Using Audio

You can choose to hear the contents of online pages in text. You have the flexibility to receive the content in any method that is suitable for you. There are a number of reasons to want to hear the information. Anyone might have specific needs for audio.

To access audio for learning materials on the PHAC Training Portal, we recommend that you use Microsoft Edge.

There are two concepts around this: screen readers and text readers. These two concepts sound the same, but in fact, they are different.

Screen readers will describe the controls of the screen by describing the buttons and menus. It allows users to interact with the interface. Screen readers can also transcribe the interactions and text into braille on a tactile screen. Text readers allow anyone to hear the words on the page.

There are a few tools you can use to ‘hear’ the text.

Most audio tools use the keyboard to navigate through the elements of the page. Here are several ways to interact using your keyboard:

  • Use the TAB key on your keyboard to navigate through the options on a page.
  • Use SHIFT + TAB to return to a previous option. This also allows you to switch between toolbars and content areas.
  • Press ENTER or RETURN to select a link or button.
  • Use the DOWN ARROW and UP ARROW keys to navigate drop-down lists that have and Apply or GO button to select the option.
  • Use the ARROW keys to move through toolbar items.
  • Use the ALT + DOWN arrow keys or OPTIONS + DOWN arrow keys (Mac) to open drop-down lists that do not have an Apply to GO button, and then use UP ARROW, DOWN ARROW and ENTER keys to select an item from the drop-down list.
  • Use the ENTER or RETURN key to open a menu (such as a context menu, an alert, or the course selector list).

Microsoft Narrator

Narrator is a built-in screen reader tool in Microsoft Windows that reads text and describes on-screen elements aloud. Learn more about Narrator with Microsoft.

Microsoft Edge Reading Tool

In many pages in Microsoft Edge, you can use the Enter Immersive Reader icon on the address bar. Click to review some web pages. You can read pages that open from the PHAC Training Portal by choosing the Immersive Reader in the screen. Find out more information about the immersive reader.

NVDA (Non-Visual Desktop Access)

NVDA is available to read screens and keyboard. You can consult the nvaccess.org site for information about downloads. You can learn about keyboard shortcuts in NVDA.

Jaws

A professional license must be purchase on a yearly basis from Freedom Scientific. Consult the Hotkeys page to learn more.

There are many pages to review that accommodate people with disabilities, or those who just want an alternate way to listen to courses on this platform. For more information, you can review any of the following links: