I rely a lot on color for labeling information, so highlighters and colored overlays are a helpful tool for locating text or making it easier to see, especially when it comes to making information stand out against a bright white background. Here is a list of strategies for highlighting information with low vision, including options for improving visual access and ideas for nonvisual access.
Options for highlighting text: border, fill, underline
By default, most highlighting utensils add a colored background to desired content, creating a visual “backdrop” for text or other information. However, some students with low vision may find it more useful to highlight text by drawing a colored outline/border around an area for emphasis, or using colored underlines to indicate important text.
Changing the color of the text itself is generally not recommended as it will impact the readability of text and contrast, but it is a common option for writing code or in programming IDEs— I share an example in my post on SQLiteStudio below.
Related links
- Simplified Reading Displays and Low Vision
- A to Z of Assistive Technology For Low Vision
- SQLiteStudio Accessibility and Low Vision
Have multiple sizes/types of highlighter pens
When it comes to highlighting physical copies of materials, I recommend having multiple sizes/thicknesses of highlighter pens available, which can be used for drawing borders, filling in large areas of content, or used with different font sizes or text spacing layouts.
Some examples of types/sizes of highlighters I have used myself or with other students that have low vision include:
- Bible highlighters, which are thin and designed to not bleed through thin paper
- Gel highlighters, which have bright colors and don’t bleed through paper easily
- Pen style highlighters that are similar in size to a pencil or small handwriting area
- Chisel tip highlighters for highlighting lines or text
- Jumbo highlighters for large areas of text/content
- Window highlighters that create an outline for text
For students that want to view text with a highlighted color but don’t want to mark up the original document, there are a few options for applying temporary highlighting/color to content, including:
- Using a typoscope or line guide, which displays a few lines at a time and can be used with a colored overlay
- Acetate sheets, which can be cut to size or used across an entire page to add a colored tint to the background
- Erasable highlighters exist, but I haven’t used them very often with students because they require the user to apply pressure to the page to erase, which can rip the paper if not done correctly
Identify preferred colors
Preferred colors are colors that are easiest for the student to access without straining their eyes to read, or that are easily recognized. In this context, preferred colors may be different than the student’s “favorite colors”; for example, my favorite color is purple, but this isn’t one of my preferred colors for highlighters because I find it more challenging to see text or other content with a purple background added. Learning the difference between preferred colors and favorite colors has helped tremendously with text readability, and makes it easier for me to locate information in my notes.
While some students may have purple as a preferred color, common examples of preferred colors that I have encountered include:
- Yellow
- Turquoise
- Pink
- Blue
- Green
I’ve also met many students who consider red a preferred color, but typically in the context of drawing text borders/outlines or underlines, since black text on a red background can be challenging to read.
Related links
Incorporate color-coding
Once preferred colors are identified, it’s easier to incorporate color-coding for content, which is useful for labeling and organizing information. There are a few different systems for color-coding, which can include using specific colors for dates, definitions, key vocabulary, statistics, or similar content. I recommend writing out information first and then going back to highlight content later.
In my own notes for high school and my undergrad in data science, some examples of how I would use color-coding with highlighters include:
- Highlighting symbols for math problems or lines/points of interest
- Identifying formulas or code snippets/scripts, including areas where I would need to add content
- Headings and sub-headings for projects or documents, which can help with line tracking
- Labels for graphs/charts or diagrams like an instrument fingering chart or science graphic
In my own notes for graduate school, some examples of how I would use color-coding with highlighters include:
- Labeling general types of assistive technology vs brands
- Indicating key information about user needs or characteristics of a disability/condition
- Color-coding sources for a bibliography to help with organizing citations
- Coding information within my source notes for a literature review
Related links
- Adapting Math Symbols: Math Problems and Low Vision
- How To Modify An Instrument Fingering Chart For Low Vision
- How To Create Accessible Diagrams For Low Vision
- How I Create Citations For Research Papers With Low Vision
Add tags or annotations to text
Instead of relying on color to convey information, another option is to add tags, annotations, or comments to text so that it is easier to locate content later. I use this frequently when taking notes with Microsoft OneNote, especially when outlining research papers, but it can also be helpful for proofreading or finding content in a sidebar later.
