To mark this annual event, we have put together some tech tips on how accessibility features can support your studies and work.

Accessibility Tips for Windows users

Explore Accessibility settings on your Windows PC or laptop to customise text, visuals, audio, notifications, and voice controls for a more comfortable and user-friendly experience. Here are some examples of useful accessibility features:

  • For vision accessibility, you can increase text size, change the size and colour of your mouse pointer, and make items on screen easier to see and follow. You can also apply colour filters to your screen. For example, grayscale mode reduces colour intensity and can create a calmer, less distracting visual experience.
  • For hearing accessibility, you can enable mono audio, which combines left and right sound channels to help people with hearing loss in one ear. You can also set your screen or title bar to flash for notifications, making alerts easier to notice.
  • For interaction accessibility, features like Voice Access allow you to control your PC using your voice and dictate text hands-free.

Useful link: Make Windows easier to see - Microsoft Support

 

Accessibility Tech Tips for Students

As a student, you can support your learning with assistive technology that supports your individual needs.

  • Speech-to-text tools can help if you find typing, spelling, or writing difficult, making it easier to capture your ideas and complete assignments.
  • Closed captions improve accessibility by helping students follow and understand video and audio content more easily, especially those who are deaf or hard of hearing, learning in a second language, or studying in noisy environments.
  • Reading pens can support students with reading difficulties by scanning and reading text aloud, helping with challenging words, building reading confidence, and improving understanding of unfamiliar vocabulary.

Small accessibility tools can make a big difference in creating a more inclusive learning experience for you!

Visit:  Trinity College Dublin Assistive Technology and Accessibility webpage

 

Accessibility Tech Tips for Teachers

Anything shared with students or staff should realistically pass the accessibility checker. That’s not optional — it’s good practice in Trinity.

  • Use the Accessibility Checker in Microsoft 365 apps such as Word, PowerPoint, and Excel.The tool will help you identify and correct any potential accessibility issues in your documents.
  • Use live captions in presentations and closed captions in videos to support student accessibility and engagement when teaching
  • Blackboard Ally is a great tool to help you make your content more accessible. It provides you with feedback on accessibility of the documents and what you can do to improve it. Ally also allows the student to download documents in different formats according to their needs.