Use a Screen Reader in MATLAB Online

In MATLAB^® Online™, you can use a screen reader and a keyboard to interact with the Command Window, create and edit scripts and functions in the Editor, and navigate through the MATLAB desktop tools.

MATLAB Online works with a variety of screen readers. On Windows^® systems, the recommended setup is a Google Chrome™ browser with the NVDA screen reader. For more information about NVDA, see Get Help on the NV Access website.

Navigate MATLAB Using a Screen Reader

When you first start MATLAB Online, the cursor is in the Command Window. To move forward through the different areas of the MATLAB Online desktop, press Ctrl+F6 (or Command+F6 on macOS systems). To move backward, press Ctrl+Shift+F6 (or Command+Shift+F6 on macOS systems).

By default MATLAB Online has five areas that you can navigate to:

Toolstrip – The toolstrip is at the top of the MATLAB Online desktop. By default, the toolstrip includes three tabs, Home, Plots, and Apps. Use the arrow keys to navigate between the toolstrip tabs and the Tab key to enter and navigate within the toolstrip tabs.
Current Folder Toolbar – The Current Folder toolbar is under the toolstrip. You can use the toolbar to view and change the current folder.
Current Folder Browser – The Current Folder browser is on the left underneath the Current Folder toolbar. Use the Current Folder browser to manage files and folders in MATLAB Online. Actions include viewing, creating, opening, moving, and renaming files and folders in the current folder.
Workspace Browser – The Workspace Browser is on the left underneath the Current Folder browser. Use the Workspace Browser to view and manage the contents of the workspace in MATLAB Online.
Command Window – The Command Window is to the right of the Current Folder browser and Workspace browser, in the middle of the MATLAB Online desktop. Use the Command Window to enter individual statements at the command line and view the resulting output.

Note

The locations of the tools described above are default locations. For more information about changing the location of these tools, see Optimize Desktop Layout.

For example, you can use the toolstrip to send feedback about the current release:

On a Windows system with the NVDA screen reader running, open a Google Chrome browser and start MATLAB Online.
With the cursor in the Command Window, press Ctrl+F6 to navigate to the toolstrip. You hear:
```
Toolstrip region 
Toolstrip tab control 
Home tab selected one of three
```
Press the Tab key to enter the Home tab and then continue pressing the Tab key until you reach the Feedback button. You hear:
```
Feedback button
Send us feedback or report a bug
```
Press Enter. The Send Feedback dialog opens.

For more information about the MATLAB desktop, see Desktop Basics.

Enter Statements in the Command Window Using a Screen Reader

As you work in MATLAB, you can enter individual statements in the Command Window using a screen reader and a keyboard.

For example:

On a Windows system with the NVDA screen reader running, open a Google Chrome browser and start MATLAB Online.
With the cursor in the Command Window, create a variable named x by typing this statement in the Command Window.
```
x = 1
```
MATLAB adds x to the workspace and displays the results in the Command Window. You hear:
```
Greater greater
X equals one
```
When you hear Greater greater, the Command Window is ready for the next statement at the command-line prompt (>>).
Create another variable y by entering the following statement in the Command Window.
```
y = cos(x)
```
You hear:
```
Y equals zero point five four zero three
```
Set the value of x to the value of y by entering the following statement in the Command Window.
```
x = y
```
You hear:
```
X equals zero point five four zero three
```
Press the Up Arrow to display the Command History. You hear:
```
X equals Y
```
Press the Up Arrow two more times to select the x = 1 statement. You hear:
```
X equals one
```
Press Enter to run the command. MATLAB sets the value of x back to 1. You hear:
```
X equals one
```
Clear all text from the Command Window by entering the following statement in the Command Window.
```
clc
```
You hear:
```
Greater greater
```
The Command Window is ready for the next statement.

For more information about entering statements in the Command Window, see Enter Statements in Command Window.

Create Scripts Using a Screen Reader

Scripts are the simplest kind of program file because they have no input or output arguments. They are useful for automating series of MATLAB commands, such as computations that you have to perform repeatedly from the command line or series of commands you have to reference.

You can create and edit scripts using a screen reader and a keyboard. For example:

On a Windows system with the NVDA screen reader running, open a Google Chrome browser and start MATLAB Online.
Navigate to the toolstrip by typing Ctrl+F6 until you hear:
```
Toolstrip region
Toolstrip tab control
Home tab selected one of three
```
Press the Tab key to enter the Home tab. The New Script button is selected. You hear:
```
Home property page
File grouping
New script button 
Create a new script in the current folder
```
Press Enter to create a new script. MATLAB creates the script and opens it in the Editor. You hear:
```
Untitled property page
Edit multiline, line one
```
Add this code that generates an array of random numbers and then calculates the size and mean of the array.
```
n = 50;
r = rand(n,1);

sz = size(r)
m = mean(r)
```
To save the file, navigate to the toolstrip by typing Ctrl+F6 until you hear:
```
Toolstrip region
Toolstrip tab control
Editor tab selected four of seven
```
If the Home tab is selected instead, you hear:
```
Home tab selected one of seven
```
To select the Editor tab, press the Right Arrow key until you hear:
```
Editor tab selected four of seven
```
Press the Tab key to enter the Editor tab and then continue pressing the Tab key until you reach the Save button. You hear:
```
Clickable save button
Save all modified files
Ctrl plus S
```
Press Enter to save the script. You also can save the script using the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+S. MATLAB opens the Save As dialog. You hear:
```
Save as dialog
Edit untitled.m
```
Type Ctrl+A to select the default file name and then enter a name for the script. For example, enter the name myrandom.m. Press Enter to save the file.
To run the file, navigate to the toolstrip by typing Ctrl+F6 until you hear:
```
Toolstrip region
Toolstrip tab control
Editor tab selected four of seven
```
Press the Tab key to enter the Editor tab and then continue pressing the Tab key until you reach the Run button. You hear:
```
Run grouping
Clickable run button
Save and execute the active program file
F5
```
Press Enter to run the script. You also can run the script using the keyboard shortcut F5. MATLAB runs the script and displays the output in the Command Window. You hear:
```
myrandom.m property page
Edit multiline, line 5 
m equals mean r
sz equals 50 1 
m equals zero point five one seven two
```

For more information about creating scripts, see Create Scripts.

Screen Reader Tips and Limitations

Modifying Graphics Objects

When working with graphics objects, avoid using the property inspector to view and modify properties. Instead, view and modify graphics object properties programmatically. For example, the plot function returns a chart line object. You can use dot notation to view and set properties.

p = plot(1:10,1:10);
p.LineWidth = 3;

Alternatively, you can set properties using name-value pair arguments when creating the object, such as plot(1:10,1:10,'LineWidth',3).

For more information about viewing and modifying graphics object properties, see Modify Graphics Objects.

Accessing MathWorks Documentation

To ensure the best experience when viewing and searching the documentation using a screen reader, open it in a separate browser tab or window at https://www.mathworks.com/help.

Live Editor

Using a screen reader is not supported in the Live Editor. To create scripts and functions, use the Editor instead.

Documentation