Quick Answer
Go to Settings > Accessibility to find every built-in tool: ChromeVox (screen reader), Select-to-speak, full-screen and docked Magnifier, high contrast mode, Switch Access, dictation, and on-screen keyboard. Most can also be toggled quickly from the Quick Settings panel once enabled once in Settings.
Where to Find Accessibility Settings
Open Settings, then click Accessibility in the left sidebar. ChromeOS groups features into four categories: Text-to-Speech, Display and magnification, Keyboard and text input, and Mouse and touchpad — each with its own toggles.
Vision
ChromeVox (screen reader)
ChromeVox reads screen content aloud and lets you navigate entirely by keyboard. Enable it under Text-to-Speech > ChromeVox, or press Ctrl+Alt+Z to toggle it on or off at any time. See our full keyboard shortcuts cheat sheet for ChromeVox navigation commands.
Magnifier
Full-screen Magnifier zooms the entire display; Docked Magnifier keeps a magnified strip fixed at the top of the screen while the rest stays normal size. Both are under Display and magnification.
High contrast and color correction
High contrast mode inverts and boosts screen contrast. Color correction filters help with specific types of color blindness (protanomaly, deuteranomaly, tritanomaly) and can be fine-tuned by intensity.
Hearing
Live Caption automatically captions audio and video playing on the device, including video calls — useful alongside our guide on using Zoom and Google Meet on a Chromebook. Mono audio can also be enabled for users who rely on a single working ear or speaker.
Motor and Dexterity
Switch Access
Switch Access lets you navigate and select on-screen items using one or two switches (or the keyboard) instead of a mouse or touchpad, cycling through selectable items and confirming with a single press.
Sticky keys and on-screen keyboard
Sticky Keys lets you press modifier keys (Ctrl, Alt, Shift) one at a time instead of holding them down for combinations. The on-screen keyboard provides a full virtual keyboard controllable by touch, mouse, or switch.
Automatic clicks
Under Mouse and touchpad, Automatic clicks triggers a click automatically after the cursor rests in one spot for a set delay, useful for anyone who has difficulty pressing a physical button.
Cognitive Support
Dictation (type by voice) is available system-wide via a microphone icon in the shelf or the keyboard shortcut Search+D. Select-to-speak reads any highlighted text aloud on demand, which also helps with proofreading long documents.
Setting Up Accessibility for a Shared or Family Device
If you’re configuring a Chromebook for a child or another family member, pair these settings with a separate user profile so accessibility preferences don’t apply to every account on the device, or use Family Link to manage settings remotely.
FAQ
Can I turn on accessibility features from the sign-in screen?
Yes, click the accessibility icon (a person inside a circle) in the bottom-right corner of the sign-in screen to enable features before logging in.
Do accessibility features slow down a Chromebook?
Most have negligible performance impact. ChromeVox and Magnifier are the most resource-active but still run smoothly on any Chromebook still receiving updates.
Is there a diagnostics tool to check hardware issues that might affect accessibility, like a broken speaker or camera?
Yes, see our Chromebook Diagnostics App guide to test hardware components directly.
