Help Desk Hero

A navigation training game for screen reader and magnifier users.

Settings

These options control how the game gives you feedback. Each can be turned off completely. Settings are saved on this device.

Sound effects

Sounds played on correct answers, wrong answers, gold tiers, badges, levelling up, and moving between tickets.

Sound effects by Juhani Junkala (CC0 / public domain).

Clock sounds

Only plays on difficulties that show the clock (Agent and Veteran), and only in the last ten seconds before the target.

Narrator commentary

Uses the browser's text-to-speech with a voice different from your screen reader voice, so they don't collide.

Narrator voice

Pick a voice that is different from the one your screen reader uses, so the narrator does not collide with your screen reader. The nicest free voices are floated to the top of the list: in Microsoft Edge the Microsoft "Natural"/"Online" voices, and in Chrome the "Google" voices. These work without any paid add-ons.

Tip: to get the high-quality Windows "Natural" voices (which also work in Chrome), install them once from Windows Settings → Time & language → Speech → Add voices.

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Typing voice

In Typing practice, the line to type is read aloud (and repeated with F2). This uses the narrator voice and rate chosen above, and works even when narrator commentary is off. Turn it off to rely only on your screen reader.

Music

Optional background music during a shift. It automatically quiets while the narrator is speaking so the two never collide.

Music volume

Sets how loud the background music plays when it is turned on above.

Text size

100%

Enlarges every page smoothly, and the layout reflows so nothing is cut off — handy if you use magnification or just want bigger text. This is separate from your browser or Windows zoom, and stacks on top of them. Changes apply as you drag.

Your assistive technology

Each ticket shows a short navigation tip with the keystrokes for the tool you pick here. Choose None / other to hide the tips. See the full command reference on the Resources page.

Game announcements

Controls how much the game announces. Score and transition messages go to the screen reader. The Chatty layout descriptions are spoken by the narrator voice, so turn the narrator on to hear them.