Mac Accessibility Shortcuts

Mac accessibility shortcuts help users control their Macs with a keyboard. Users can also ask Siri to help with some functions. To control accessibility options on you Mac, you can use these keyboard shortcuts or you can ask Siri to perform these functions:

Mac OS X Accessibility – Magnifier [Video]

Video uploaded by Todd Boniface on April 15, 2014.

Mac Accessibility Shortcuts

Option-Command-F5 – Display Accessibility Options. You can also triple-press Touch ID (power button) on supported models (MacBook Pro (15-inch, Late 2016), MacBook Pro 13-inch, Late 2016).

Command-F5 or Fn-Command-F5 – Turn VoiceOver on or off. (To use VoiceOver and VoiceOver Utility, you might need to turn on “Use all F1, F2, etc. keys as standard function keys” in Keyboard preferences. Users might also need to make VoiceOver ignore the next key press before you can use some of the other Mac keyboard shortcuts). Users can also hold Command and triple-press Touch ID on supported models (on MacBook Pro (15-inch, Late 2016), MacBook Pro 13-inch, Late 2016).

Control-Option-F8 or Fn-Control-Option-F8 – Open VoiceOver Utility, if VoiceOver is turned on (to use VoiceOver and VoiceOver Utility, you might need to turn on “Use all F1, F2, etc. keys as standard function keys” in Keyboard preferences. You might also need to make VoiceOver ignore the next key press before you can use some of the other Mac keyboard shortcuts).

Option-Command-8 – Turn zoom on or off (To use the zoom shortcuts, you might need to turn on Use keyboard shortcuts to zoom in Accessibility preferences).

Option-Command-Plus Sign (+) – Zoom in (To use the zoom shortcuts, you might need to turn on Use keyboard shortcuts to zoom in Accessibility preferences).

Option-Command-Minus Sign (-) – Zoom out (To use the zoom shortcuts, you might need to turn on “Use keyboard shortcuts to zoom” in Accessibility preferences).

Control-Option-Command-8 – Turn the Invert colors setting on or off.

Control-Option-Command-Comma (,) – Reduce contrast.

Control-Option-Command-Period (.) – Increase contrast.

Full Keyboard Access: Use Your Keyboard Like a Mouse

Full Keyboard Access allows the user to use the keyboard like a mouse. In this case users can navigate and interact with items on the screen with the Tab key, arrow keys and Space bar (to select an item).

To turn on Full Keyboard Access:

• Choose Apple menu > System Preferences.
• Click Keyboard.
• Click Shortcuts.

Select Text boxes and lists only to navigate only to text boxes and lists on the screen Select All controls to enable Full Keyboard Access and navigate to all controls on the screen.

Control-F7 – Switch between navigation of all controls on the screen, or only text boxes and lists.

Tab – Move to the next control.

Shift-Tab – Move to the previous control.

Control-Tab – Move to the next control when a text field is selected.

Control-Shift-Tab – Move the focus to the previous grouping of controls.

Arrow keys – Move to the adjacent item in a list, tab group, or menu; move sliders and adjusters (Move Up Arrow to increase values, Move Down Arrow to decrease values).

Control-Arrow keys – Move to a control adjacent to the text field.

Space bar – Choose the selected menu item.

Return or Enter – Click the default button or perform the default action.

Esc – Click the Cancel button or close a menu without choosing an item.

Control-Shift-F6 – Move the focus to the previous panel.

Control-F8 – Move to the status menu in the menu bar.

Command-Accent – Activate the next open window in the front app.

Shift-Command-Accent – Activate the previous open window in the front app.

Option-Command-Accent – Move the focus to the window drawer.

Navigating Menus With Your Keyboard

To use these shortcuts, first press Control-F2 to put the focus on the menu bar.

Left Arrow, Right Arrow – Move from menu to menu.

Return – Open a selected menu.

Up Arrow, Down Arrow – Move to menu items in the selected menu.

Type the menu item’s name – Jump to a menu item in the selected menu.

Return – Choose the selected menu item.

Using Mouse Keys to Move the Mouse Pointer

When Mouse Keys is turned on, you can use the keyboard or numeric keypad keys to move the mouse pointer.

• Move up – 8 or numeric keypad 8.
• Move down – K or numeric keypad 2.
• Move left – U or numeric keypad 4.
• Move right – O or numeric keypad 6.
• Move diagonally down and to the left – J or numeric keypad 1.
• Move diagonally down and to the right – L or numeric keypad 3.
• Move diagonally up and to the left – 7 or numeric keypad 7.
• Move diagonally down and to the right – 9 or numeric keypad 9.
• Press the mouse button – I or numeric keypad 5.
• Hold the mouse button – M or numeric keypad 0.
• Release the mouse button – . (period).

Links

• Mac keyboard shortcuts – Apple Support.
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