Padlet Accessibility FAQs
Padlet's Accessibility Commitment
Padlet is committed to providing an accessible experience for everyone. We are broadly compliant with level A for our Board product and are working towards AA by the end of 2024.
Padlet’s Accessibility Statement is available on our legal page. If you have questions or concerns about Padlet’s accessibility, please contact us.
Keyboard shortcuts and navigation
How can I navigate a board with keyboard shorcuts?
How do I search for a post within a board?
2. Press Cmd/Ctrl + F to open the search bar and type in keywords to find a specific content. To refine your search, you can also filter by status, post color, or author. For more details, visit the Padlet article on search and filtering.
How do I search for padlets on the dashboard?
2. In the search bar, type in relevant keywords from the board’s title or description to find what you're looking for.
3. Continue pressing the Tab key to move through the search results. When the desired padlet is focused, press Enter to select.
How to turn off Padlet's keyboard shortcuts?
2. Click Settings > Accessibility
3. Toggle Keyboard Shortcuts. By default, this button is turned on (indicated by a purple color or slider to the right).
How do I change the board settings using a keyboard?
2. Press Tab repeatedly until you reach the Settings page represented by a gear icon (⚙️).
If you’re using a screen reader, you can quickly find the Settings page using these shortcuts.
JAWS:
Press B (JAWS Quick Key) to cycle through buttons on the page.
Keep pressing B until you hear Open padlet settings button.
NVDA:
Use the NVDA + F7 shortcut to open the Elements List.
From the list, navigate to the Buttons section and select the Open padlet settings button.
Mac VoiceOver:
Go to Form Controls > Open padlet settings button
3. Press Enter to open the Settings menu. (The menu may expand or open in a new panel.)
4. Use the arrow keys (Left/Right) to navigate through the different setting categories (e.g., "Heading," "Appearance," "Layout").
5. Most changes made are saved automatically. For settings that open a separate panel (i.e., wallpaper, icons), look for a Save button.
Refer to this page for a detailed list of keyboard shortcuts for all functionalities.
How to skip to the first post on a board?
2. Press Enter, then press Tab to jump to the first post.
How to skip to the main content on the dashboard
2. Press Enter then Tab to select a padlet to open.
How do I navigate by sections on a board?
JAWS (Windows):
1. Use the H key to move to the next heading.
2. Use Shift + H to move to the previous heading.
NVDA (Windows):
1. Use the H key to move to the next heading.
2. Use Ctrl + Shift + H to move to the previous heading.
VoiceOver (Mac):
1. Use the VO + Arrow Down key combination to move to the next heading.
2. Use VO + Arrow Up to move to the previous heading.
Instructions may vary slightly depending on your screen reader and operating system version. For the most accurate guidance, please refer to the specific documentation or support resources for your screen reader and operating system.
Screen Readers and Assistive Technology
Which screen reader can I use for Padlet?
Mac Users: Apple's built-in screen reader, VoiceOver, is a great option.
Windows Users: Popular screen reader options for Windows include Job Access With Speech (JAWS) and NonVisual Desktop Access (NVDA).
Mobile Devices: For iPhones and iPads, use VoiceOver. If you're on Android, TalkBack is the built-in screen reader.
My assistive technology isn’t working with Padlet. How can I report this issue?
How to enable VoiceOver on your Mac
On a computer
1. Open System Settings. (This might be called "System Preferences" on older macOS versions.)
2. Click on Accessibility in the sidebar.
3. In the list on the left, choose VoiceOver.
4. To turn VoiceOver on, click the checkbox next to Enable VoiceOver. You might be prompted to confirm this change.
On iPhone or iPad
1. Open the Settings app.
2. Scroll down and tap on Accessibility. This will open a list of accessibility features on your device.
3. Tap on VoiceOver. This will display the settings related to VoiceOver.
4. To turn VoiceOver on, toggle the switch next to VoiceOver to the ON position.
How to navigate a board using a screen reader
Title: The main title of your Padlet is marked as an H1 heading.
Sections: If sections are enabled on the padlet, each section title is designated as an H2 heading.
Post Titles: Individual posts can be navigated by headings.
To look for a specific post, you can use the search-by-keyword feature by accessing your screen reader's Form Field section ((JAWS + F3, NVDA + F7 or the Rotor (VoiceOver on macOS or iOS) and selecting 'search post by keyword edit' button. From there, you can quickly jump to a specific post.
Inside a post
Attachments: If a post contains an attachment, you can click on it to access the expanded view, where you can view PDFs or play audio and video files.
Reactions: If reactions are enabled, you can click on the reaction buttons to interact with the post.
Comments: If comments aren’t immediately visible, you can click on the comments icon button to expand the post and view all comments.
Additional Actions: If there are actions not immediately available on the post, you can click on the three-dot menu to access more options.
How can I navigate the dashboard with a screen reader?
Navigating by landmarks
The dashboard is structured with landmarks to help you navigate efficiently. The banner landmark includes the main navigation options: "Gallery," "Join," "Learn," and "Make."
Using the search bar
The search bar allows you to find specific boards and sandboxes.
1. To access it, move your screen reader focus to 'search padlets by keywords', or press Ctrl+ F on Windows or Cmd+ F on macOS.
2. Type in your keywords in the search bar and Tab to the board or sandbox you wish to open. Press Enter to open the board.
Bypassing repetitive content
Use the "Skip to content" link to bypass repetitive navigation options and go directly to the padlet and options list.
The commands may vary slightly depending on the screen reader you’re using. Be sure to check the specific user guide for your screen reader for any variations.
