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Setting Accessibility Options by Type of Disability

You can configure most accessibility options in either Control Panel or Accessibility Wizard. However, several options are configurable in only one of these modes. In some instances, there are different names for the same, or similar, features. Table A.1 describes such variances.

Table A.1 Variances in Accessibility Wizard and Control Panel Features

Creating custom interfaces gives users with disabilities control of their computing environment so that they can succeed in their work. A simplified UI is a necessity for reducing the amount of navigation. The Windows 2000 features and techniques discussed in the following sections allow users and administrators to customize computers according to their specific needs and preferences. These options are grouped by category of disability.

Accessibility Options for Users with Cognitive Disabilities

Cognitive disabilities include developmental disabilities, such as Down syndrome; learning disabilities; dyslexia; illiteracy; attention deficit disorder; memory loss; and perceptual difficulties, such as slow response time. In addition to third-party assistive devices, such as voice-input utilities, some built-in Windows 2000 features can be especially helpful to people with cognitive disabilities. Examples of built-in features include AutoCorrect, AutoComplete, and Automatic Spell Checking.

You can customize AutoComplete to include only the information that users need. For some users, these features facilitate their work considerably. However, for other users, with some features—such as AutoComplete or certain sound schemes—it is advantageous for users with cognitive disabilities to clear, rather than to select these options. Such features can cause distractions, especially if the user is working with a text-to-speech utility. There are two types of AutoComplete that affect use of Windows Explorer and the Run box. One is an automatic suggestion, with a drop-down list of Web sites with the same letters the user has typed. The other AutoComplete feature, called Inline AutoComplete, automatically completes a line if the user has typed it before. The first feature is turned on by default, but Inline AutoComplete is not. To change these defaults, perform the following steps:

To disable the site-address AutoComplete feature

In Control Panel, double-click Internet Options, and then click the Content tab.

Click AutoComplete.

Click the Web Addresses check box to clear it.

To activate the inline AutoComplete feature

In Control Panel, double-click Internet Options, and then click the Advanced tab.

Select the Use Inline AutoComplete check box.

Several Windows 2000 accessibility features, found in Accessibility Wizard or Control Panel, can be useful to people with cognitive disabilities. The FilterKeys feature allows users to adjust keyboard response time, forgive accidental pressing of keys, and slow response time. Users who are familiar with Windows NT 4.0 or earlier need to know that special keyboard filters have been rearranged in Windows 2000. In both Accessibility Wizard and Control Panel, users can adjust keyboard response time to ignore accidental pressing of keys and slow response time. FilterKeys includes RepeatKeys and SlowKeys. Through RepeatKeys, the user can choose to ignore keyboard repeat or to slow down the keyboard repeat rate. SlowKeys requires keys to be held down for a specified period of time before it accepts a keystroke. In Accessibility Wizard, the FilterKeys option that ignores keystrokes that are faster than a set period of time is called BounceKeys.

1.1.1.2 Keyboard Shortcuts

Other options that are useful to people with cognitive disabilities are hot keys and other keyboard shortcuts, such as Narrator, Active Desktop, Quick Launch bar, status indicators on the system status area of the taskbar that show which features are on, and sound options found in Accessibility Wizard and in Control Panel. Also, sound schemes can help draw attention to, or provide additional feedback for, tasks as the user does them. For a more extensive list of keyboard shortcuts and procedures for using them, see the section "Accessibility Options for Users with Physical Disabilities" later in this chapter.

Accessibility Options for Users with Hearing Impairments

Users who are deaf or hard-of-hearing or who have limited ability to distinguish sounds might find the following options useful. These features incorporate sound scheme adjustments and visual media as substitutes for sound.

Customizable Sound Schemes

Users who are hard-of-hearing or who work in a noisy environment can adjust the pitch and timbre of sounds, as well as the volume associated with various on-screen events, to make them easier to distinguish. The sounds are customizable either by using Accessibility Wizard or by using Control Panel. Windows 2000 provides sounds that users can associate with many events. These can be events that Windows 2000 or programs generate. If users have difficulty distinguishing between the default sounds, such as the beep to signal an inoperative keystroke, they can choose a new sound scheme or design their own scheme to make the sounds easier to identify. In Windows 2000, users can turn off the default downloading of sound files.

