Veronica With Four Eyes

Web Search Tips and Operators For Low Vision

Learning how to write research papers and essays can be overwhelming for students with low vision or print disabilities that impact access to standard print. Research databases, search engine results pages, and even just webpages in general can be extremely overwhelming visually, making it difficult to find the information needed and contributing to eye strain from having to closely read several pages of results.. As part of my Writing Success series, here are my favorite web search tips for low vision, including tips for using search operators to find relevant results quickly to minimize visual fatigue from browsing tons of sources.

Web search tips for low vision: What am I looking for?

When doing research tasks for classes, it helps to have a general idea of what type of information is needed and how it will be used. This usually involves creating a list of 5 to 7 relevant keywords that help narrow down exactly what to look for. Here are some examples of what that might look like:

Study help

When I am confused on a concept in class, I will gravitate towards looking for study guides, blog posts, flashcards, or resources from either my own school or other schools that explain the concept in different ways. This could include searching the name of my textbook with the corresponding chapter, headings from the book, or vocabulary words/terms.

Looking for research sources

For research projects, I use a list of keywords that connect to my area of interest that help me to find targeted search results. For a project on adapting physical education activities for visually impaired students, this included keywords such as visual impairment, physical education, physical activities, and visually disabled children. These are keywords or tags that had been attached to papers on my area of interest, so I could use them to search for related content.

For students conducting research on projects related to visual impairment, assistive technology, disability, or accessibility, I have an entire post about writing papers on accessibility-related topics linked below.

I know what I want, but not how to get it

When I was working on another project that had a broader scope, I thought about the types of results I would like to see, and how I would describe them. For example, I was looking for results on teaching kids about farm animals, so I thought about words, phrases, and organizations that may provide me with a starting point.

Another strategy I have used is inserting an asterisk as a wildcard for a specific word or phrase, which can be useful for finding ways that a phrase or topic is used across different contexts. For example, I used `expanded core curriculum lessons about *` to find lessons across a variety of contexts.

Related links

Choosing a search engine

Search engines can be visually complex with the sheer amount of content, ads, and other visual sidebars making it difficult to read single lines of text. While I don’t endorse any specific search engine for low vision accessibility, some examples of search engines that may be easier to read include:

  • DuckDuckGo. DuckDuckGo offers tracking protection and a simpler visual interface than other search engines.
  • Kiddle. Targeted at kids under 13 doing research for school, Kiddle features larger font sizes and a simplified display, as well as content filtering for younger users.
  • Custom themes or settings for other search engines such as Google or Bing, which can hide unnecessary graphics or change the color theme of the search page.
  • Kagi Search. Kagi is an ad-free search engine with multiple options for filtering out AI content and enabling display customizations such as large print. Kagi starts at $5 USD per month, and is currently my most-used search engine. This is one of the most impactful web search tips for low vision I can offer, as it reduces exposure to AI slop and low quality results.

For users with motion or light sensitivity, especially to strobe and/or flashing content, I strongly recommend disabling auto-play features in web browsers or in device settings, which can help minimize unwanted gifs or videos playing without consent.

Related links

Searching words/phrases with quotation marks

One of the fastest ways to refine a web search is by adding quotation marks around words or phrases. The search engine will look for exact matches for whatever text is in the quotation marks, and display those in the results.

For example, when I was looking for resources on contrast ratios for low vision, my first results kept providing results for high contrast in the context of photography, as well as several photos of bananas, which didn’t relate to what I was searching for at all. Using the phrase “web accessibility contrast ratio” provided much more relevant results.

Quotation marks are also useful for verifying whether a quote is authentic and tracing it to its actual source, for finding a specific statistic or web comment, or for tracking down a partial title of a page. Unquoted words are treated as suggestions by the search engine; quoted phrases are treated as requirements or must-haves.

Related links

Finding specific website types/domain extensions

When searching for content from government websites or educational institutions, it is helpful to filter sources based on domain extensions such as `gov` or `edu`, which are reserved for these types of sites. In these cases, I will type `site:gov` for government sites or `site:edu` for educational sites, followed by my query.

The `site:` operator also works in reverse. For example, searching `VoiceOver screen reader -site:apple.com` returns coverage that isn’t from Apple, which is a useful way to find independent reporting, user experiences and tips, or third-party perspectives on a topic.

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Searching within a specific website

There are a few websites that I consider my “go-to” for studying or learning about a specific topic, and sometimes I want to view results only from one specific website. This could be a set of flashcards on Quizlet, a post from my website, or an article from a news source. There are two different ways to search a website without navigating to the website first:

  • Use the keyword `site:` (without quotation marks) and type in the URL for the website, followed by a space and the search query of interest. For example, searching `site:veroniiiica.com math` without quotation marks would provide results for content on my website that mentions math. This also works as a better version of a website’s own search function in some cases.
  • In some web browsers like Microsoft Edge and Google Chrome, type the name of a site without the www prefix, and then press the Tab key to search directly on the website. This is not available for all websites, but this will display results directly on the website’s search page instead of on a search engine page.

