Windows XP - Accessibility Option, Magnifier

Accessibility Option
Magnifier

Accessibility Option

Using the Accessibility Wizard

Set Options for People Who Are Blind or Have Difficulty Seeing Things on the Screen

If you are blind or have difficulty seeing things on screen, you can quickly set vision related options using the Accessibility Wizard. Options include scrollbar and window border size, desktop icons, high contrast schemes, size and color of the mouse cursor, and the cursor width and blink rate.

	Menus Action	Keyboard Action
1.	On the Start menu: • Point to All Programs. • Point to Accessories. • Point to Accessibility. • Select Accessibility Wizard.	Display the Start menu by pressing Ctrl+ESC or (the Windows logo key ) • Press R. • Type accwiz. • Press ENTER.
2.	In the Welcome to the Accessibility Wizard dialog box: • Select Next.	In the Welcome to the Accessibility Wizard dialog box: • Press N.
3.	In the Text Size dialog box: • Select the smallest text you can read. • Select Next.	In the Text Size dialog box: • Select the smallest text you can read by pressing the UP ARROW or DOWN ARROW key. • Press N.
4.	In the Display Settings dialog box: • Ensure that the Change the font size check box is selected. • If it is not, select its check box. • If you want to use Microsoft Magnifier, select the Use Microsoft Magnifier check box. • Select Next.	In the Display Settings dialog box: • Ensure that the Change the font size check box is selected. • If it is not selected, press C. • If you want to use Microsoft Magnifier, press U. • Press N.
5.	In the Set Wizard Options dialog box: • Select the I am blind or have difficulty seeing things on screen check box. • Select Next to continue through the wizard.	In the Set Wizard Options dialog box: • Select the I am blind or have difficulty seeing things on screen check box by pressing L. • Press N to continue through the wizard (use the arrow keys and ENTER to select the appropriate options).
6.	In the Completing the Accessibility Wizard dialog box: • Select Finish to save your changes and exit the wizard. Note: To cancel your changes, select Cancel, and then select No. • To move back to change earlier screens, select the Back button.	In the Completing the Accessibility Wizard dialog box: • Press ENTER to save your changes and exit the wizard. Note To cancel your changes, use the TAB key to move to the Cancel button, and then press ENTER. Press TAB to select No, and then press ENTER. • To move back to change earlier screens, press B.

Accessibility Wizard: Set Wizard Options: Vision options

Set Options for People Who Are Deaf or Have Difficulty Hearing Sounds from the Computer

If you are deaf or have difficulty hearing sounds from the computer, you can quickly set sound options using the Accessibility Wizard. Sound options include turning on SoundSentry so that you can get visual warnings for system sounds, and Show Sounds so that captions are displayed for speech and sounds in programs that provide them.

Accessibility Wizard >> Set Wizard Options >> Sound options

Set Options for People Who Have Difficulty Using the Keyboard or Mouse

If you have difficulty using the keyboard or mouse, you can quickly set options using the Accessibility Wizard. Mobility options include turning on StickyKeys, MouseKeys, and FilterKeys, getting extra keyboard help in programs, selecting cursor size and color options, mouse button configuration, and mouse pointer speed.

Accessibility Wizard: Set Wizard Options: Mobility options

Disable Personalized Menus

In Microsoft Windows XP, menus are automatically updated to keep the menu options you use most often at the top of your menu where they are usually more accessible. If this feature does not improve accessibility for you, you can easily disable it by using the Accessibility Wizard.

Accessibility Wizard >> Display Settings >> Disable personalized menus

Adjusting Accessibility Options

StickyKeys: Press One Key at a Time for Key Combinations

StickyKeys is an accessibility feature designed for people who have difficulty holding down two or more keys at a time. When a shortcut requires a key combination such as CTRL+P, StickyKeys will enable you to press one key at a time instead of pressing them simultaneously. This procedure tells you how to turn on StickyKeys through Accessibility Options in Control Panel.

	Menus Action	Keyboard Action
1.	On the Start menu: • Select Control Panel.	Display the Start menu by pressing Ctrl+ESC or (the Windows logo key ) • Select Control Panel by pressing C.
2.	In Control Panel: • Be sure you are in Classic View (all Control Panel icons are showing). • If not, under Control Panel in the left pane, select Switch to Classic View. • Select Accessibility Options.	In Control Panel: • Be sure you are in Classic View (all Control Panel icons are showing). • If not, under Control Panel in the left pane, select Switch to Classic View by pressing TAB. • Press ENTER. • Press the RIGHT ARROW key, and then the LEFT ARROW key to select Accessibility Options. • Press ENTER.
3.	In the Accessibility Options dialog box, on the Keyboard tab: To turn on StickyKeys: • Select the Use StickyKeys check box. Note: To turn off StickyKeys, clear the Use StickyKeys check box.	In the Accessibility Options dialog box, on the Keyboard tab: To turn on StickyKeys: • Select the Use StickyKeys check box by pressing U. Note: To turn off StickyKeys, clear the Use StickyKeys check box by pressing U.
4.	To access StickyKeys settings: • Select Settings.	To access StickyKeys settings: • Select Settings by pressing S.
5.	In the Settings for StickyKeys dialog box: • Select the options you want by selecting or clearing the check boxes. • Select OK twice to save the settings and exit Accessibility Options.	In the Settings for StickyKeys dialog box: • Select options by pressing the underlined access keys (see notes below). • Press ENTER twice to save the settings and exit Accessibility Options.
6.	To close Control Panel: • Select the Close button.	To close Control Panel: • Press ALT+F, C.