If the computer has a sound card, users can adjust the volume for all of the Windows sounds by using the Volume Control property sheet under Sounds and Multimedia in Control Panel. They can also adjust the sound volume by using the speaker icon on the taskbar.

Some users require visual feedback instead of sound. Such users are likely to be interested in customizable sounds and closed captioning. The following Windows 2000 features are useful to people who are deaf or hard-of-hearing.

ShowSounds ShowSounds, a feature under Accessibility Options in Control Panel, instructs programs that are closed-caption-enabled to display visual feedback in the form of closed captioning. In Windows 2000, users can choose to display closed captioning in programs with audiovisual content.

SoundSentry This feature for deaf users tells Windows 2000 to send a visual cue, such as a blinking title bar or screen flash, whenever the system generates a sound. Enabling this feature allows users to see when the computer is generating sounds and to be aware of messages that they might not have heard.

In Windows 2000, to enable the SoundSentry feature, double-click Accessibility Options in Control Panel, then click the Sound tab. This feature allows users to change settings for visual warnings, a blinking title bar or a screen flash when the computer generates a sound. To select a visual cue, select the Warning for Windowed Programs option. You can also choose to have no visual cue.

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If you choose to flash the active window's title bar, a visual cue might not be visible if the active window has no title bar. Some displays do not have a flashing border, so there is no visual cue with this option on incompatible display hardware. This is true of some liquid crystal displays typically found on portable computers.

In Windows 2000, the SoundSentry feature supports only those sounds the computer's internal speaker generates, but it cannot detect sounds that are made using multimedia sound cards. If the computer has a multimedia sound card, you might need to disable this hardware to force the computer's built-in speaker to relay the sounds. To disable the multimedia sound card, double-click Sounds and Multimedia in Control Panel, then click the Audio tab.

Figure A.1 illustrates the sound options in Control Panel, Accessibility Options under Sounds.

Figure A.1 Sound Features in Control Panel Accessibility Options Menu

Other Alternatives to Sound in Control Panel

Users with hearing impairments often rely on indicators, such as lights, to replace sound. If the indicator lights for the locking keys NUM LOCK, CAPS LOCK, or SCROLL LOCK are not on, it can mean that the user selected the ToggleKeys feature in the Accessibility Options property sheet under Keyboard in Control Panel. To re-activate the indicator lights, click the ToggleKeys check box to clear it.

Accessibility Options for Users with Physical Disabilities

Some users are unable to perform certain manual tasks, such as using a mouse or typing two keys at the same time. Others tend to hit multiple keys or bounce their fingers off keys. Physical disabilities, or mobility impairments, include paralysis, repetitive stress injuries, cerebral palsy, erratic motion tremors, quadriplegia, or lack of limbs or fingers. Many users need keyboard and mouse functions adapted to their particular needs, or they rely exclusively on an alternative input device. A large number of input devices are available to users, including keyboard filters, voice-input utilities for controlling the computer with the user's voice, on-screen keyboards, smaller or larger keyboards, eye-gaze pointing devices, and sip-and-puff systems that the user operates by breath control. For more information about assistive devices and a catalog of third-party accessibility aids, see the Microsoft Accessibility link on the Web Resources page at http://windows.microsoft.com/windows2000/reskit/webresources.

The following options include some of the Windows 2000 accessibility features that are useful to people with mobility impairments.

Keyboard Options

Impaired dexterity can make it difficult for a person to use a standard keyboard. However, keyboard filters built into Windows 2000 compensate somewhat by correcting for erratic motion tremors, slow response time, and similar conditions. Other kinds of keyboard filters include typing aids, such as word prediction and abbreviation expansion tools and add-in spelling checkers.

The following sections describe input devices and features that are different from the standard keyboard. These features include alternative keyboard layouts, keyboard shortcuts, and specialized keyboard filters that operate on the standard keyboard but carry options that tailor the behavior of keys to specific accessibility needs.

