Mozilla Firefox is a free and open source web browser descended from the Mozilla Application Suite and managed by Mozilla Corporation. Firefox is the most widely used Web Browser next to Google Chrome. People normally prefer Firefox for browsing the Internet, and that also includes buddies who are visually challenged.
Fortunately Firefox developers and other people developed Add-ons which helps them to access the web more properly and comfortably. I also recommend people to use the latest version of Mozilla Firefox browser, so that they won’t find any issues and problems with the installation process. Earlier we shared another similar article called Special Browsers For Visually Impaired Users. Below I mentioned some special Firefox Add-ons for visually impaired buddies.
#1 – ColorBlindExt : This extension helps color-blinds while browsing the web, by processing images and text on the page according to the type of user’s color-blindness. Color Blindness detection test is included for creating awareness among people.
This extension is an aid to colorblind people. It is developed for color-blinds, to help them while browsing by processing web pages so that they can recognize information. And to create awareness among people, as many are unaware of there color-blindness ‘color blindness detection test’ is included.
#2 – colorXtractor : colorXtractor is a Mozilla Firefox extension, written for people with color blindness. It helps people with color blindness to distinguish colors. The main feature of colorXtractor is to display a color under the mouse cursor, after clicking on the extension’s icon.
The user can also change some options. He or she can select between different color databases and format the color string. The RGB, HSL and CIELAB color values and the x-y coordinates can be displayed.
#3 – Colorblind simulator : This extension is a powerful tool that can help webpage developers get an impression of how a webpage looks for people that have some sort of color vision deficit (e.g. Dichromacy). Approximately 10% of the people have color deficits, so it’s advisable for web designers to test webpages for poor color choices to avoide excluding people from their site.
This tool simulates how webpages look for people with:
- Protanopia
- Deuteranopia
- Tritanopia
#4 – Colorblinds Tool : This extension helps colorblind people. It adds a menu item to the context menu for images. With this menu item you can analyze an image on colorblinds.org with one click. Colorblinds.org assists you with an image daltonizer and a colorname picker.
This extension helps people with an color deficit. It adds a new menu item to the context menu for images. With this menu item you can analyze an image on colorblinds.org with one click. You can specify your kind of color deficit (Protanopia, Deuteranopia or Tritanopia) in the preferences menu of this extension.
#5 – Make Address Bar Font Size Bigger : This extension makes the URL Address Bar font size bigger. No need to know CSS or any hand coding to style the font-size, like other extensions!
This extension makes the URL Address Bar font size bigger.The font size for the URL Address Bar’s autocomplete dropdown will also be bigger. Great for users who have higher screen resolutions and bad eyesight. No need to know CSS or any hand coding to style the font-size, like other extensions!
#6 – Eyesight check : Though this add-on is not capable of improving the browsing experience of visually impaired buddies, still this one can help/improve eye sight in some manner. This add-on shows smaller and smaller symbols until you stop recognising them.
If you see fine, try to close one eye, or to change the distance, or to exercise with a different lighting. When you choose perfect conditions, you can start a daily exercise experiment.
#7 – Check My Colors! : This addon is a button that can be added to the tool bar. To add, right click on the toolbar and select customize. It will then allow you to place a button on the toolbar to run the tests. This is a tool that will allow web developers to analyze their webpages for problems with color. It will allow a simulation to see what a colorblind person would see and perform a series of tests on color contrast and difference.
However, this tool will also check color contrast and color difference for normal sighted persons as well.
#8 – N-Abled Web Accessibility Toolbar : N-Abled Web Accessibility Toolbar enhances your web browsing experience with the N-Abled toolbar.
Main features includes Screen reader, colour schemes, zoom in and out, change font size.
#9 – Accessibility Scripts Toolbar : A toolbar containing scripts to improve the usability and accessibility of any given webpage for blind computer users by providing functionality to solve commonly encountered problems caused by bad web design practices.
Hotkeys to turn on and off the toolbar: alt + v (view menu), alt + t (toolbars menu), and alt + a (on/off toggle).
#10 – Image Zoom : Image Zoom adds zoom and rotation functionality for images.
Easily zoom in, zoom out, fit image to screen or set custom zoom on individual images within a web page. All this can be done by using the context menu or a combination of mouse buttons and scroll wheel. Handy to see the finer details of smaller pics or to make very large pics fit within your screen.
#11 – Make Font Size Bigger Pack : This extension is a PACK that makes the URL Address Bar, Tab Bar, and Status Bar font size bigger.
No need to know CSS or any hand coding to style the font-size, like other extensions!