Related links
- How I Outline Research Papers With OneNote
- How I Use Microsoft OneNote With Low Vision
- Mainstream eReader Apps and Low Vision Accessibility
- Make Proofreading Feedback Accessible For Low Vision
Use placeholder text to mark sections
There’s no way to search for text based on whether it is highlighted or not in most digital programs, and scrolling through pages of text can be fatiguing (not to mention boring). In these situations, using placeholder text for marking sections that doesn’t appear anywhere else in the document can be useful for “highlighting” content- the student can later use the Find (Ctrl + F) shortcut to search for the placeholder text and find the information they need.
Some ideas for how to use placeholder text include:
- Using several letters/numbers in a row at the beginning and end of a phrase that wouldn’t realistically be found in another word. For example, I could add three Zs to the beginning and end of an area of text that I would want to highlight, and later search for “ZZZ” in my notes to find passages of interest.
- When writing papers or highlighting areas that I know I will need to return to later, I add placeholder text in parenthesis so I can find it later. I can also use the find/replace tool if I plan to replace the placeholder text with something specific, such as a citation or term/definition.
- Adding a vertical bar/glyph around text | like this |, though this may not work well for advanced math or science notes since this character is used in equations or for programming languages
Related links
- How I Create Citations For Research Papers With Low Vision
- How I Manage Dysgraphia In Online Classes
- Assistive Technology For Dysgraphia
Consider turning on click lock to highlight large passages
For users that have trouble with holding down the left mouse button to highlight text, click lock is a useful accessibility feature which makes it easier to highlight or select content without continuously pressing down on the left-click button on the mouse. With click lock, users can long-press on their mouse key to start selecting text, and then left-click the mouse again when finished. For Mac devices, this is referred to as Drag Lock and is used with the trackpad.
How to enable Click Lock in Windows
- Open Device settings and select Mouse. Do not select a specific mouse
- Select Additional mouse settings/Additional mouse options
- Under the Buttons heading, select the checkbox for Click Lock and configure the click speed if needed
- Select Apply and then OK to save settings
How to enable Drag Lock for Mac
- Open System Settings and select Accessibility
- Select Pointer Control, and scroll to Mouse & Trackpad
- Under Trackpad Options, scroll to Dragging Style and select With Drag Lock
Related links
- How To Make Mouse Pointers Easier To See in Windows
- Computer Mice and Mouse Alternatives For Low Vision
Use keyboard shortcuts for highlighting text
Another helpful strategy for highlighting text on the computer is to use keyboard shortcuts, which can be used either fully with the keyboard or with a keyboard and mouse. Examples of common keyboard shortcuts for highlighting text include:
- Position the text cursor at one end of a line and press/hold the Shift key. Position the text cursor at the other end of a line and release the Shift key again to highlight text.
- To select one character to the left or right side of the text cursor, use the shortcut Shift + Left Arrow/Right Arrow.
- To select text characters located in the line directly above or below the text cursor, use the shortcut Shift + Up Arrow/Down Arrow.
- Shift + Home/End will select everything between the cursor and the beginning/end of a line.
To activate the highlighter tool in Microsoft Word with keyboard shortcuts, use Alt + H, I, H, and then select a color or highlighter setting of choice to highlight text.
Related links
- Mainstream Technology and Low Vision: Keyboards
- Secret Microsoft Office Accessibility Features I Use Every Day
More strategies for highlighting information with low vision
- When printing paper copies of text for students with visual impairments, I strongly recommend using single-side copies and not double-sided copies, as pens or highlighters can bleed through paper and mask/distort the information on the other side. I mention this in my post Ten Spooky Inaccessible Assignments and How To Fix Them
- Want to learn more about writing utensils I use with low vision? Read Writing Aids For Low Vision: My Personal Superlatives
- Interested in learning more about digital text accessibility for low vision? Read A to Z of Assistive Technology for Reading Digital Text
Published July 29, 2024. Updated January 2025