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In most cases, it is not possible to apply the same keyboard behavior corrections to pointing devices, such as the mouse. This limitation might affect the use of the mouse for users with impaired dexterity.

On-Screen Keyboard

Some users have difficulty with both the mouse and the keyboard. However, they might be able to use an on-screen keyboard with another input device, such as a pointing device or a joystick that connects to the serial port, or use the keyboard space bar as a switch device. An on-screen keyboard is a utility that allows users to select keys by using an alternative input mode, as shown in Figure A.2.

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To use switch modes, see your switch manufacturer for the custom cables they require.

Users can set up and customize the Windows 2000 On-Screen Keyboard by going to Accessibility Options from the Start menu. The On-Screen Keyboard can also be run through Utility Manager. Many users with physical disabilities need an alternative keyboard with a higher functionality for daily use. For a list of other Windows-based on-screen keyboard tools, see the Microsoft Accessibility Web site at http://windows.microsoft.com/windows2000/reskit/webresources.

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The On-Screen Keyboard, illustrated in Figure A.2, is meant to be used as a temporary solution and not as a day-to-day alternative keyboard in lieu of a third-party on-screen keyboard.

Figure A.2 Microsoft On-Screen Keyboard

Dvorak Keyboard

The Dvorak keyboard makes the most frequently typed characters on a keyboard more accessible to people who have difficulty typing on the standard QWERTY layout. There are three Dvorak layouts: one for people who use two hands to type, one for people who type with their left hand only, and one for people who type with their right hand only. Dvorak layouts reduce the degree of motion required to type common English text. This feature might help avoid some kinds of repetitive strain injuries that are associated with typing. You can either add the Dvorak keyboard as part of the setup or add it later. To configure the Dvorak Keyboard, double-click the Keyboard icon in Control Panel.

Keyboard Shortcuts

Keyboard shortcuts are keyboard-driven commands that allow a user to navigate and enter commands without using a mouse. Keyboard shortcuts are important to users with disabilities, and they cover nearly all categories of disabilities. Through the use of ALT commands and CTRL keys, a user can navigate and enter commands without the mouse. Even without configuring accessibility features, the user can use the TAB key in dialog boxes to move the focus and then use the arrow keys to select options in a list. In property sheets that have multiple tabs, the user can press CTRL+TAB to select each property sheet in order from left to right. Or the user can press the TAB key until the focus is on the tab for the current property sheet and then press an arrow key to select the next sheet. In Active Desktop, the user can add shortcut keys to the Start menu.

By default, Windows 2000 does not underline keyboard navigation indicator letters. There are three ways to override this default and reinstate the underlines.

To reinstate the underlines for keyboard navigation

In Control Panel, double-click the Display icon. Click Effects, and then click the Hide keyboard navigation indicators until I use the ALT key check box to clear it. With this step, the underlines are always visible. (If you select the Hide keyboard navigation indicators until I use the ALT key check box and then press the ALT key, the system displays the underlines, but only temporarily. The next time that you click using the mouse, that action hides the underlines again.)

- Or -

In Control Panel, double-click Accessibility Options. Click the Keyboard tab, and then select the Show extra keyboard help in programs check box.

- Or -

In Accessibility Wizard, select the I have difficulty using the keyboard or mouse check box, and then select the Do you want extra keyboard help…? check box.

For a comprehensive list of keyboard shortcuts, see Windows 2000 Professional Help. Look for the entry "Shortcut Keys" in the index. For accessibility-specific keyboard shortcuts, see the Microsoft Enable Web site in the following resource. For general keyboard-only commands, accessibility shortcuts, and Microsoft natural keyboard keys, see the Microsoft Accessibility Web site at http://windows.microsoft.com/windows2000/reskit/webresources.

For detailed information about keyboard shortcuts, see "Keyboard Shortcuts" in Windows 2000 Professional Help.

Hot Keys for Emergency Use

The hot keys feature is designed for accessibility as an immediate method of activating accessibility features for people who cannot use the computer without first having accessibility features in effect. Hot keys, which are a type of shortcut, allow the user to turn on a specific feature temporarily. Then, after a feature has been turned on, users can open Accessibility Wizard or double-click Accessibility Options in Control Panel to adjust the feature to their own preferences or to turn on the feature permanently. The same hot key temporarily turns off the feature if it gets in the way or if another person wants to use the computer without this feature.