If you think this article benefits people, do share this. Also if you know any other useful Firefox Add-on, please share them in the comments.
Hello there.
This is Jason from Tampa, Florida, U.S.A.
First time poster.
I’ve got two ridiculously notable addons for FF:
WebVisum:
Does some behind-scene tweaking to web pages;
But for the totally blind user, 1 very big deal is the captcha solving ability (I.E., a simple keystroke sends the captcha image off to WV, then the deciphered text is sent back to you & copied to your clipboard.
Another kinda neat thing with WV is community tagging;
Say you go to a site like http://www.ixquick.com or http://www.startpage.com.
Note how some of the text on the pages gets changed with this particular addon installed versus left out/disabled.
If you’re totally blind/VI, go to:
http://www.webvisum.com
And, 1 more & i’ll leave yall alone, i promise; Don’t ground me just yet for jabbering at the jaw:
Noise:
This will benefit anyone who needs a bit of an audio pick-me-up in FireFox.
What the extension does is play wave files when particular and later-added events for FireFox get triggered during a browsing session.
You just need a decent collection of short concise sounds that’s not too loud but enough to jog your memory by standing out from the crowd.
Unlike NavigationalSounds which just plays the Windows default registered sounds for common events, you have complete unbiased control over what sounds play when.
I.E., sounds can be played to alert you that a download failed, an info bar appeared, you changed a form control on the current page, or opened a new tab.
You prepare the events, you choose the sounds, and if you’re happy, leave it alone.
Trust me when i say i’m literally not even beginning to scratch the surface;
I so won’t go in to details on filters, like http status codes (200, 301, 401, 403, 404…)
Read about (and get) Noise at:
http://www.bootleq.com/noise.
I've used NoSquint before, and it's "ok", but not great.
As one who suffers from vision problems, I have yet to find a real user friendly web browser.
Would love to see this topic revisited, and updated.
Sure Jamie, I'll check out some more browsers and update this list. 🙂
Quite fresh post. Never seen people wrote about add ons for visually challenged folks.
Toolbar & add ons is the first thing i like about firefox. 🙂
Do some of these guys even read the article? You should seriously look at removing some of the comments above.
Till now i don’t know about these addons. i know swoosty addon and firebug. Thanks for sharing such a nice list. i will try to use those addons.
its not becoz of the RAM , i got 4GB ram , still its all gets stuck at core i3 processors which cant pull it anymore
im so sick of these firefox plugins , that i cant bear it. The plugins are so useful but they are coded with so carelessly , it overloads my browser and it freezes …
Hey Pradeep, you are always coming up with innovative posts. Nice idea mate.
I’ve only used Make Font Size Bigger Pack addon before, its awesome
nice share pradeep but firefox 4 beta really sucks me all time
This is a great collection for visually impaired people who are using Firefox, I hope they we find it it very useful and easy to work it.
im still waiting for firefox 4 full release. but lot of addon and extension is not working. hope you can list out the working addon and extension that suitable for firefox 4 beta. thank you.
Visually impaired Internet users will find surfing the Web easier with a new Firefox add-on that takes normal Web pages and makes them more accessible to people with low vision.
I work as a volunteer in a blind school. Request you to kindly provide me with me some details of the ‘Yahoo mail Classic’ software developed. Would be interested in knowing the keyboard commands used to send, edit, receive mails.
Rasia, can you please elaborate your query? Yahoo Mail classic software?
Can you please inform me SEO firefox addon, because I need it..
that’s the reason i like firefox…. it has almost everything for everyone…..
Nice work Pradeep. As businesses have some social responsibilities, bloggers should also realize their social responsibilities and do something for the social cause. And you are doing the same by writing such articles. I liked your previous article on ‘special browsers for visually impaired people’ and also this one. I will promote it in the best possible manner I can. Keep up the good work. 🙂
Nice list… but usually I don’t use firefox so its nothing special for me :-/
All are kinda helpful but ColorBlindExt seems like the best one.
@ All : Guys, this article is targeted for people who have bad/poor vision and also for people who are visually impaired. If you have good or normal eyesight I won’t bother you guys to use them, since they will have no effect. Cheers. 🙂
Recommending this one to for my professor who is visually impaired. Keep up the good work.
Great list bro! thanks a lot for sharing! cool set of add ons lol
Wow. All are unknown and new for me. I will try every addons atleast once. Thanks for sharing..
Well nice list of plugins there.
Didn’t know developers were considered about this small fraction of users too.
Non of the addons i feel is useful for me but a great list for others.