Screen Reader Support

Once you’ve signed into iGoogle, Google+, or Orkut you will automatically be signed into Google Chat. Google Chat lets you send and receive text chats as well as voice and video calls. Below are instructions on how to use Google Chat with Voice Over.

Access the chat list:

Use the tab key to access the chat list.
Once you’re in the chat list JAWS will announce, "Contacts menu list box."
From here you can use the [Up/Down arrow] to navigate within your chat list.

Start a chat:

From the chat list use the [Up/Down arrow] to move up and down the chat list.
Once you have a contact selected press Enter to open a chat window with that user.

End a chat:

To end a chat simply press ESC from within the chat window.

Other Helpful Tips:

To navigate through the chat history, use the [Up/Down arrow].
To switch between chat windows use the tab key. When doing this the focus shouldn’t be in the text field of a chat window.
The search field in the list can also be accessed by pressing 'q' from any non-text field in a conversation window.
Use keyboard shortcuts to make chatting easier.

Using Google Chat with Voice Over in Safari

Currently Google Chat does not offer screen reader support for Gmail.

Access the chat list:

Use the tab key to access the chat list.
Once you’re in the chat list Voice Over will announce, "Search people. Edit text."
From here you can use the [CTRL + Option + Left/Right arrow] to navigate within your chat list.

Start a chat:

From the chat list use the [CTRL + Option + Left/Right arrow] to move up and down the chat list.
Once you have a contact selected press the space bar to open a chat window with that user.

End a chat

To end a chat simply press ESC from within the chat window.

Other Helpful Tips:

To navigate through the chat history, use the [CTRL + Option + Left/Right arrow].
To switch between chat windows use the '>' and '<' key. When doing this the focus shouldn’t be in the text field of a chat window.
The search field in the list can also be accessed by pressing 'q' from any non-text field in a conversation window.
Use keyboard shortcuts to make chatting easier.

Using Google Talk with ChromeVox on ChromeOS

To use Google Talk for ChromeOS download the chat extension from the Chrome Web Store.

Access your chat list

You can access the extension from the ChromeOS toolbar. Press Shift + Alt +T to access the toolbar.
You can then either tab over to the Google Talk Extension icon and activate it with the 'space bar', or if you have a menu of extensions, you can select the Google Talk Extension and hit 'Enter'. Either of these will open your chat list.

Use the tab key to navigate through your chat list, add contacts, set your status, and look through your contacts menu.

Start a chat

From the chat list use the [Up/Down arrow] to move up and down the chat list.
Once you have a contact selected press the space bar to open a chat window with that user.

End a Chat

To end a chat simply press 'Control + W' from within the chat window.

Disabling the extension

Type chrome://extensions in your browser. >
Find the extension, and click Disable.

Other Helpful Tips:

To navigate through the chat history, use the [Shift + Search + Up/Down arrow] keys.
To switch between chat windows use the '>' and '<' key. When doing this the focus shouldn’t be in the text field of a chat window.
The search field in the Chat list can also be accessed by pressing 'q' from any non-text field in a conversation window.
Use keyboard shortcuts to make chatting easier.

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Google Chat

Using Google Chat