Hot keys are unique key combinations that should not conflict with keys that programs use. If such a conflict does arise, the user can turn the hot keys off and still use the feature as needed. In a typical installation of Windows 2000, the accessibility hot keys are inactive to prevent them from conflicting with other programs. Except for the high-contrast feature, which is inactive by default, hot keys are active by default until a user or administrator de-activates them.

You can assign hot keys to frequently used programs, documents, or folders, and then use a hot key to open the object or make it the active window. To turn on the hot key for a feature, double-click Accessibility Options in Control Panel. Then click Settings for the feature, and select the Use Shortcut check box.

As a precaution against accidental use, if the sound features for StickyKeys are turned on, pressing an accessibility hot key causes special tones to sound (a rising tone for activating and a falling tone for de-activating). A confirmation dialog box then appears, which briefly explains the feature and how it was turned on. By pressing the hot key unintentionally, the user can cancel the feature's activation at this time. The confirming dialog box also provides a quick path to more detailed help and to Control Panel settings for the hot key feature, in case the user wants to turn off the hot key permanently.

To assign a hot key to start a program

Create a shortcut to the object on the desktop or on the Start menu.

Display the properties for the shortcut by right-clicking the shortcut icon or name and then clicking Properties or by using SHIFT+F10.

Click the Shortcut tab, and then type the key combination that you want to assign to this object in the Shortcut Key box.

When a shortcut is placed on the desktop or on the Start menu, the user can press the hot key for the program at any time, and Windows 2000 opens that window. Or, if the program is not running, the hot key starts it.

Essential Keyboard Shortcuts

Tables A.2, A.3, A.4, A.5, A.6, A.7, A.8, and A.9 list essential keyboard shortcuts for the user who has difficulty using the mouse or other input methods and must rely on the keyboard to maneuver through Windows 2000. Some configurations may vary in what the shortcut letter designates. In such situations, when users navigate, they must also use directional arrows, the tab key, or repeat the same letter to arrive at the icon they want.

Table A.2 Emergency Hot Keys

Table A.3 Help Shortcuts

Table A.4 Active Desktop Navigation Shortcuts

Table A.5 Accessibility Wizard Shortcuts

Table A.6 Magnifier Shortcuts

Table A.7 Narrator Shortcuts

Table A.8 Control Panel Accessibility Shortcuts

Table A.9 Control Panel Standard Shortcuts

For more detailed information about keyboard shortcuts, see the Microsoft Accessibility Web site at http://windows.microsoft.com/windows2000/reskit/webresources.

StickyKeys for One-Finger or Mouthstick Typing

Many software programs require the user to press two or three keys at a time. For people who type using a single finger or a mouthstick, that process is not possible. StickyKeys allows the user to press one key at a time and instructs Windows to respond as if the keys are pressed simultaneously. StickyKeys is especially useful when a user must press CTRL+ALT+DEL to log on to the computer. If StickyKeys is not turned on, then the user can use hot keys.

To activate the StickyKeys feature

In Control Panel, double-click the Accessibility Options icon.

Click the Keyboard tab.

Select the StickyKeys options that you want.

- Or -

To activate StickyKeys from the keyboard, use hot keys, press SHIFT five times.

The following are tips for using StickyKeys:

When StickyKeys is on, pressing any modifier key (SHIFT, CTRL, WINDOWS LOGO, or ALT) latches that key down until the user presses a key that is not a modifier key. If the StickyKeys sound features are on, you hear a short low-pitched beep and then a high-pitched beep. When the next nonmodifier key is pressed, the modifier key(s) are released.

Pressing a modifier key twice in a row locks the key down until it is tapped a third time. If the StickyKeys sound features are on, you hear a short low-to-high sound after the first tap and a single high-pitched beep after the second tap. After a modifier key is locked, it stays locked until it is pressed a third time.

