All external assistive technology (like screen readers JAWS or NVDA) should be turned off when starting the simulation as these functionalities are provided internally within the simulation itself.
More than half of our catalog is accessible and we are continuously upgrading our simulations to the highest accessible standard. These accessibility features include keyboard navigation, screen reader, and resizable text.
We recommend that our accessible simulations be played on one of our supported web browsers (Chrome or Firefox) since that will provide the most optimal user experience and will have a built-in screen reader.
Our accessible simulations can also be played on iPads and Chromebooks by downloading the Labster app. (Note: If you’re using a tablet and have downloaded our Labster app, you must have an external keyboard to play our accessible simulations.)
Please see the instructions below or view our ‘Accessibility at Labster’ page for more information:
Opening a Simulation in "Accessibility Mode":
Opening a simulation in 'Accessibility mode'
Depending on how you are accessing Labster simulations, there are two ways to play simulations in Accessibility Mode: by going to the Labster Dashboard or the Simulation Screen.
Labster Dashboard - Account settings
Course Manager - you can directly log in to my.labster.com and access your "Account settings"
LMS (Learning Management System - Blackboard, Canvas, Moodle etc.) - go to your Course/Assignments, launch your Labster student dashboard and access the "Account settings" from there.
Click on “Account settings” from the bottom left-hand side of the menu. If you do not see the Labster Dashboard in your course, please ask your instructor to enable it)
Scroll down and look for "Accessible simulations"
Simulation Screen
From your Course/Assignments page, open a lab. Click on the gear icon at the bottom. Then hit the Accessibility mode button to turn the setting off.
Once the simulation loads:
Select ‘Start’ to launch the simulation.
Proceed through a Tutorial on how to play the simulation in ‘Accessibility Mode’.
Begin playing the simulation.
There is a ‘Navigation’ tab permanently available in the LabPad in case you want a refresher on how to proceed.
Navigation in Accessibility Mode
LabPad Keyboard Navigation
Press ENTER to select.
Press SPACE BAR to raise or lower the Labpad.
Press TAB and BACKSPACE to iterate within the labPad
Press UP and DOWN arrow keys to scroll in the Labpad or navigate the dropdown menu.
Press LEFT and RIGHT arrow keys to iterate between items in the labor scene environment.
Press CONTROL + SHIFT + Y to adjust text size.
Press SHIFT + S to hear your current score.
Press SHIFT + P to hear your current progress.
Press SHIFT + T to hear your current day time.
Press SHIFT + H to skip current paragraph
Press SHIFT + A to pause or resume voiced content
Press SHIFT + R to switch screen reader on and off
Press SHIFT + E to switch sound effects on and off
Press V + UP and DOWN arrow keys to adjust sound effects volume
Lab Room Navigation
‘Left’ and ‘Right’ arrow keys — Controls the navigation and element selection within the lab room
Enter — Allows selecting the highlighted element
Backspace — Serves the same functionality as the ‘Back’ button, where it brings you to your previous physical location in the lab room
Alt text for Images
Alt Text — Any image within the simulation can be found in the ‘Media’ tab
Note 1: If you are using a Mac, please use the ‘Command’ key instead of ‘Ctrl'.
Note 2: We recommend users either use keyboard navigation (in ‘Accessibility Mode’) or click through the simulation in standard mode using their mouse.
Please do not hesitate to reach out to our Support Team if you have any questions or need assistance.
To get in touch with our Support Team, you can:
click on the blue button located at the bottom right of the screen
📚 Help Center article Contact Support
📧 or by email: customer.support@labster.com