Another option is to set up custom search engine shortcuts, which allow a specific search engine or website to be triggered directly from the address bar using a short keyword.

  • In Google Chrome, go to Settings > Search engine > Manage search engines and site search, then select Add to create a custom shortcut with a keyword of choice. Typing that keyword into the address bar followed by the Tab or Space key activates that search engine for the current query.
  • For Microsoft Edge, go to Settings >  Privacy, search, and services >  Address bar and search > Manage search engines.
  • In Firefox, go to Settings > Search, scroll to Search Shortcuts, and assign a keyword like `@wiki` for Wikipedia or `@v4i` for Veroniiiica (Veronica With Four Eyes). These keywords can be typed directly into the address bar before a query.

Related links

Searching multiple websites

Sometimes I want to search for a keyword across a specific subset of websites, such as my favorite study websites, blogs/organizations on visual impairment, or specific news outlets. In this situation, I pair the `site:` keyword with the OR operator to search multiple websites that I list out.

To search multiple websites:

  1. Type the keyword of interest.
  2. Add an open parenthesis and write the keyword `site:`
  3. List the websites/domains to include in the search separated by the `|` symbol (known as the OR operator). For example, if I wanted to search my site and Perkins School for the Blind, I would write `(site:veroniiiica.com | site:perkins.org)`
  4. Add a closing parenthesis to the end of the query.

Users can also group multiple searches using parentheses. For example, if I wanted to group multiple searches for a topic, I could write `(blind OR braille) computer display`

Related links

Searching by file type

Whenever possible, I prefer to read documents in a DOCX or HTML format over PDF, because I have more flexibility with text styles and spacing, especially when it comes to readings for my classes. This is also helpful for finding text with math equations, which are often inserted with an equation editor tool so I can read or enlarge them more easily.

To search by file type:

  1. Type the phrase `filetype` (all one word) followed by a colon (filetype:)
  2. Type the file format extension that is being requested, such as DOCX, PDF, or PNG. Do not use terms like “document,” “image,” or software names like Microsoft Word.
  3. Add a space between the file extension and the search query of interest.

For example, to find DOCX files related to functional visual assessment templates, I would search `filetype:docx “functional visual assessment”` either with or without the quotation marks. This is also helpful for finding study resources like slideshows (PPT), datasets (CSV), and software templates, as well as hard-to-find PDFs that may be excluded from other search results

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Using a hyphen to exclude words

When I was searching for information about a company that makes assistive technology for low vision, I kept getting results for a company that had a similar name but that was completely unrelated to what I was looking for. Using the hyphen to exclude words from a search query can help find more specific results and remove extraneous or unnecessary information.

The hyphen goes directly before the word with no space. For example, if I was searching for information on Python loops and kept getting results for Java, I could type `python loops -java` without the quotation marks.

Related links

Filtering results by date

When researching a topic where dates are relevant (such as current legislation, recent studies, or evolving technology) it helps to set a date boundary on results. The operators `after:` and `before:` are useful for this, and I use this all the time in my work as a graduate research assistant.

For example, `assistive technology for visual impairment after:2023` filters out everything published before that year. The `before:` operator works in the opposite direction, which is useful for confirming that a source predates a particular event or for tracing how a conversation has shifted over time. These two operators can also be combined with `site:` for a targeted archive search: `site:veroniiiica.com math after:2023` pulls everything a specific publication has written on a subject within a defined time period.

Related links

Filtering by page title or URL

Two operators that don’t get mentioned often are `intitle:` and `inurl:`, which filter results based on the structure of a page rather than just its content.

`intitle:”low vision”` returns only pages where that phrase appears in the actual title of the page, not just mentioned once in passing. This is helpful when looking for pages that are genuinely about a topic rather than pages that reference it briefly. `inurl:edu intitle:”CVI accessibility”` finds educational pages where CVI accessibility is the stated subject. Combined, these operators are considerably more precise than keyword searching alone, which makes it easier to locate relevant results.

Using number ranges

When comparing prices or looking for coverage from a specific time period, number ranges can set boundaries on results. The syntax is two periods between two numbers with no spaces: `video magnifier $800..$1200` returns results mentioning prices in that range. The same syntax works for years , such as `special education legislation 1971..1991`  or any other numerical measurement.

Using Verbatim mode

One of the most useful features in Google Search is hidden behind three clicks, and is known as Verbatim mode. After running any search, select Tools (just below the search bar) > All Results dropdown > Verbatim to tell Google to stop paraphrasing and return results for exactly what was typed, stripped of personalization and synonym-swapping.