Any and all of the modifier keys (SHIFT, CTRL, WINDOWS LOGO, and ALT) can be latched or locked in combination.

For shared computers, there is an optional feature to keep other users from being confused when StickyKeys is left on. If the option Turn StickyKeys Off If Two Keys Are Pressed at Once is activated and two keys are held down simultaneously, StickyKeys automatically turns off.

Some people do not like to have keyboard sounds, although others find them useful. To turn feedback sounds on or off, select the StickyKeys check box; then either select the Make Sounds When Modifier Key Is Pressed check box to activate the feature or click the check box to clear it if the feature is already activated and you do not want it on.

To turn off the StickyKeys Locked mode, make sure the Press Modifier Key Twice to Lock check box is cleared.

To turn StickyKeys off, press SHIFT five times. This process triggers a high-to-low series of tones.

To turn StickyKeys on, also press SHIFT five times. This process triggers a low-to-high series of tones.

Figure A.3 illustrates the options under Keyboard in Control Panel.

Figure A.3 StickyKeys Feature in Control Panel Accessibility Options Menu

FilterKeys for Users with Impaired Manual Dexterity

Windows 2000 includes keyboard filters that work separately or in combination to make input easier for users who have difficulty with the keyboard because of slow response time, erratic motion tremors, or a tendency to repeat the keys inadvertently. These special keys, grouped in Control Panel in the FilterKeys properties, are named RepeatKeys and SlowKeys.

FilterKeys can perform the following functions:

RepeatKeys allows the user to adjust the repeat rate or ignore the key repeat function on the keyboard, which compensates for a tendency to hold a key down too long. Most keyboards allow the user to repeat a key just by holding it down. Although this automatic repeat feature can be convenient for some people, it poses a problem for individuals who cannot lift their fingers off the keyboard quickly. This feature can also compensate for a tendency to press the wrong key accidentally.

SlowKeys also instructs the computer to disregard keystrokes that are repeated quickly. This allows a user to brush against keys without any effect. By placing a finger on the proper key, the user can hold the key down until the character appears on the screen.

In Control Panel, the Keyboard Speed option also allows users to alter character repeat rates.

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For RepeatKeys, SlowKeys, or BounceKeys, you must define the acceptance delay, which allows you to adjust the amount of time that you must hold a key down before the computer accepts it.

Another useful FilterKeys feature is the option Beep When a Key Is Pressed. If this option is on and any FilterKeys functions are active, you hear a beep when you press the key or when the key repeats. For example, if SlowKeys is active, you hear a sound when the key is pressed and also when the computer accepts the key. This feature can be useful when the keyboard is set to respond differently than usual.

To adjust key repeat delay and speed:

In Control Panel, double-click the Keyboard icon.

Click the Speed tab, then drag a slider bar to adjust keyboard behavior:

To adjust how long you must hold down a key before it begins repeating, drag the Repeat Delay slider.

To adjust how fast a key repeats when you hold it down, drag the Repeat Rate slider.

ToggleKeys for Users Who Inadvertently Brush Against the Lock Keys

ToggleKeys instructs Windows to play a high beep or a low beep when the lock keys NUM LOCK, CAPS LOCK, or SCROLL LOCK are on. This sound signals to the user that one of these keys has been turned on.

Mouse Options

Users with mobility impairments can now choose among options for size, color, and animation schemes. To adjust mouse properties to increase the pointer's visibility, double-click the Mouse icon in Control Panel. Then click the Pointers tab, and select the Scheme check box. This customizable feature is also useful for users with vision impairment.

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To use High-Contrast mode for pointers under Mouse options in Control Panel, you must first turn off the default hot keys for input locales.

Adjusting Mouse Properties

To make the mouse pointer automatically move to the default button (such as OK, or Apply) in dialog boxes and to reverse the buttons so that the right mouse (index finger) button is the primary button, click the Mouse icon in Control Panel. Users can adjust other mouse settings, such as pointer rate of speed and acceleration, left-right orientation, size, color, shape, time allowed between clicks, or animation. By selecting I am blind or have difficulty seeing things on screen and I have difficulty using the keyboard or mouse, users can also set several mouse options in Accessibility Wizard.