Adjusting Display Options

Use Large Icons

You can enlarge the icons on your screen to make them easier to see or to access by choosing the Large icons option. This procedure tells you how to select this option through Display Properties in Control Panel.

	Menus Action	Keyboard Action
1.	On the Start menu: • Select Control Panel.	Display the Start menu by pressing Ctrl+ESC or (the Windows logo key ) • Select Control Panel by pressing C.
2.	In Control Panel: • Be sure you are in Classic View (all Control Panel icons are showing). • If not, under Control Panel in the left pane, select Switch to Classic View. • Select Display.	In Control Panel: • Be sure you are in Classic View (all Control Panel icons are showing). • If not, under Control Panel in the left pane, select Switch to Classic View by pressing TAB. • Press ENTER. • Move to Display by pressing the arrow keys. • Press ENTER.
3.	In the Display Properties dialog box: • Select the Appearance tab. • Select the Effects button.	In the Display Properties dialog box: • Move to the Appearance tab by pressing CTRL+TAB. • Select the Effects button by pressing ALT+E.
4.	In the Effects dialog box: • Select Use large icons. • Select OK twice.	In the Effects dialog box: • Select Use large icons by pressing E. • Press ENTER. • Move to the OK button by pressing TAB. • Press ENTER.
5.	To close Control Panel: • Select the Close button.	To close Control Panel: • Press ALT+F, C.

Control Panel >> Display >> Appearance tab >> Effects button.

Control Panel >> Display >> Appearance tab >> Effects dialog box >> Use large icons.

Adjusting Keyboard Options

You can adjust both the repeat delay (amount of time that elapses before a character repeats when you hold down a key), and the repeat rate (the speed at which a character repeats when you hold down a key). Adjusting these settings can benefit people with mobility impairments. This procedure tells you how to set the character repeat rate through Keyboard Properties in Control Panel.

To close Control Panel:

• Select the Close button.

To close Control Panel:

• Press ALT+F, C.

Control Panel >> Keyboard >> Speed tab >> Character repeat >> Repeat delay and Repeat rate.

Keep the Taskbar on Top of Other Windows

If you want to make sure that the Windows XP taskbar is always visible, even when you run a program in a maximized (full–screen) window, select the Keep taskbar on top of other windows option. This procedure tells you how to select this option through Taskbar and Start Menu Properties in Control Panel.

Control Panel >> Taskbar and Start Menu >> Taskbar tab >> Keep the taskbar on top of other windows.

Customize the Start Menu

You can choose several options to customize your Start menu including selecting large icons and specifying the number of programs you want to display on your Start menu. The size of icons and number of items on the Start menu can benefit people with vision impairments and cognitive/learning disorders. This procedure tells you how to customize the Start menu through Taskbar and Start Menu Properties in Control Panel.

Control Panel >> Taskbar and Start Menu >> Start Menu tab >> Customize button.

Using Narrator

Turn On and Use Narrator

Note: Narrator is designed to work with Notepad, WordPad, Control Panel programs, Internet Explorer, the Windows desktop, and some parts of Windows Setup. Narrator may not read words aloud correctly in other programs. Narrator has a number of options that allow you to customize the way screen elements are read.

To continue customizing Narrator, see one or more of the following step by step tutorials:

Set Narrator to Announce Events on Screen.

Set Narrator to Read Typed Characters.

Set Narrator to Move Mouse Pointer to Active Item.

Start Narrator Minimized.

Set Narrator Voice Options.

Start >> Run >> Open >> Narrator.

Narrator >> Settings.

Set Narrator to Announce Events on the Screen

Narrator is a text-to-speech utility for people who are blind or have low vision. Narrator reads what is displayed on the screen—the contents of the active window, menu options, or text that has been typed. You can select from a number of Narrator options. This procedure shows you how to set Narrator to announce when new windows are opened on screen.

