American with Disabilities Act (ADA) Compliance

The Housing Authority of Baltimore City (HABC) features ADA Compliance Standards built into our habc.org content.

Whether physical disabilities, trouble with literacy or reading comprehension, this page provides information about the tools and features that are available to all.

Man seated in front of a computer displaying a grid of photographs on the left of the image with a white overlay and blue "disability" icon on the right side.

ADA-Compliant Imagery

Images on habc.org contains "alt-text" describing imagery content for the visually impaired.

Web page hyperlinks are titled to provide a short description on of what a link does rather than reading out an arbitrary string of letters and numbers.

Accessibility Resources

We are here to make your experience easier! For help getting setup and customizing the appropriate tools for your needs, here are great some resources:

Accessibility Tools Across Platforms

Tools You Can Use

Chrome Browser - Desktop and Laptop

Make text bigger:

  • Use the keyboard shortcut: Hold "Ctrl" (Windows) or "Command" (Mac) and press "+" or "-".
  • Use the zoom controls in the Chrome toolbar: Click the three vertical dots in the top right corner, then select "Zoom in" or "Zoom out".


Read pages out loud:

  • On Windows: Press "Ctrl+Shift+U" to open the "Source" pane. Right-click anywhere on the page and select "Read aloud".
  • On Mac computers: Open System Preferences > Accessibility > Speech. Enable "Speak selection" under the "Speech" tab.
  • In Chrome, highlight the text you want to be read and press "Option+Command+U" to activate the built-in screen reader.


Additional Accessibility Features:

  • Go to Settings (three vertical dots in the top right corner) then go to Advanced  and select Accessibility. Here you'll find options for:
    • High Contrast Mode: Increases the color contrast for better readability.
    • Large Cursor: Makes the mouse cursor easier to see.
    • Sticky Keys: Makes modifier keys (like Ctrl, Shift) stay active even after you release them.
    • On-screen Keyboard: Enables a virtual keyboard you can use with your mouse.

Safari Browser - Desktop and Laptop

Make text bigger:

  •  Press Command and the Plus sign (+) keys simultaneously.
  • Alternatively, go to the View menu and select Zoom in or Zoom out 1.

Read out loud:

  • Tap the Reader View icon in the browser bar to isolate the main content.
  • Go to Edit > Speech > Start Speaking to have Safari read the content aloud.
  • Customize the voice and speaking rate in System Preferences > Dictation & Speech > Text to Speech 3.

Microsoft Edge Browser - Desktop and Laptop

On a Windows Computer

Make text bigger:

  • Select "Settings and more" (three dots in the top-right corner of your browser screen) and then choose "Zoom in," "Zoom out," or "Full screen."
  • Use the following keyboard shortcuts:
    ●    Zoom in: Ctrl + plus sign (+)
    ●    Zoom out: Ctrl + minus sign (-)
    ●    Reset text size to default: Ctrl + zero (0)
    ●    Zoom in using scroll wheel: Ctrl + Scroll wheel up
    ●    Zoom out using scroll wheel: Ctrl + Scroll wheel down

Read out loud:

  • To start or stop Read out loud, use: Ctrl + Shift + U  
  • To stop, hit the space bar.

 

On a Mac Computer

Make text bigger:

  • Zoom in: Command + plus sign (+)
  • Zoom out: Command + minus sign (-)
  • Reset text size to default: Command + zero (0)
  • Zoom in using scroll wheel: Ctrl + Scroll wheel up
  • Zoom out using scroll wheel: Ctrl + Scroll wheel down

Read out loud:

  • To start or stop Read out loud, use: Command + Shift + U

iPhone - iOS Devices

Make text bigger:

  • Go to Settings > Accessibility
  • Click on Display & Text Size
  • Turn on Larger Text

Read out loud:

  • Go to Settings > Accessibility > Spoken Content
  • Turn on any of the following: 

    • Speak Selection: Have iPhone speak the text you select

    • Speak Screen: Have iPhone read all text on the screen, starting from the top

    • Turn on Speech Controller to keep the Speak Screen controls on the screen

    • Turn on Highlight Content to have words or sentences highlighted as iPhone reads them out loud

    • Typing Feedback options: As you type, have iPhone speak character by character, word by word, and more.

Android/Google Phones

Make text smaller:

  • On your device, open the Settings app. Search and select Font size. To change your text size, move the slider left or right

Read out loud:

  • Go to Settings > Accessibility to access the Talkback settings.
  • Look for the Screen Reader instructions.
  • You can also search your phone for the app called "Talkback" to get training on how to use all the screen reader tools.