MouseKeys for Keyboard-only Input

Although Windows 2000 is designed so that users can perform all actions without a mouse, some programs might still require one; and a mouse might be more convenient for some tasks. MouseKeys in Control Panel is also useful for graphic artists and others who must position the pointer with great accuracy. A user does not need a mouse to use this feature. With MouseKeys, users can control the mouse pointer with one finger or a mouthstick by using the numeric keypad to move the mouse pointer. In this way, users can click, double-click, and move objects with both mouse buttons. To use hot keys to turn the MouseKeys on or off select the Use Shortcut check box in the Settings for MouseKeys dialog box or click this check box to clear it.

Figure A.4 illustrates the numeric keypad used as MouseKeys.

Figure A.4 MouseKeys Feature for Users Who Have Difficulty Using a Mouse

To turn on MouseKeys from the keyboard

Press left ALT+left SHIFT+NUM LOCK.

When MouseKeys is on, it emits a rising tone if sounds are turned on. If a user is using only one finger or a mouthstick to operate the computer, the easiest way to activate MouseKeys is first to activate StickyKeys by tapping the SHIFT key five times. The user can then press the three keys in sequence rather than simultaneously.

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If FilterKeys is active, all the MouseKeys control keys respond according to the setting for FilterKeys.

When MouseKeys is on, use the following keys to move the pointer on the screen:

On the numeric keypad, press any of the numbered keys immediately surrounding the 5 key (also called the "arrow keys") to move the pointer in the direction that is indicated by the arrows.

Use the 5 key on the numeric keypad for a single mouse-button click and the PLUS SIGN (+) key for a double-click.

To drag and release an object, place the pointer on the object and then press the INS KEY to begin dragging. Move the object to its new location, and then press DEL to release it.

You can use the NUM LOCK key to toggle the MouseKeys control pad back to the numeric keypad and vice versa. This is especially useful with a portable computer that lacks a separate numeric keypad. On these computer keyboards, the numeric keypad is usually overlaid on top of the standard QWERTY keyboard. For example, if you are using the numeric keypad for number entry before starting MouseKeys, when you toggle out of MouseKeys by using the NUM LOCK key, you can enter numbers with the numeric keypad. If you are using the numeric keypad as a cursor keypad before starting MouseKeys, when you toggle out of MouseKeys by using the NUM LOCK key, you have a cursor keypad.

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If the MouseKeys feature is on but NUM LOCK is toggled to the opposite setting, the MouseKeys icon in the taskbar shows that MouseKeys is off.

It can be useful to combine MouseKeys and a physical mouse. For example, a user can use the standard mouse to move quickly around the screen and then use MouseKeys to move more precisely (unit by unit) to the insertion point. Some people cannot use the standard mouse and simultaneously hold down the mouse button. Such users can use MouseKeys to lock down the currently active mouse button, move the mouse pointer by using MouseKeys or the standard mouse, and then release the mouse button by using MouseKeys.

Accessibility Options for Users Who Have Seizures

Users who have seizures, including those with epilepsy, can adjust screen elements, such as timing, color and contrast, and sound by using Accessibility Wizard or Control Panel. The range and selection in many of these features are expanded in Windows 2000. Users can also limit the number of fonts to one or more specified favorites. Customizing the following accessibility features can be helpful to people who have seizures.

Timing Options

Timing patterns can affect users in many adverse ways. Users who have seizures might be sensitive to screen refresh rates and blinking or flashing images. Settings in Control Panel can prevent the default loading of animations and videos. Users or administrators can adjust the rate at which most objects flash to select a frequency that is less likely to trigger seizures. You can alter the insertion point indicator (sometimes called "caret") blink rate, and can link it to flashing events for users who are sensitive to screen refresh rates. Or, you can turn off blinking or flashing images.

Sound Schemes

In addition to users with hearing impairments or users in crowded or noisy environments, users who have seizures can also be susceptible to specific sounds. Settings in Windows 2000 can prevent the default loading of animations, videos, and sounds. By using Control Panel, users can also assign custom sounds to any event. The ability to customize sound schemes, whether turning sound on or off or adjusting the volume up or down, is becoming more important for users and takes many forms in Windows 2000 in support of people with various kinds of disabilities and requirements.