Set Narrator to Read Typed Characters

Set Narrator to Move Mouse Pointer to the Active Item

Start Narrator Minimized

Narrator is a text-to-speech utility for people who are blind or have low vision. Narrator reads what is displayed on the screen—the contents of the active window, menu options, or text that has been typed. You can select from a number of Narrator options. This procedure shows you how to select the Start Narrator minimized option so it will be easily accessible on the Windows taskbar.

Magnifier

Using Magnifier

Magnifier is a display utility that makes the computer screen more readable by people who have low vision by creating a separate window that displays a magnified portion of the screen. Magnifier provides a minimum level of functionality for people who have slight visual impairments. Magnifier can be customized in several ways.

You can:

• Adjust the magnification level of text and images in the magnification window.

• Change the size and location of the magnification window.

• Change the position of the magnification window on the desktop

• Invert the screen colors.

• Use a high-contrast setting with Magnifier.

In this section, see step by step tutorials to:

• Turn On and Use Magnifier

• Change the Position of the Magnifier Window

• Change the Size of the Magnifier Window

• Invert the Colors of the Magnifier Window

• Set the Magnifier Magnification Level

• Set Magnifier Tracking Options

Turn On and Use Magnifier

This procedure tells you how to turn on and use Magnifier.

	Mouse actions	Keyboard actions
1.	On the Start menu: • Point to All Programs. • Point to Accessories. • Point to Accessibility. • Select Magnifier. Notes: A message box with a link to more information about Microsoft Magnifier may appear. To close the box, select OK. To use Magnifier but hide the Magnifier Settings dialog box, select the Minimize button. To turn off Magnifier, in the Magnifier Settings dialog box, select the Exit button.	Display the Start menu by pressing CTRL+ESC (or the Windows Key ). • Press R. • Type magnify • Press ENTER. Notes: A message box with a link to more information about Microsoft Magnifier may appear. To close the box, press ENTER. To use Magnifier but hide the Magnifier Settings dialog box, select Minimize by pressing ALT+SPACEBAR, N. To turn off Magnifier, in the Magnifier Settings dialog box, press ALT+X.

To continue

To continue customizing Magnifier, see one or more of the following step by step tutorials

• Change the Position of the Magnifier Window

• Change the Size of the Magnifier Window

• Invert the Colors of the Magnifier Window

• Set the Magnification Level

• Set Magnifier Tracking Options

Start >> Run >> Open >> magnify

Magnifier >> Settings

Change the Position of the Magnifier Window

	Mouse actions	Keyboard actions
1.	With Magnifier turned on: • Move the pointer over the Magnifier window. • Hold down the mouse button and drag the Magnifier window to reposition it.	With Magnifier turned on, and the Magnifier Settings dialog box selected: • To change the position of the window: • Press ALT+F6. • Press ALT+SPACEBAR. • Press M. • Move the Magnifier window to the position you want by pressing the arrow keys. • Press ENTER.

Magnifier: Move the Magnifier window

Change the Size of the Magnifier Window

	Mouse actions	Keyboard actions
1.	With Magnifier turned on: • Move the pointer over an edge of the Magnifier window • When the mouse pointer becomes a two-headed arrow, hold down the mouse button and drag the Magnifier window to resize it.	With Magnifier turned on, and the Magnifier Settings dialog box selected: • To change the size of the window: • Press ALT+F6. • Press ALT+SPACEBAR. • Press S. • Press an arrow key until the mouse pointer becomes a two-headed arrow on the side or corner of the Magnifier window. • Continue pressing the arrow keys until the Magnifier window is the size you want. • Press ENTER.

Magnifier: Change the size of the Magnifier window

Invert the Colors of the Magnifier Window

This procedure tells you how to invert the colors of the Magnifier window as a possible way to improve screen readability.

	Mouse actions	Keyboard actions
1.	On the Start menu: • Point to All Programs. • Point to Accessories. • Point to Accessibility. • Select Magnifier. Note: A message box with a link to more information about Microsoft Magnifier may appear. To close the box, select OK.	Display the Start menu by pressing CTRL+ESC (or the Windows Key ). • Press R. • Type magnify • Press ENTER. Notes: A message box with a link to more information about Microsoft Magnifier may appear. To close the box, press ENTER.
2.	In the Magnifier Settings dialog box, under Presentation: • Select the Invert Colors check box. Notes: To use Magnifier but hide the Magnifier Settings dialog box, select the Minimize button. To turn off Magnifier, in the Magnifier Settings dialog box, select the Exit button.	In the Magnifier Settings dialog box, under Presentation: • Select the Invert Colors check box by pressing ALT+I. Notes: To use Magnifier but hide the Magnifier Settings dialog box, select Minimize by pressing Alt+SpaceBar, N. To turn off Magnifier, in the Magnifier Settings dialog box, press ALT+X.

Magnifier: Magnifier Settings: Invert colors

Magnifier: Colors of the Magnifier window inverted

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Windows XP - Accessibility Option, Magnifier

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