Padlet Accessibility FAQs

1. Click your photo in the top-right corner of the page.

From the dashboard - Select Settings > Accessibility.
From an open padlet - Click the Accessibility Settings represented by a human icon.

2. Under the High Contrast Mode dropdown, choose one of the following options:

Follow system preferences: Padlet will follow your device’s system-wide contrast settings.
Off: High contrast mode will be disabled, and Padlet will use its default visual settings.
On: High contrast mode will be enabled, providing darker fonts and underlined items for better readability.

Enabling High Contrast on your device:
If you select System Preferences, here’s how to enable high contrast on your device:

Mac:
1. Open System Preferences and go to Accessibility.
2.Select Display and check the box for Increase Contrast.

Windows:
1. Open Settings and go to Ease of Access.
2. Select High Contrast and turn on the toggle.
3. Choose a high-contrast theme from the dropdown.

iOS (iPhone/iPad):
1. Open Settings and select Accessibility.
2. Under Display & Text Size, toggle on Increase Contrast or Smart Invert.

Android:
1. Open Settings and go to Accessibility.
2. Tap Text and Display.
3. Toggle on High Contrast Text.

Note:
High contrast settings may vary by OS version. Refer to your device's support documentation for updated instructions if needed.

Observable Changes:
Fonts will appear darker for increased clarity.
Underlined text will highlight clickable items, improving navigation.

If you encounter any issues or need help, feel free to email us at [email protected]. We're here to assist!

Yes, you can use accessibility features as a guest user.

While you won’t have access to account-level settings that are saved across sessions, you can still adjust page-level accessibility settings, such as enabling high contrast mode or reducing motion, on individual boards. These settings will apply consistently across your session but will not be saved once you leave Padlet.

Sometimes animations and transitions can be distracting or even uncomfortable for some users. If you'd prefer a smoother, more static experience follow these steps:

1. Open Accessibility Settings:

From the dashboard: Click your profile photo (or initials) in the top-right corner and select Settings > Accessibility.
From an open padlet: Click the icon that looks like a person in the top-right corner.

2. Find the Reduced Motion option in the Accessibility menu.
Toggle the setting to "On" to reduce or disable animations, such as when opening boards with GIFs or sandboxes with visual effects.

Sometimes, you just want a clutter-free experience without those pop-up messages (like confirmations or alerts) lingering around. Here’s how you can turn this feature on or off:

1. Access Accessibility Settings:
- From the dashboard: Click your profile photo in the top right corner and select Settings > Accessibility
- From an open padlet: Click the icon that looks like a person in the top-right corner.

2. Find the Automatically dismiss app messages section in the Accessibility menu.

3. Toggle Automatic Dismissal:
Enable: Toggle "On" to have a pop-up messages automatically fade away after a few seconds.
Disable: Toggle "Off" if you prefer to close them manually by clicking the notifications.

1. Click your profile photo in the top right corner.

- From the dashboard: Click your profile photo in the top right corner and select Settings > Accessibility
- From an open padlet: Click the icon that looks like a person in the top-right corner.

2. Find the Keyboard Shortcuts section
3. Toggle "Off" Keyboard Shortcuts.

Accessibility settings work differently depending on whether you're a guest user or a registered user:

Guest users:
Accessibility settings, such as high contrast mode or reduced motion, are applied consistently across all boards during your session.

Since guest users don’t have an account, these settings are not saved and will reset once the session ends.

Registered users:
Account-level accessibility settings are saved and applied universally across all boards by default.

You can temporarily adjust settings at the page level for a specific board. However, these page-level changes will override your account settings only until the page is refreshed, at which point your account settings will take effect again.

Example:
A guest user enabling high contrast mode will see it applied to all boards, but it won’t carry over once they leave Padlet.

A registered user enabling high contrast mode in their account settings will see it applied universally, but if they turn it off for a specific board, it will revert to their account settings after refreshing the page.

Keyboard shortcuts allow you to efficiently navigate and perform tasks on a Padlet board directly from your keyboard. You will find all the shortcuts supported by Padlet here.

1. Open the 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.

1. On the homepage, navigate to the search bar using your keyboard by pressing the Tab key until it is highlighted, or use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+F (Windows) or Cmd+F (macOS).
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.

1. Click your profile photo in the top right corner.
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).

1. Navigate to your padlet using the Tab key to find the content area.
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.

1. Tab to Skip to Content (first focusable element).
2. Press Enter, then press Tab to jump to the first post.

1. From the Padlet homepage, press Tab to Skip to Content.
2. Press Enter then Tab to select a padlet to open.

Screen readers typically announce the heading levels (h1, h2, h3) as you navigate Padlet. Here's how to find specific sections and posts using screen reader keyboard shortcuts:

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.

