The Accessibility Features Every Student Should Know About

 This week I was checking out different accessibility tools and honestly I didn’t know there were so many things built into our phones and laptops that could make school easier. I always thought accessibility stuff was only for people with big disabilities, but after looking into it, I realized a lot of students around us could use these tools and we don’t even notice.

One tool that I think is really helpful is Live Captions. My roommate watches videos with captions all the time, even though he doesn’t have hearing problems. He just understands things better when he can read and listen together. I feel like students who get distracted easily would benefit from this too. Sometimes in class videos, people talk too fast and captions help you not miss anything.

Another tool is Voice Typing. I didn’t even know Google Docs had this until recently. If a student has trouble writing or they type slow, they can just speak their thoughts. I tried it once when I was tired from work and didn’t want to write a discussion post, and it actually helped me get ideas out way faster. So I can see it helping students who have motor skill issues or ADHD.

For vision stuff, Microsoft Magnifier is simple but useful. My cousin uses something similar on her phone because she hates tiny text. I think students who sit in the back and forget their glasses would use this too, not even joking. Also, tools like VoiceOver on Apple devices can read the whole screen out loud, which is a lifesaver for students with low vision or even people who just want to listen while multitasking.

A tool I thought was underrated is Immersive Reader. It breaks down words, spaces things out, and reads everything to you. I tried it while reading a long article, and it made the text look less overwhelming. I feel like students who get stressed when they see big paragraphs would really benefit from it.

Another thing I found interesting was color filters/high contrast mode. I didn’t realize color-blind students struggle with basic stuff like charts and graphs, so being able to adjust colors makes a big difference. I turned on high contrast for fun, and it actually made reading at night easier for me too.

Lastly, tools like Read&Write give extra support with vocabulary and reading. It reminds me of when I used to Google definitions in high school, except now it’s all in one place and way faster. Students who struggle with English or have trouble understanding big words would definitely use this.

After exploring everything, I realized accessibility tools aren’t just for a small group of students. They help everyone in different ways. And honestly, teachers should introduce these tools more because half of us don’t even know they exist unless someone shows us.