Author: Corrine Schoeb

Academic Technology, Accessibility, Development, People, Web Development

NVDA – Simplified

Corrine Schoeb

NVDA from NV Access is a free text to speech tool Microsoft Windows machines. It stands for Non-Visual Desktop Access. It will not work on iOS machines. Many use this tool to listen to content. Here are some simple commands to get you started using NV Access: Note: documentation refers to the NVDA key. The default NVDA key is the insert key. It can be changed to Caps lock when installing NVDA the first time Control + Alt + n to run NVDA NVDA + q to close NVDA Numpad + +to start reading at the top of the page NVDA + down … Continue reading NVDA – Simplified

Academic Technology, Accessibility

VoiceOver Simplified

Corrine Schoeb

VoiceOver is the screen-reader or text to speech tool that is built into Apple’s operating system. It will not work on the Windows operating system. Many use this tool to listen to email messages, content on websites, etc. Note: when these resources reference the “VO” key, they mean command + option Here are some simple commands to help you get started in using VoiceOver: command + F5 turns VoiceOver on/off tab navigates to an interactive element ctrl + option + right arrow (repeatedly) navigates to the next element ctrl + option + command + h (repeatedly) navigates by headings explore … Continue reading VoiceOver Simplified

Academic Technology, Accessibility, Open-Source

Early steps to building a CLAC accessibility community

Corrine Schoeb

Liberal arts colleges are under increased scrutiny of their institutional approach for ensuring accessibility of web and other digital communication methods. While the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) have issued guidance regarding institutional obligations for ensuring access for students with disabilities, colleges still struggle with how to best address such obligations within the context of policy, procedure, and implementation. The challenge of accessibility is systemic in nature and requires an organizational approach. Being reactive to DOJ and OCR investigations can be resource-intensive and may not always promote the most sustainable solutions. … Continue reading Early steps to building a CLAC accessibility community

Accessibility, Case Studies, Design Thinking
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Turn web images off – can you still figure out what is going on?

Corrine Schoeb

As Swarthmore’s Technology Accessibility Coordinator, part of my work involves testing websites to see what kinds of barriers exist to accessing content online. I often run into sites which use images for navigation, tasks, and information.  I’m always curious to … Continue reading Turn web images off – can you still figure out what is going on?