This is especially helpful when a search keeps returning results for a related but different topic, or when the goal is to find a very specific phrase or term. I used this to track down an accessible copy of an open educational resource I had to read for one of my classes.

Related links

Getting audio answers directly from search

For users that prefer Google Search, there are a few hidden features that can be used for getting audio output or audio answers directly from the search results page, without needing an additional app or separate website. This is one of my favorite web search tips for low vision students and teachers of students with visual impairments that are looking for browser based resources. Here are some of my favorite examples.

Word pronunciations

Typing `how to pronounce` followed by any word into Google Search brings up an audio panel directly in the results. There is a speaker button that plays the pronunciation aloud, along with a phonetic spelling of the word. This is especially helpful for academic vocabulary, medical terminology, or any word encountered in a reading that is unfamiliar;  the pronunciation can be confirmed without leaving the search page or opening a dictionary app. Typing `define:` followed by a word also surfaces a definition card with the same speaker button next to the word at the top.

For words in other languages, typing `translate [word or phrase] to [language]` opens a full translation widget that includes an audio pronunciation button for the translated result. I used this to confirm the pronunciation of a new friend’s name.

Animal sounds

Typing `what sound does a [animal] make` or `[animal] sound` into Google Search brings up an interactive audio panel with a play button. Clicking or tapping it plays the actual recorded sound of that animal. Searching `animal sounds` more broadly brings up a panel with multiple animals listed, each with their own play button, so it is possible to browse and compare without running a separate search for each one.

Other built-in audio tools

A few other Google Search features produce audio or interactive sound output directly in the browser:

  • Metronome. Typing `metronome` into Google Search opens a working, adjustable metronome directly on the results page. The tempo can be changed without leaving the search bar.
  • Breathing exercise. Typing `breathing exercise` opens a guided, timed breathing pattern with audio and visual cues.
  • Timer.  Typing `timer [duration]` (for example, `timer 25 minutes`) starts a countdown that plays an audio alert when it ends, without opening a separate app or tab.

Related links

Finding pages that are linked to other pages

Has this content been shared anywhere else? Another helpful way to run effective web searches is to search for other websites or pages that have linked to a URL, whether that is a website in general or a specific page on a website. This can be done by typing the word `link` without quotation marks, followed by a colon and no spacing between the URL. For example, to find other pages that linked to my website, I would run a search for `link:www.veroniiiica.com` without quotations. This can also be used for social media profiles and posts.

Another tool I have used for searching social media websites is writing @[platform name] followed by the query. For example, I could use @pinterest to prioritize results from Pinterest.

Related links

Stacking operators

For more complex queries, users can stack operators to return even more precise results. For example:

  • `filetype:pdf “expanded core curriculum” site:edu before:2015`  finds older academic PDFs on the topic from university domains
  • `site:ed.gov after:2025 -“press release”` pulls recent Department of Education content with press releases filtered out
  • `intitle:”assistive technology” site:edu filetype:html`  finds university pages where assistive technology is the stated subject, in HTML format

Stacking operators is particularly useful for research tasks where the goal is to find primary sources, government documents, or academic papers rather than general web content. It’s also one of my favorite web search tips for low vision because it can reduce the total number of results and make it easier to find information.

Summary of how to run effective web searches and web search tips for low vision

  • To find exact words or phrases in search results, add quotation marks around words or phrases, i.e. `”web accessibility contrast ratio”`
  • Results from a specific domain or website can be found by writing `site:` followed by the domain, such as `site:veroniiiica.com math` or `site:edu assistive technology`
  • To exclude a website from results, use `site:` with a hyphen, such as `expanded core curriculum -site:pinterest.com`
  • To find files that match a specific file type, use `filetype:` followed by the extension, such as `filetype:docx`
  • Use a hyphen to exclude words from a search, such as `python loops -java`
  • To filter results by date, use `after:` or `before:` followed by a year, such as `assistive technology for visual impairment after:2023`
  • To filter by page title, use `intitle:` followed by the phrase, such as `intitle:”assistive technology”`
  • To set a numerical range, use two periods between two numbers with no spaces, such as `video magnifier $800..$1200`
  • To find pages that are linked to other pages, search for `link:` followed by the website, such as `link:www.veroniiiica.com`
  • For exact results stripped of personalization, use Verbatim mode via Tools > All Results > Verbatim

More web search tips for low vision users

Web search tips for low vision, including how to use Google search with low vision and other strategies for finding relevant information with search engines

Published June 9, 2020. Updated May 2026

Reference
Lewis, Veronica. (2020). Web Search Tips and Operators For Low Vision. Veroniiiica. https://veroniiiica.com/web-search-tips-for-low-vision/ (Accessed on May 13, 2026)
Filed Under: Assistive Technology, Career Education, Compensatory Skills, Expanded Core Curriculum, Low Vision, Reading and Writing, Virtual Education, Websites and Apps
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