Screen readers and keyboards

The site is built to work with screen readers such as NVDA, JAWS, VoiceOver, TalkBack and Narrator, with no setup needed.

• Skip links. The first Tab presses on any page offer "Skip to main content", "Skip to main menu" and "Voice navigation options".
• Landmarks. Every page has a banner, a main menu, a main content area and a footer you can jump between.
• Menus. Tab to a menu item and press the Down Arrow to open its sub menu. Use the Up and Down arrows to move through it and Escape to close it.
• Search. The search button opens a search field and moves your focus into it.
• Focus. The item you are on always has a clear gold outline.

Voice navigation mode (optional)

Voice navigation reads page guidance and form help out loud using your browser's built-in voice. It is off by default and never starts on its own for a new visitor.

If you already use a screen reader you usually do not need it, and you may hear some things twice. You can turn on only the parts you want with the commands below.

How to turn it on or off

• Keyboard: press Alt + Shift + V on any page. Pressing it again turns voice navigation off.
• Buttons: use the "Voice navigation" button in the top bar, or the third skip link at the start of the page. These show a short explanation first.

Commands (when voice navigation is on)

All commands are Alt + Shift plus a letter:

• V turn voice navigation on or off
• H hear the list of commands
• R read the main content of the page aloud
• S or Esc stop speaking immediately
• M hear and move to the main menu
• C jump to the main content
• F open the search field
• W hear where you are (the page title and sections)
• T turn reading of focused links, buttons and fields on or off
• P turn reading of what the mouse pointer is on, on or off
• = faster speech, - slower speech

A red "Stop speech" button also appears while it is speaking.

Mouse pointer

When voice navigation is on, rest the mouse pointer on a link, button, heading, picture, form field or paragraph and it says what it is, for example "Admissions, link" or "Image: graduation ceremony". It waits a moment first, so it does not talk while you are just moving across the page.

Forms

When you move into a form field, voice navigation says its name, what type it is, whether it is required, any hint, and its current value. If a form cannot be submitted, it tells you how many fields need attention and reads the first problem.

What we remember

Only if you turn voice navigation on, we save that choice (and your speech speed) in this browser so it can offer to continue on your next visit. Nothing is saved if you do not turn it on, and turning it off deletes the saved choice. We do not treat typing or tabbing as a sign that you need voice navigation.

When your browser blocks automatic speech

Many browsers (especially Chrome and Safari) do not allow a page to speak until you have pressed a key or tapped on it. If that happens, a bar appears saying voice navigation is on and waiting. Press any key or tap anywhere, or choose "Start voice guidance", and it will begin. Voice guidance cannot be guaranteed to start by itself in every browser or in a brand-new browser session.

Need help or found a barrier?

Please tell us. Email info@ttu.ac.ke or call +254 721 113 302, and tell us the page and what went wrong. We will help you get the information you need and fix the problem.