For one of my college design classes, I had to rent a MacBook from the library and work with it for about a week. I had never used a Mac prior to this, so I messaged one of my friends and asked them to help me learn more about low vision accessibility settings for MacBooks and figure out how to make MacBook accessible for low vision. Luckily, this process was much easier than I expected, and I was using the MacBook in no time at all. Here’s a list of low vision accessibility settings for MacBooks and Mac computers that can be helpful for users with vision loss.
Invert colors
Why invert colors? Some people find it easier to read light text on a dark background, instead of dark text on a light background. In addition, having a darker background can help with eye fatigue and simplifies the display of the computer.
How to invert colors
- Open the System Preferences panel
- Click on Accessibility
- Click on Display
- Check the box that says Invert Colors
- Alternatively, use the keyboard shortcut control+option+command+8
Related links
- Ten Ways to Reduce Eye Strain With Technology
- A to Z of Assistive Technology For Low Vision
- Choosing High Contrast Color Schemes For Low Vision
- Paper Colors And Low Vision
Gestures to zoom on trackpad
There are two different ways to use gestures on the trackpad/mouse for zooming in:
- Double-tap with two fingers for smart zoom on webpages or documents
- Use a pinch gesture to zoom in on the screen
How to zoom in on trackpad
Double-tap with two fingers or use a pinch gesture to magnify the webpage. Note that your device must support multi-touch gestures.
Related links
Enable VoiceOver
VoiceOver is the built-in screen reader for Apple devices that reads all page elements and allows users to use their computer with their keyboard and other gestures instead of a mouse. For users who do not need to have everything on the screen read out loud but still benefit from text-to-speech, Speak Text is a great alternative- more on that in the next section.
How to enable VoiceOver
- Open the System Preferences panel
- Click on Accessibility
- Click on VoiceOver
- Check the box that says Enable VoiceOver
- Configure settings as needed
- To activate VoiceOver, use the keyboard shortcut Command+F5
Related links
- How To Use VoiceOver For Beginners
- How To Make iPad Accessible for Low Vision
- Assistive Technology For Fluctuating Eyesight
Speak Text
For users who need an on-demand screen reader that only reads selected text instead of an entire page, Speak Text is a great option for users. I love using this tool on my iPad as I do not always need to hear information about the UI of a given app, but definitely benefit from having onscreen text read out loud.
HOW TO ENABLE SPEAK TEXT
- Open the System Preferences panel under the Apple icon
- Click on Dictation and Speech.
- Select the Text to Speech tab
- Check the option “Speak selected text when the key is pressed”
- Click the Set Key option
- Choose one modifier key — Command, Control, Option, or Shift — plus one other key of your choice to set the key combination for activating Speak Text
- Click OK
Related links
- Ways To Read Webpages Without A Traditional Screen Reader
- How To Use Select to Speak on Android
- Simplified Reading Displays and Low Vision
Dark mode
Dark mode (sometimes called dark theme or night mode) is a light-on-dark color scheme that uses light-colored text, icons, and graphical user interface elements on a dark background. It has grown in popularity over the years as a way to help prevent screen fatigue for users and make text and other elements easier to read or interact with for longer periods of time. Many users with low vision prefer to use dark mode to help with combatting eyestrain and making text easier to read.
How to enable Dark Mode
- Open the System Preferences panel
- Click on General
- Click on Appearance
- Check the box that says Dark
Related links
- Black Or White: Choosing Dark Mode For Low Vision
- Lighting And Low Vision
- Ten Ways To Reduce Eye Strain From Screens With Technology
Reduce motion
This is one of the lesser-known accessibility settings for MacBooks. I have this setting enabled on my iPad because I can get disoriented from fast-moving images, and the animations can be painful when I have a migraine. This can also help students with photosensitivity who are sensitive to quick-changing displays.
How to reduce motion
- Open the System Preferences panel
- Click on Accessibility
- Click on Display
- Check the box that says Reduce Motion
Related links
- Five Common Technology Behaviors That Hurt My Brain
- Why Everyone Should Design For Chiari Malformation: My Talk At ID24 2020
Zoom
Zoom is the built-in screen magnification tool for Apple devices, which allows users to enlarge items onscreen using a digital magnifier. There are several options for customizing Zoom, including color filters, lens size, and magnification power- these are covered in the Zoom Magnifier post linked below.
How to enable Zoom
- Open the System Preferences panel
- Click on Accessibility
- Click on Zoom
- Choose how you want to activate Zoom- many users prefer to use keyboard gestures, but users can also use the scroll wheel on their mouse.
Related links
Cursor size
Most people that I know with low vision prefer to use a large cursor size. It’s easier to track on the screen and it’s much less likely to go missing on the screen.
How to change the cursor size
- Open the System Preferences panel
- Click on Universal Access
- Click on the mouse and trackpad pane
- Use the slider to adjust the size of the cursor
Related links
Enlarge dock
Users with low vision may find it hard to see items on the dock, which is a selection of apps and shortcuts on the bottom of their screen. Enlarge Dock can help tremendously with this issue.
How to enlarge dock
- Open the System Preferences panel
- Click on Dock
- Adjust the slider to change the dock size
- In addition, you can magnify icons when you move your mouse over them
Make everything on the screen larger
If you need to make everything larger on your MacBook, there’s an option to make everything on the screen larger. I don’t recommend doing this if you are frequently working on items where image clarity and quality are critical, since the display will be at a lower resolution.
How to make everything on the screen larger
- Open the System Preferences panel
- Click on Displays
- Click on Display
- Select your desired resolution. This will be different for everyone, so feel free to choose a couple of different settings
Related links
- How To Create High Resolution Images For Users With Low Vision
- Computer Lab Accommodations For Low Vision Students
- Using High Contrast Themes In Windows 10
Keyboard brightness
For people who use a backlit keyboard, users can adjust the intensity of the backlight in system settings. My friend prefers to use the backlit keyboard because it helps them locate keys more easily. This isn’t technically part of accessibility settings for MacBooks, but it is helpful.
How to adjust keyboard brightness
- Open the System Preferences panel
- Click on Keyboard
- Click on Keyboard again if needed
- Check the box that says “adjust keyboard brightness in low light”
- To make the keyboard brighter, press F6 on the keyboard. To make it less bright, press F5 on the keyboard.
Related links
- Mainstream Technology and Low Vision: Keyboards
- Questions To Ask When Choosing A Desktop Computer For College
- Questions To Ask When Choosing A Laptop For College
Tech support options
For users who are looking for support on how to make MacBooks accessible, I recommend calling the Apple Accessibility Support phone number, as they are well versed in helping to troubleshoot and support issues related to accessibility settings. For students in college, the campus assistive technology specialist can also be a great resource.
Related links
- Why I Use Accessibility Support Phone Numbers
- Ways To Get Accessibility Support For Virtual Learning
- What To Know About College Assistive Technology Specialists
Low Vision Accessibility Settings For MacBooks Summary
- Invert colors to increase clarity
- Use gestures to zoom on trackpad
- Enable VoiceOver
- Enable Speak Text
- Enable dark mode
- Reduce motion and animations
- Enable Zoom screen magnification
- Increase cursor size
- Enlarge the system dock
- Make everything on the screen larger
- Adjust the backlight intensity of the keyboard