This guide is intended to help people with disabilities use the IRS Automated Chatbot (Chat). Get help with issues accessing Chat with technologies including screen readers, screen magnifiers and speech recognition software. On this page Application overview Keyboard functions 15-minute timeout Speech recognition software Application overview The IRS Automated Chatbot technology helps people quickly answer basic questions about different tax topics. Keyboard functions To use Chat without a mouse, use the Tab key to cycle through the screen (left to right, top to bottom), until you arrive at the Chat icon/bubble. Then press the Enter key to start the Chat application. Once you're in Chat, on the line labeled "Type a message here," type the name of the topic you want. This will then move you through the application. 15-minute timeout Chat will time out in 15 minutes—without warning. You can't adjust or extend the time limit. If you get timed out, return to the Chat page. Speech recognition software If you enter Chat using Dragon Naturally Speaking, you won't be able to use the tab command to select Chat topics. To select topics, you can use either of these Dragon features: Show Links Command Move Mouse Command Related Accessibility Accessible forms and publications Help options