Yes! Here’s how you can access the Accessibility Settings:

1. Go to padlet.com and scroll to the bottom of the page.
2. Select the icon that looks like a person (Accessibility Settings).
3. The Accessibility Settings menu will open, where you can adjust the contrast mode and reduce motion settings.

Screen readers allow users with visual impairments to interact with computers and mobile devices. Here's a quick guide on using a screen reader to navigate 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.

If you're experiencing a problem using assistive technology settings, use this form to let us know. Include details about your device and the specific problem you encountered and our team will get back to you as soon as we can.

VoiceOver is a built-in screen reader program on Apple devices, like Macs, iPhones, and iPads.

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.

You can quickly locate and access different parts of the padlet using screen reader commands for Headings. Here is an overview of the heading hierarchy you can expect:

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.

The Made by Me section on the dashboard is marked as a Heading Level 1 (H1). Since this is the only heading, your screen reader should automatically announce it when you load the page.

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.

Alt text, or alternative text, is a written description of an image. It's crucial for users who are blind or have low vision because it allows screen readers to convey the image's content.

1. Upload the image attachment
2. Click the ALT button in the lower lower-left corner of any image
3. Add a brief description and click Publish.

For full instructions on adding attachments, visit this page.

1. Open a 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.

Here's how to enable speech recognition 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).

1. Open your padlet and navigate to where you want to add text (title, description, post content, comment, etc.).
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.

Yes, Padlet offers a text-to-speech feature. The "AI speech" feature in Padlet allows users to create audio posts by converting text into speech, which can then be shared directly on a Padlet board. This feature is useful for a variety of scenarios, such as delivering speeches, creating interactive language exercises, or making content accessible to users who benefit from auditory input. Read more about this feature here.

Yes, automatic captions are generated for uploaded videos and audio files. Padlet supports over 30 languages, and the captions are displayed at the bottom of the video or audio player.

Users can edit auto-generated captions for uploaded videos and videos recorded with our Video recorder. At the moment, users cannot edit the auto-generated captions for audio files, audio/video files on Sandbox or videos added to Padlet from an outside source.

Learn more about auto-caption here.

1. Click the uploaded video or audio post.
2. Find and click CC or Settings icon
3. Select a language. The captions will then be displayed at the bottom of the audio or video player.

1. Upload the attachment to the padlet.
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-dot ellipsis button (...) on the post and click Edit post.
2. Type in the new caption and click Update.

Padlet doesn't support uploading or downloading transcripts for posts at the moment. However, we understand the importance of accessibility and are actively working on features to improve transcript support. Stay tuned for updates!

Disabling animations on a board can improve accessibility for users with photosensitivity or visual impairments.

To disable GIF autoplay on Padlet:

1. Log in to your Padlet account.
2. Click your avatar in the top-right corner.
3. Navigate to Settings > Accessibility.
4. Under the Reduce Motion dropdown, select one of the following options:

Follow system preferences: Padlet will follow your device’s system-wide reduce motion settings.
Off: Motion effects, including animations and GIFs, will be enabled.
On: Motion effects will be disabled. GIFs will appear as plain-colored placeholders with a play button, and sandbox effects will require user interaction to play.

1. Head to Settings > Accessibility
2. Look for Reduced Motion setting
3. Select "Off"

Once this setting is enabled, any sandbox containing a visual effect will require you to manually play the effect if desired.

Your device may have animation-reducing settings enabled (such as "Reduce Motion"). To resolve this, disable these settings in your operating system's Accessibility options. Still experiencing issues? Read this this article for more help.

1. Click the published post with the video.
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.

Padlet supports a wide range of languages. We'll automatically try to set your interface to your preferred language, based on your browser settings. View the full list here. If it's not quite right, you can easily switch languages from the Settings panel.

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.

Padlet's AI speech feature is a text-to-speech functionality that allows users to input text on a post and have it generated as an audio file. Available in over 30 languages, this feature enhances accessibility by enabling users to listen to written content. Learn more

Sharing a link is generally the most accessible option, as it works well with screen readers and various devices. You can generate a link from the Share button in the top right corner.

For advanced sharing options, refer to our detailed guide here.

1. Open a padlet you want to save.
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.

Exports are programmed to best display content in the exported format for readability. However, it’s not customizable at this time.

Padlet is committed to meeting WCAG 2.2 Level AA standards for accessibility. Padlet is broadly compliant across a range of AA criteria, though there are still some items that are pending remediation. Visit our accessibility page for the latest status!

Yes, Padlet has a Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT). The VPAT outlines Padlet's conformance with accessibility standards including WCAG, Revised Section 508 Standards and EN 301 549 Accessibility requirements. You can find it here.