Built-in tools and extensions to make web browsing easier for people with vision impairments

People with visually impaired face many challenges in their lives, and online browsing is no exception. Specialized software and hardware can simplify the process, but some solutions don’t work properly on all websites, others have a steep learning curve.

People with visually impaired still need to make full use of existing tools until the network environment is more inclusive. While there is no perfect solution, some add-ons and settings for Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox can improve accessibility of web pages.

Focus object highlighted

If you have trouble finding the cursor, this Chrome feature helps by briefly highlighting the object you clicked (buttons, links, or blocks of text). The method is: go to Set , Advanced , Accessive functions , and then select the "Show the Quick Highlight of Focus Objects" next to Select the marquee.

Color correction

Websites usually do not consider the needs of people with color blindness or vision limitations. The visual focus is usually to attract users with normal vision, while it is difficult to identify users with different visual perceptions. Many features and extensions can help, first of all, High Contrast – a Chrome extension that inverts web page colors and allows vision-restricted users to see all elements more clearly. High Contrast has an added bonus, which can display all web pages like night mode, thus reducing eye fatigue.

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While this tool works on most websites (including

Popular Science), its consistency is not perfect. For example, High Contrast sometimes fails to cover Twitter's iconic light blue and white palette, but it works the next day. Similarly, it once showed the AirTable platform as a huge black square with no recognizable content, but then it showed normally and showed the corresponding inverted color.

For a more personalized experience, color blind users can choose the Color Enhancer Chrome extension. This tool applies subtle color filters to the website, and you can adjust the intensity according to your own situation. Add it to Chrome, then click the

extension button to the right of the navigation bar (it looks like a puzzle) and turn on the toggle switch under Color Enhancer. Now you will see a Color Enhancer icon to the right of the navigation bar (looks like a triangle composed of three circles). Click it, select the check box under "Enable ", and go to Set . You will see three customizable options that can be used to adjust the color of your eyes; select the option that suits you best and click OK . You can modify the intensity of the filter by using the color adjustment slider that pops up after clicking the extension button.

If you are using Firefox, there are two options. Click Preferences, General, and scroll down to Language and Appearance. Next, go to Color… and select Font and Color. There you can find your favorite fonts and background and link color combinations that suit your needs. In the same dialog box, find the " Overwrite the color specified by the page with the color selected above " option, click it to open the drop-down menu and set it to " Always ".

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You can also choose a high contrast Firefox theme. Click the three lines in the upper right corner, and select Addresses . In the search bar in the new window, enter "High Contrast Theme" and select your favorite theme to install. These themes have similar functionality to the High Contrast extension on Chrome, but Firefox will apply it to the entire browser, not just web pages.

Text to Speech Solution

Providing web accessibility to people with severe visual impairment may be the biggest challenge. While there are dedicated software and hardware solutions, you can also implement similar functionality by installing an AI-powered text-to-speech extension on your browser. Some of these, like Read Me or Read Aloud, can do the job, but they won't work unless you click on the text, which will backfire if you have poor eyesight.

The most comprehensive option is Google's Screen Reader. This extension uses the same technology as ChromeVox, a built-in text-to-speech tool, which reads web content aloud. After installation, the extension starts working immediately. To customize this tool, click the orange Screen Reader icon to the right of the navigation bar and select the option . You will be able to set shortcuts for navigating pages and controlling voices, enable features such as highlighting the text being read, and selecting different voices.

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In terms of sound, Screen Reader has many options that are optimized for different languages. The problem is, unless you try, you won't know which one is which one. Under "Voice", you will see a list of names. Alex is the default male English pronunciation, and while you might think the second name on the list is Alice, it is actually a pronunciation optimized for Italian reading.

Another problem with Screen Reader is that there is a lot of content on the web page you don't actually want to read. Think of your inbox – When checking, you will usually focus on new unread messages, especially senders and topics. However, if you tell the machine to read your inbox aloud for you, it will start in the upper left corner, which may include the name of your email folder or other products from the company that manages your email services. It reads every page this way, which can make it difficult for you to get the job done. Users can improve it by using navigation options and shortcut keys, but there is certainly a potentially frustrating learning curve.

Some sites are more complex than others, and using a simplified version will help Screen Reader complete tasks faster. For the rest, you just need to be patient.

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