Ok, you know how to use your web browser, and you know how to read text. Now we're ready to start tackling some web pages. Get ready because this gets really difficult really fast. JK, these first 2 strategies are super simple.
Strategy #1: Read Every Last Bit with Arrow Keys
Just use the up and down arrows. That's it. The down arrow will take you through all the content on the page, from top to bottom. The up arrow will move through all the same content in the opposite direction. If you're not sure what to do on a page, just start using your up and down arrows, and you'll slowly move through all the content on the page.
If you ever get stuck while navigating with your arrow keys, try hitting the Esc key. As you encounter multiple choice items, drop down menus, or text fields, your screen reader may switch into "forms mode", and you may seem to be stuck on these elements. The Esc key will take you out of "forms mode," and you can continue moving through the page with your arrow keys. If you're really feeling stuck, try the next strategy.
| Task | Keyboard Command |
|---|---|
| Move to previous/next element or line of text | Up/down arrow |
| Exit Forms Mode | Esc |
Strategy #2: Move to Clickable Elements with the Tab Key
The Tab key will move you around a web page quite a bit faster than your arrow keys, but the downside is that the Tab key will skip over all the reading passages on a page.
Pressing Tab will move you through “clickable” elements on the screen, which are things you can interact with or activate by clicking with a mouse.
- Links
- Buttons
- Text fields (like search boxes and form fields)
- Checkboxes
- Radio buttons (think “multiple choice circles”)
- Sliders
- Drop down menus
If you hold down Shift while you press Tab, you will move in the opposite direction.
| Task | Keyboard Command |
|---|---|
| Move to next clickable object | Tab |
| Move to previous clickable object | Shift + Tab |