Windows 2000 Accessibility Features

Windows 2000 Accessibility Features

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  Start/Settings/Control Panels/ Accessibility Options
  
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  Start/Settings/Control Panels / Display/Appearance
  
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  Start/Settings/Control Panels / Mouse
  
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  Start/Settings/Control Panels / Keyboard
  
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    Repeat rate
    
  • 
    Input settings: text-to-speech; keyboard layout;
    
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  Start/Settings/Control Panels/ Speech: text-to-speech; voice recognition
  
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  Start/Settings/Control Panels/Text Services: handwriting recognition
  
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  Start/Settings/Control Panels/ Internet Options
  

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  Magnifier
  
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  Narrator
  
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  On-Screen Keyboard
  

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  Changes are saved to Windows 2000 Personal Settings; they will be active on any networked computer you log onto
  
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  There is more than one way to change the settings- usually 2-3!
  
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  You often must select “apply” to add a feature
  
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  Administrative options: will allow settings at log-in (student independence?)
  

WINDOWS ACCESSIBILITY WIZARD

1. 
   Click Start
   
2. 
   Click Programs
   
3. 
   Click Accessories
   
4. 
   Click Accessibility
   
5. 
   Click Accessibility Wizard
   
6. 
   Follow instructions to make changes as needed
   

You can either save the changes you have made for specific users, so they can log in each time and access the options they have set up OR set the changes as a default so that the features you have selected will always be on the screen.

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  Click Start-Settings-Control Panel.
  
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  Double Click the Accessibility Options Icon. The Accessibility Properties window will open up with tabs for keyboard, sound, display, mouse, and general options. Try each of these to select access features you need.
  

Accessibility Features:

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  You might want to choose all the Wizard Options (for persons with visual, auditory, and physical disabilities + administrative options) to see all the access features available.
  
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  Change sizes of fonts, titles, menus, scroll bar, window border size, icons, mouse cursors, etc.
  
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  Choose to use the Windows magnifier.
  
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  Change color settings to get high-contrast colors.
  
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  For persons with hearing impairments, visual warnings and captions can be viewed instead of system sounds/warnings.
  
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  Extra keyboard help is provided for persons requiring mouseless access to the computer.
  
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  Choose mouse pointer speed, and trails to view cursor movements clearly on the monitor.
  
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  Keyboard features:
  
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    StickyKeys allows you to press keys in combination one at a time so you don’t have to press two/three keys simultaneously (e.g. Ctrl+Alt+Del, Shift+A, etc.)
    
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    BounceKeys ignores repeated key strokes made by someone whose hands shake, or who has trouble pressing keys lightly.
    
  • 
    ToggleKeys provides a sound when Caps Lock, Scroll Lock or Num Lock are pressed.
    

Resources:

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  For additional information on Windows Accessibility Features, go to http://www.microsoft.com/enable/. At this site you can get further information on accessibility options for different kinds of disabilities.
  
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  Increase Independence of Students with Disabilities Using Windows and Microsoft Word by Subhashini Balagopal and Patti Young at: http://www.microsoft.com/enable/news/education.aspx