Chapter 17: Ease of Access Center

Like previous versions of Windows, Windows Vista includes a number of options to help people who have disabilities that make using a computer difficult. In some cases, people without disabilities may also find the Ease of Access features useful. The options include settings for your keyboard, sound, display, and mouse.

To set your Ease of Access features, you can use the new Ease of Access Center, described in this chapter. After you set your options, you can turn them on and off by using the Ease of Access Center or the icons that appear in the notification area on your taskbar. Also, Internet Explorer (Microsoft's web browser) has additional Ease of Access features.

What Ease of Access Features Are Available in Windows Vista?

Windows includes the Ease of Access Center for people who have difficulty typing, reading the screen, hearing noises the computer makes, or using a mouse. Keyboard aids for those who have difficulty typing include

• Mouse Keys Enables you to use the numeric keypad to move the mouse around.

• Sticky Keys Enables you to avoid pressing multiple keys by making the CTRL, WINDOWS, SHIFT, and ALT keys "sticky"-they stay in effect even after they have been released.

• Filter Keys Filters out repeated keystrokes. Good for typists who have trouble pressing a key once briefly .

• Toggle Keys Sounds a tone when the CAPS LOCK, SCROLL LOCK, and NUM LOCK keys are activated.

• On-Screen Keyboard Displays a keyboard on the screen that enables you to type by using your mouse.

Tip  

For sloppy typists of all abilities (and for those with small laptop keyboards), Toggle Keys can be convenient to guard against accidentally pressing CAPS LOCK and typing capitalized prose by mistake.

Do Applications Use the Windows Accessibility Settings?

Although Ease of Access features are built into the Windows operating system, software applications must be designed to work with them. Microsoft maintains standards, including standards for accessibility, that developers must meet to put the Designed for Windows logo on their product. The standards include support for high-contrast and enlarged displays, keyboard use with a single hand or device, adjustable timing for the user interface, and keyboard-only operation. If you need to use Ease of Access features with new software, make sure the software supports Windows Ease of Access features before you buy. Microsoft maintains an accessibility web site at: http://www.microsoft.com/enable.

 

Visual translation of sounds for those who have difficulty hearing include

• Sound Sentry Displays a visual warning when the computer makes a sound.

• Caption Displays a text caption when the computer makes a sound.

Display options for those who have trouble reading the screen include

• High Contrast Uses a high-contrast color scheme and increases legibility wherever possible.

• Cursor Options Makes the cursor easier to see.

• Magnifier Displays a window that magnifies part of the screen.

• Narrator Reads text on the screen aloud .

Mouse options for those who dislike or have trouble using a mouse or trackball include

• Mouse Keys Enables you to use the numeric keypad to control the pointer.