As any screen reader user knows, accessibility issues are still far too common across the web. You’ve probably run into buttons or links that won’t activate with your screen reader’s cursor, or content that should appear but doesn’t show up at all.
I’ve discovered a simple trick that can often expose hidden or otherwise inaccessible elements: disabling a website’s stylesheets. I use this feature in Firefox because it’s quick and easy. When stylesheets are turned off, content that was previously hidden or visually abstracted often becomes accessible to a screen reader. I use this technique to either click elements directly with my mouse, using screen reader mouse routing commands, or interact with them via my screen reader’s cursor.
While this should be possible in other browsers, it seems to be more complicated. In Chrome or Edge, you typically need to open Developer Tools and manually disable styles, or install a browser extension that offers stylesheet toggling. In Firefox, though, you can simply open the View menu, go to Page Style, and select No Style. This disables all stylesheets for the current page during your browser session, making previously hidden elements readable and interactive.
Keep in mind that many elements are hidden for a reason—such as error messages or fallback content—and you may not want to browse the web without styles permanently. Fortunately, turning stylesheets back on is just as easy, using the same menu path. Usually, I turn off the stylesheet just long enough to access the element I need, and then immediately re-enable it.
This trick also reminded me how important it is for screen reader users to keep multiple browsers on hand. Personally, I use Firefox as my everyday browser—not just for the stylesheet toggle, but also for its wide range of settings and its strong compatibility with my screen reader (NVDA).
That said, some websites just don’t work well in Firefox, even when their elements should be accessible. In those cases, I switch to Edge or Chrome to complete the task.
So here’s a question for you: What browser do you use, and why? Do you find one works better with your screen reader than others? Have you found a different way to disable stylesheets or discovered your own accessibility trick? Let us know on socials!
