Chrome OS raises the bar for accessibility: new cursors and advanced speech to text

Years ago Google threw in the towel in terms of Android tablets, giving higher priority to Chrome OS, which are beginning to be deployed in Spain as an interesting option as a laptop for students and users who do not require a complex system.

Chromebooks are much more than a computer with a browser, which was Google’s initial concept in its day. Now these computers have the Google Play application store and support for Android applications, in addition to the arrival of several computers in our country. The latest version of the system comes loaded with news in regards to accessibility.

Chromebooks improve their accessibility with these features

Google has announced the launch of Chrome OS 86, the latest version of its operating system based on the famous browser and with support for Android applications. This version is focused on accessibility, also launching a section called Chrome Accessibility Hub, focused on solving problems that may arise for people with various problems or disabilities.

Beyond this initiative, the new version has added minor but important improvements. One of the most striking is the ability to change the color

of the cursor to red, yellow, green, cyan, blue, magenta and pink. The option is found in the mouse and touchpad settings, and beyond allowing you to customize the cursor it is crucial for those who have difficulty finding the pointer.

In sound sections, the toolSelect-to-speak, which reads the content on the screen that we select receives an important visual change. From now on, when we select a text for the computer to read for us, the rest of the screen will go gray, highlighting the marked text and the point where it is reading. The ChromeVox reading engine improves on a technical level too, which is great.

If you have a supported Chromebook, this update will begin to arrive on your device automatically, as is customary in the Google ecosystem. In case you do not have one yet, perhaps these options will help you to be aware of the news that is to come.

The Chrome OS entry raises the bar in accessibility: new cursors and advanced speech to text appear first in The Free Android.