to the bottom of the page = CTRL + End 

Close the current window (for Internet Explorer) = CTRL + W 

Refresh the screen = F5 

Go back a page = ALT + Left Arrow 

Go forward a page = ALT + Right Arrow 

Navigate to & select the text in the address combo box = ALT + D 

Change background and text colors 

Some web pages may be hard to read because of text or background colors used.  Many browsers allow you to adjust the aspects of font and color. 

For Windows users: Select Tools > Options in the online menu 

For Macintosh users: Select Firefox > Preferences 

Additional resources for online accessibility 

Chrome 

Firefox 

Safari 

Internet Explorer 

Turn on Accessibility for Web Browsers 

W3C (Web Accessibility Initiative) Better Web Browsing: Tips for Customizing Your Computer 

Apple Accessibility Tools 

Windows Accessibility Tools