Mac Operating Systems (High Sierra, Mohave, Catalina & Big Sur)
Adapted from Mac Accessibility Support
Overview of accessibility features in Mac Operating Systems
Accessibility features comes standard with Macs. Whether you have difficulty with vision, hearing or physical mobility, Mac OS offers features to help make using your Mac easier.
Built-In Screen Reader called VoiceOver
Voiceover is the built-in screen reader that describes aloud what appears on the screen and speaks the text in documents, websites and windows.Using VoiceOver you control your Mac with the keyboard or trackpad gestures.
- To turn VoiceOver on or off, press Command -F5 (or if your Mac has a Touch Bar, press and hold the Command key & quickly press Touch ID three times.)
- To customize VoiceOver using VoiceOver Utility, press Control-Option-F8 (when VoiceOver is on).
- To learn how to use VoiceOver, choose Apple menu - System Preferences, click Accessibility, click VoiceOver, then click Open VoiceOver Training.
(Catalina Only) With Voice Control, you can navigate and interact with your device by using your voice to tap, swipe, type and more.
- To turn on Voice Control, choose Apple Menu- System Preferences, click Accessibility, then click Voice control.
Zoom Content on the screen:
If items on the screen are too small, you can zoom in to make content larger and easier to see.
- To set zoom options, choose Apple menu- System Preferences, click Accessibility, then click Zoom.
(Catalina Only) When you enable Hover Text, you can move the pointer over something on the screen - for example, text, a menu item or a button and display a high resolution zoomed version of it in a separate window.
- To turn on Hover Text, choose Apple menu- System Preferences, click Accessibility, then click Zoom. Select Enable Hover Text.
Reduce Motion on the screen:
If motion on the screen is a problem, you can set an option to reduce motion when using features as Spaces, Notification Center or the Dock.
- To set the option to reduce motion, choose Apple menu- System Preferences, click Accessibility, then click Display
Use a Physical Keyboard or Onscreen Keyboard
To make it easier to press keys on a physical keyboard, you can turn on Sticky Keys and Slow Keys. You can use the onscreen Accessibility Keyboard to navigate macOS and use advanced typing features (such as typing suggestions) and bypass a physical keyboard.
- To set these options, choose Apple menu- System Preferences, click Accessibility, then click Keyboard.
Move the pointer using the Keyboard
If you have trouble using a mouse, you can turn on Mouse Keys, then use the keyboard or numeric keyboard to move the mouse pointer and press the mouse button.
- To set this option, choose Apple menu- System Preferences, click Accessibility, then click Mouse & Trackpad.
Use dictation commands and text to speech
- When Enhanced Dictation is on, you can use dictation commands to open apps, choose menu items and more.