How do I add alt text for an image on the board?
1. Upload the image attachment
2. Click the ALT button in the lower lower-left-left corner of any image
3. Add a brief description and click Publish.
For full instructions on adding attachments, visit this page.
How to quickly make a new board
JAWS (Windows): Press Ctrl + D to open the address bar in your browser. Then type padlet.new and press Enter.
NVDA (Windows): Press Ctrl + L to focus on the address bar. Type padlet.new and press Enter.
VoiceOver (Mac): Press Cmd + L to move to the address bar, type padlet.new, and press Enter.
2. Customize your board
Once you've loaded the board, you'll be presented with a new board interface.
Keyboard users: Use the Tab key to navigate through the various fields and options.
Touch device users: Swipe until your screen reader announces the Settings menu.
3. Start posting:
Use the Tab key to navigate to the Add a post button.
Type your text or add attachments. You can also use shortcuts to quickly attach files.
How do you turn speech recognition on for your device?
Mac
1. Open System Preferences.
2. Click on Keyboard.
3. Go to the Dictation tab.
4. Toggle Enable Dictation to "On."
(Optional): Review additional dictation settings like keyboard shortcuts or custom vocabulary.
Windows
1. Press the Windows logo key + H or select the mic button🎙️ on the touch keyboard
iOS
1. Open Settings.
2. Go to General > Keyboard.
3. Toggle Enable Dictation to "On."
Android
1. Open Settings.
2. Navigate to General Management > Keyboard list and default.
3. Turn on the desired voice input option (e.g., Google voice typing).
Chromebook
1. Click the clock or press Alt + Shift + S in the bottom right corner to access Settings.
2. Navigate to Accessibility within Settings.
3. Find Keyboard and text input and toggle on Enable dictation (speak to type).
How to use speech recognition to create text on a padlet
2. Locate the microphone icon🎙️on the keyboard (mobile app) or within the text field itself (web interface).
3. Click or tap the microphone icon 🎙️ to activate voice typing.
4. Speak clearly and naturally, and your voice will be transcribed into text.
Remember punctuation! Say "comma," "period," "question mark," etc., for clear communication.
5. Click or tap the microphone icon again to stop dictation when finished.
Does Padlet have a text-to-speech feature available for its users?
Captions and Media
Does Padlet support captioning for audio and video file?
At the moment, users cannot edit the auto-generated captions.
Enable Auto Caption on video and audio posts
2. Click Captions and select a language. The captions will then be displayed at the bottom of the audio or video player.
How to adjust video speed and quality
2. Click on the Settings icon in the bottom right corner.
3. Select the option to adjust speed and quality, and enable or disable captions.
How do I add captions to attachments on a board?
2. Look for the Add a caption field.
3. Add captions to provide context and click Publish.
To edit the caption:
1. Click the vertical three dots on the post and click Edit post.
2. Type in the new caption and click Update.
Can I upload transcripts to my audio and video files and download them later?
Turn off autoplay on GIFs
To disable GIF autoplay on Padlet:
Individual GIF: Click the pause button at the bottom right corner of each GIF.
All GIFs: Adjust your device's accessibility settings:
Windows: Go to Settings > Accessibility > Animation Effects > toggle Show animations to Off.
Mac: Open System Preferences > Accessibility > Display and check Reduce motion.
iOS: Go to Settings > Accessibility > Motion and toggle Reduce Motion to On.
Android: Open Settings > Accessibility and select Remove animations or Reduce motion.
Padlet respects your device’s system preference for reduced motion, so if you've set this preference on your device, it will automatically apply to GIFs on the board. There is no user or board setting to override this preference at this time.
Text Size and Contrast
How can I make Padlet appear larger on my screen?
1. Hold down Ctrl (PC) or Command (Mac) buttons on your keyboard.
2. Press “+” to zoom in or “-” to zoom out.
How do I adjust the text contrast on Padlet?
Computer users:
Mac
1. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Display.
2. Toggle on "Invert Colors" for a dark mode
Windows
1. From Settings, head to Accessibility.
2. Select your contrast preference under Contrast Themes. You'll see a dropdown menu with various themes like Aquatic, Desert, Dusk or Night Sky.
You can also toggle contrast themes on or off using a keyboard shortcut: Press Left Alt + Left Shift + Print Screen simultaneously.
Mobile device users:
iPhone/iPads
On your home screen, tap Settings > General > Accessibility.
Under Increase Contrast, choose Reduce Transparency or Darken Colors
Android
Open Settings > Accessibility > Vision.
Toggle the switch next to High Contrast Fonts to turn it on or off.
Look for options like Display Contrast or Invert Colors in your device's accessibility settings (available on both iOS and Android).
You can also explore extensions like High Contrast for Chrome or Dark Reader for Safari. These extensions can modify the color scheme to make the text stand out more.
Language Options and Support
Is Padlet available in my language?
Aside from the app, Padlet’s Help Center is also available in multiple languages. To change the language of the Help Center, look for the language selection button at the top right corner of the page.
What is Talk-for-me and how does it work?
Sharing and exporting content
How do I share my board?
For advanced sharing options, refer to our detailed guide here.
How can I print a copy of my padlet?
2. Click the Share button
3. Under Export, choose between PDF, image, CSV, spreadsheet or print it directly. For more details, visit the Padlet Help page on exporting and printing.Under Export, choose between PDF, image, CSV, spreadsheet or print it directly.
For more details, visit the Padlet Help page on exporting and printing.