Change Keyboard settings for accessibility on Mac
On your Mac, use Keyboard settings for accessibility to enable Full Keyboard Access to navigate UI elements on the screen and your Mac using the Tab key and other keys, and change the appearance of the Full Keyboard Access cursor; enable and set options for Sticky Keys and Slow Keys; and enable and set options for using the Accessibility Keyboard, an onscreen keyboard that lets you type and interact without using a physical keyboard. Learn how to use the Accessibility Keyboard.
To change these settings, choose Apple menu 
in the sidebar, then click Keyboard on the right. (You may need to scroll down.)
Open Keyboard settings for accessibility for me
Option | Description |
|---|---|
Full Keyboard Access | Turn on Full Keyboard Access to use the Tab key and other keys to navigate the screen. To customize, click the Info button
|
Keyboard Settings | Set additional keyboard shortcuts, options for keyboard and function keys, and more. See Change Keyboard settings. |
Sticky Keys | Press a set of modifier keys one at a time in sequence, instead of all at once. For example, enter the key combination Option-Command-F5 by pressing each key in sequence. To customize, click the Info button
|
Slow Keys | Adjust the delay between when you press a key and when it’s activated. To customize, click the Info button
|
Accessibility Keyboard | Display and use the Accessibility Keyboard. Click the Info button |
Panel Editor | Use the Panel Editor to create custom panels that are available from the Accessibility Keyboard. |
:General options for the Accessibility Keyboard
Set general options for using the Accessibility Keyboard.
Option | Description |
|---|---|
Appearance | Use a light or dark appearance for the keyboard. This setting is independent of whether you use a light or dark appearance on your Mac. |
Fade panel after inactivity | After the specified period of inactivity, fade the keyboard by the specified percentage (at a lower percentage the keyboard is more visible, while at a higher percentage it’s less visible; at 100% it’s hidden). To make the keyboard fully visible again, move the pointer over the faded keyboard or, if it’s hidden, move the pointer. This option is useful when you don’t need the keyboard for awhile, as when watching a movie, or when you want to see the part of the desktop that’s under the keyboard. |
Play sounds for keys and dwell actions | Hear a sound when you select a key on the keyboard or when a dwell action is performed. (Selecting the Caps key makes a sound even when this option is not selected.) |
Keys should be entered on | Choose whether input is entered or action is taken on Mouse up or Mouse down. |
Insert and remove spaces automatically | Let the Accessibility Keyboard manage spaces when you’re writing text. For example, it automatically corrects spacing after a period or between sentences, based on context. |
Capitalize sentences automatically | Let the Accessibility Keyboard manage capitalization when you’re writing text. For example, it automatically capitalizes letters after a period (end of sentence), based on context. |
Hot Corners options for the Accessibility Keyboard
Set options for using Hot Corners with the Accessibility Keyboard.
Option | Description |
|---|---|
Hot Corners | The action to take when you keep the pointer in a corner of the screen. Choose an action, such as Left Click. |
Panel follows hide/show home panel | When you use a hot corner to show or hide the Accessibility Keyboard or a custom panel, have the keyboard or panel move to the hot corner. If you don’t want the keyboard or panel to move to the hot corner, turn this option off. |
Dwell options for the Accessibility Keyboard
Set options that determine when to show Dwell action menus, which action to perform when you dwell on an item, how long to dwell on items, and more.
Option | Description |
|---|---|
Allow dwell actions toolbar in panels | Make the toolbar available in the Accessibility Keyboard and custom panels. |
Show dwell actions in menu bar | Show a status menu for dwell actions in the menu bar. |
Always dwell in panels | Always use Dwell to select items in the Accessibility Keyboard and custom panels, even when Dwell is paused. Left-click is the default action when dwelling in panels. |
Dwell color | Choose the color, such as green, of the dwell pointer |
Enable zoom | Show the zoom window after the pointer is idle for the specified amount of time. The window magnifies the area you dwell on and the pointer. The size of the zoom window is based on the size set for Picture-in-Picture zoom. To change that setting, choose Apple menu Open Zoom settings for accessibility for me In Zoom settings for accessibility, click the “Zoom style” pop-up menu, then choose Picture-in-Picture. While zooming, click Size and Location, drag from the edges of the zoom window to set the size you want, then click OK. Note: Avoid changing other options in Zoom settings for accessibility; they could interfere with the Dwell zoom window. |
Hide dwell time indicators | Hide the dwell pointer |
Default dwell action | Choose the default action to perform when you dwell on an item—for example, right click, show the Scroll Menu, or drag and drop an item. Or choose to show the Options menu, which lets you switch between actions for one-time only use. You can also choose an action from the dwell status menu, if it’s showing in the menu bar. |
Auto revert to left click | After you select an action to perform, always make left click the next action performed. This option is useful if you left-click items more often than you perform other actions. |
Default dwell time | The amount of time to dwell on an item on the screen before an action is performed. |
Panel dwell time | The amount of time to dwell on an item in a panel before a left-click action is performed. |
Dwell movement tolerance | The distance, in pixels, you can move while dwelling on an item. If you move beyond this limit, the countdown starts again. |
Post-action movement tolerance | The distance, in pixels, you need to move after performing an action for a new countdown to start. |
when it’s shown.
and the countdown when dwelling.To quickly turn Full Keyboard Access, Sticky Keys, Slow Keys, or the Accessibility Keyboard on or off using the Accessibility Shortcuts panel, press Option-Command-F5 (or if your Mac or Magic Keyboard has Touch ID, quickly press Touch ID three times).
To specify which options are available in the panel, choose Apple menu in the sidebar, then click Shortcut on the right. (You may need to scroll down.)