How to Use the Accessibility Features in Mac OS Mojave

Posted on 19th June 2023

How to Use the Accessibility Features in Mac OS Mojave

Mac OS Mojave offers a variety of accessibility features to help users with special needs. This article will explain how to use some of the most popular accessibility features in Mac OS Mojave.

Accessibility features in Mac OS Mojave can be found in the System Preferences. To access the System Preferences, click on the Apple icon in the top left corner of your screen and then click on “System Preferences.”

In the System Preferences, click on the “Accessibility” icon. This will open the Accessibility preferences pane.

In the Accessibility preferences pane, you will see a list of different accessibility features. To learn more about a particular feature, click on the “Learn more about” link next to the feature.

Some of the most popular accessibility features in Mac OS Mojave include:

VoiceOver: VoiceOver is a screen reader that speaks the text that is on your screen. VoiceOver can be used to read email, websites, documents, and more. To turn on VoiceOver, select the “Enable VoiceOver” checkbox.

Zoom: Zoom is an accessibility feature that allows you to magnify your screen. This can be helpful if you have difficulty seeing small text or images. To turn on Zoom, select the “Use keyboard shortcuts to zoom” checkbox.

Display: The Display preferences allow you to adjust the resolution, brightness, and contrast of your screen. This can be helpful if you have difficulty seeing your screen.

To learn more about other accessibility features in Mac OS Mojave, explore the Accessibility preferences pane.

There are many features in Mojave that can help you if you have a disability. Some of these features are:

– VoiceOver: This is a screen reader that can read text and describe what is happening on the screen.
– Zoom: This magnifies the screen so that you can see it better.
– Dictation: This lets you speak instead of typing.
– Text to Speech: This reads text out loud.
– Fonts: You can change the fonts to make them easier to read.
– Color: You can change the colors of the screen to make them easier to see.
– Keyboard: You can use special keys to control the mouse and type.
– Braille: This lets you read text with your fingers.

If you need help using any of these features, you can contact Apple Support.

In the Accessibility pane of System Preferences, you can select and deselect accessibility features.

Some of the features you can enable are:

Display Accommodations:

This feature allows you to invert the colors of your display, enable color filters, use grayscale, and increase the contrast of your display. This is helpful for users with vision impairments.

Zoom:

This feature allows you to use the built-in screen magnifier. You can zoom in on items on your screen, and pan around to see different areas. This is helpful for users with vision impairments.

Speech:

This feature allows you to have text read aloud to you, and also provides options for controlling the synthesized voice, such as speaking rate and pitch. This is helpful for users with dyslexia or other reading impairments.

Audio:

This feature allows you to adjust the audio output of your Mac. You can enable mono audio, which can be helpful for users who are Hard of Hearing or Deaf in one ear. You can also adjust the balance and output volume.

Keyboard:

This feature allows you to enable Sticky Keys, Slow Keys, and Mouse Keys. Sticky Keys allows you to enter keyboard shortcuts using one key at a time. Slow Keys allows you to adjust the amount of time before a key is registered as being pressed. Mouse Keys allows you to use the keyboard to control the mouse pointer. These features can be helpful for users with mobility impairments.

Accessibility Keyboard:

This feature provides a on-screen keyboard that you can use to enter text. This is helpful for users with mobility impairments.

Switch Control:

This feature allows you to use switch inputs to control your Mac. This is helpful for users with severe mobility impairments.

Text to Speech:

This feature allows you to have text read aloud to you. This is helpful for users with dyslexia or other reading impairments.

Closed Captions and Subtitles:

This feature allows you to enable closed captions and subtitles for media playback. This is helpful for users who are Hard of Hearing or Deaf.

Siri:

This feature allows you to enable Siri, and also adjust the options for how Siri responds to you. This is helpful for users with vision, hearing, or mobility impairments.

In the Accessibility pane of System Preferences, you can also select and deselect options for other Apple applications. For example, in the Mail application, you can enable Message Summaries, which will provide a summary of each email in the message list. This is helpful for users with vision impairments.

In the iTunes application, you can enable VoiceOver, which will provide spoken descriptions of what is happening on the screen. This is helpful for users with vision impairments.

In the Safari application, you can enable Web Rotor, which will provide options for navigating web pages using the keyboard. This is helpful for users with mobility impairments.

You can also enable Reduce Motion, which will reduce the amount of animation and movement on the screen. This is helpful for users who are susceptible to motion sickness.

Mac OS Mojave provides many features that can be helpful for users with disabilities. By enabling these features, you can customize your Mac to better suit your needs.

In the Accessibility pane of System Preferences, you can select the options that you want to use.

Here’s how to use some of the most popular options:

Display:

If you have trouble seeing the screen, you can use the Display settings to make the screen easier to see. For example, you can use a high contrast display, increase the cursor size, or enable text enlargement.

To use a high contrast display:

1. Click the Display tab.
2. Select the “Use high contrast” checkbox.

To increase the cursor size:

1. Click the Display tab.
2. Drag the “Cursor size” slider to the right.

To enlarge text:

1. Click the Display tab.
2. Select the “Enlarged text” checkbox.
3. Drag the “Text size” slider to the right.

Zoom:

If you have trouble seeing the screen, you can use the Zoom settings to magnify the screen. For example, you can use the Zoom Lens feature to magnify a specific area of the screen, or you can use the Fullscreen mode to magnify the entire screen.

To use the Zoom Lens feature:

1. Click the Zoom tab.
2. Select the “Zoom Lens” checkbox.
3. Use the mouse to drag the Zoom Lens around the screen.

To use the Fullscreen mode:

1. Click the Zoom tab.
2. Select the “Fullscreen” checkbox.
3. Use the mouse to drag the Zoom Lens around the screen.

VoiceOver:

If you have trouble using the keyboard, you can use the VoiceOver feature to control the computer with your voice. For example, you can use the VoiceOver cursor to navigate the screen, or you can use the VoiceOver commands to control the computer.

To use the VoiceOver cursor:

1. Click the VoiceOver tab.
2. Select the “Enable VoiceOver” checkbox.
3. Use the VoiceOver cursor to navigate the screen.

To use the VoiceOver commands:

1. Click the VoiceOver tab.
2. Select the “Enable VoiceOver” checkbox.
3. Press the VoiceOver keys to issue commands.

Speech:

If you have trouble speaking, you can use the Speech settings to type with your voice. For example, you can use the Dictation feature to type words, or you can use the Speech Commands feature to issue commands.

To use the Dictation feature:

1. Click the Speech tab.
2. Select the “Enable Dictation” checkbox.
3. Use the Dictation microphone to speak words.

To use the Speech Commands feature:

1. Click the Speech tab.
2. Select the “Enable Speech Commands” checkbox.
3. Use the Speech Commands microphone to issue commands.