Hello! Microsoft Edge has become the web browser developed by Microsoft to replace the legendary Internet Explorer. Let’s remember, this browser gave users plenty of headaches. Now, Edge is a much more reliable browser with Chromium engine. Therefore, it supports a wide number of features that allows to increase its functionalities. To help people with disabilities, Microsoft’s browser incorporates its accessibility features. Moreover, it is possible to enhance these capabilities. For this purpose, it is necessary to resort to extensions. Read on to find out how to improve accessibility with these add-ons for Edge.
Edge accessibility options
Let’s talk about the term accessibility within the scope of web browsers. We actually refer to certain features that have been developed to improve the viewing and handling of certain pages. This is done by adapting certain parameters. This is intended to make the browser as practical as possible. Especially that it does not have limitations for any type of person.
With this in mind, Edge has its Accessibility menu. We will be able to access it by clicking on the icon with three dots at the top right. This will display a menu where we will select the Settings section. In the new window that appears, in the left column, we will find the Accessibility section.
Subsequently, on the right side of the screen, we can see a series of functions. These are ready to help us to improve the interaction with the browser.
- Display a high visibility outline around the focus area of the page.
- Page Zoom: change the zoom level for all websites.
- Live subtitles: create English subtitles when playing audio.
- Customize the appearance of subtitles.
- Get Microsoft image descriptions for screen readers.
- Paste before closing a window with multiple tabs.
- Show mini-menu when selecting text.
- Navigate pages with a text cursor.
- Use F12 key to open development tools.
- Show download menu when starting a download.
As you can see, there are several functions. However, if they are not enough for you, you can extend it. Next we will see how to improve accessibility with these add-ons for Edge.
Color-blind enhancements
In case we suffer from color blindness, we can use one of the following extensions for Edge:
Color enhancer
This add-on for Edge allows you to select a customizable color filter. Consequently, it is applied to pages to improve color perception. So, it can be of great help to people who are partially color-blind. Once installed, we click on its icon, from where we can adjust the color perception automatically. From its Settings section, we will be able to select the row with the most blurred stars. In addition to adjusting the color through a slider bar so that they are completely visible.
Through these settings the web we want to visit will be much easier to navigate. Especially when we have problems with color vision.
Contrast your Page
Through it, we will be able to browse any website we choose. For this purpose, it uses a selection of high contrast color filters. Which have been designed to facilitate the reading of the text. Consequently, installing the add-on causes all pages to invert their color. So that black becomes white and white becomes black.
Simply click on its icon located on the toolbar to activate and deactivate it. We can also customize its use for a specific site. In addition, it has a keyboard shortcut, through which we will be able to quickly change its configuration while browsing.
Hearing problems
For users who are hearing impaired or deaf, these Edge add-ons can be a great help.
Substital
This add-on adds subtitles to any video, movie, or series you are watching. Whether on Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime, YouTube, or Vimeo among others. This is something that can be very useful in various circumstances. Most of all to learn languages or because we have certain hearing problems.
The application has its subtitle search engine. It also allows you to add them directly by dragging and dropping. Additionally, it is compatible with SRT or ZIP formats containing an SRT. It also allows synchronizing the subtitles correctly manually in case they are out of sync. Finally, it is possible to change its size, text color and background color.
eLang
This add-on is especially suitable for both students and the hearing impaired. It translates text and subtitles with video navigation. It is also compatible with platforms such as YouTube and Netflix. More than 100 languages are available. In addition, it provides detailed information about the translated word such as voice acting, synonyms and pronunciation.
We can conveniently navigate through videos with repeat and slow phrase repeat. It also has search through subtitles. It also allows you to add new words with translation and context to your vocabulary.
For dyslexics
In case our vision problems may be related to dyslexia, these Edge add-ons will be of great help:
Helperbird
We are talking about an add-on that offers a wide range of tools to customize any website according to our needs. In this way it increases its accessibility, writing, reading, and productivity. It has support and fonts for dyslexics, Microsoft immersive reader, OCR with text extraction, among other utilities.
It stands out for its intuitive and easy to use design. Furthermore, It provides customized support to make websites, PDFs, and documents more accessible. Moreover, it also offers other accessibility tools that can be very useful. For example, change the size of the cursor, the size of the shortcuts, use its reader mode to eliminate distractions. In addition, it has support for sign language among other essential features. Helpebird has a free version available here.
ClaroRead
Through the use of this add-on, we will be able to read any text from a web page. Later we will be able to listen to the text read and marked to be able to follow it. It is an ideal application both for exams and for revising work. However, it is especially designed for people with problems such as dyslexia. We will be able to listen to PDFs in an accessible way, as well as listen to letters, words, or phrases as we type them.
We can also activate a transparent color layer. In this way the pages are tinted in the tone that best suits us to make them easier to read. In addition, we can activate word prediction, so we can get help with our writing and typing.
Other accessibility features
Now let’s take a look at a series of add-ons for Edge that will also take care of adding accessibility features every time we use Microsoft’s browser.
Zoom for Microsoft Edge
It is an ideal complement for people with eye problems such as lazy eye or amblyopia. Or simply have difficulty reading content on a screen. With this application we will be able to zoom in or out the content of a web page by using a zoom button. Therefore, it will enable us to read more comfortably.
It can automatically save a certain zoom value for a website. This way, every time we visit this website, the extension will restore the specified zoom value. Likewise, it will always be possible to restore the default zoom.
Stylebot
There are times when the appearance of a website we visit is not exactly pleasant. So, we may have to deal with certain accessibility problems. Therefore, by using this add-on, we can make a makeover for the website by modifying its code. This allows us to change some features such as font, text color, background color and text alignment, to improve its readability.
From its toolbar icon, it shows us a sidebar, from which we can select the element of the website we want to change. Some parameters are the title, the body text, among others, to modify it. If, in addition, we know its CSS, we will be able to change its code. So, it is possible to enable its Readability mode that allows us to reduce the website to its most basic elements. Also apply light, dark and sepia themes, adjust the font, text width or line height. Ultimately, we have seen how to improve accessibility with these add-ons for Edge. Bye!