Color and Contrast Settings

By using Accessibility Options in Control Panel, and with Magnifier, users can adjust color and contrast settings. New to Windows 2000 is an expanded spectrum of color schemes, customizable to suit a user's individual needs. For more detailed information about color and contrast settings, see the following section on vision impairments.

Accessibility Options for Users with Vision Impairments

The following accessibility features are useful to people who are blind or have low vision, colorblindness, tunnel vision, or other vision impairments: Text-to-speech tools, such as Narrator; keyboard shortcuts; Magnifier; and customizable features, such as mouse pointer, color and contrast schemes, and other UI elements.

Microsoft Narrator

Narrator is a minimally featured text-to-speech tool that is included with Windows 2000. This new feature works through Active Accessibility to read objects on the screen, their properties, and their spatial relationships. Narrator automatically reads some information to the user when it changes on the screen. The benefit of Narrator is that it is always available to the user and allows the user to log on initially and then install any alternative device or other features the user might need. It is also available for the user who is working on a different computer.

Narrator has a number of options that allow a user or administrator to customize the way a device reads screen elements. The Voice option allows you to adjust the speed, volume, or pitch of the voice. The Reading option allows you to select the typed characters you want the device to read aloud, such as DELETE, ENTER, printable characters, or modifiers. The Mouse Pointer option causes the mouse pointer to follow the active object on the screen. The Announce events on screen option allows you to order the device to announce any of the following components when it displays them: new windows, menus, or shortcut menus.

You can run Narrator through the Start menu by pointing to Programs, Accessories, and then the Accessibility Options menu, or through Utility Manager. Many users with low vision need a text-to-speech utility with a higher functionality for daily use. For a list of other Windows-based text-to-speech tools, see the Microsoft Accessibility Web site at http://windows.microsoft.com/windows2000/reskit/webresources.

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Narrator is a temporary aid and is not intended as a replacement for the full-featured text-to-speech utilities that are available from other software companies.

Keyboard Audio Cues

People with vision impairments might not be able to see the lights on the keyboard that indicate CAPS LOCK, NUM LOCK, and SCROLL LOCK status. ToggleKeys provides audio cues—high and low beeps—to tell the user whether these keys are active or inactive. If ToggleKeys is on, when you press one of these keys and it turns on, you hear a high-pitched beep. When you press one of these keys and it turns off, you hear a beep an octave lower. To adjust ToggleKeys settings double-click Accessibility Options in Control Panel or select I have trouble using a keyboard or a mouse in Accessibility Wizard.

To turn ToggleKeys on or off by using an emergency hot key

Press and then hold down the NUM LOCK key for eight seconds.

When ToggleKeys turns on, you hear a rising series of beeps if sound is on. When it is off, the sound is a descending series of beeps.

ToggleKeys is especially useful for people who accidentally press the CAPS LOCK key instead of the TAB key because it provides immediate feedback when they do so. ToggleKeys also functions with keyboards that do not have the status indicator lights for the CAPS LOCK, NUM LOCK, and SCROLL LOCK keys.

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FilterKeys in Control Panel and BounceKeys in Accessibility Wizard include the option Do you want Windows to beep when it accepts a keystroke? Select the option check box, or use the appropriate hot keys shortcut.

Microsoft Magnifier

Magnifier is a screen enlarger that magnifies a portion of the display of Windows 2000 to make the screen easier to read for people with slight vision impairments or whenever magnifying screen elements might be useful, such as during graphic editing. Magnifier displays an enlarged portion of the screen in a separate window. Many users with low vision need a magnification utility with a higher functionality for daily use. For a list of other Windows-based magnification tools, see the Microsoft Accessibility Web site at http://windows.microsoft.com/windows2000/reskit/webresources.

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Magnifier is a temporary solution and is not intended as a replacement for the full-featured screen-enlargement utilities that are available from other software companies.

Using Magnifier, you can do the following:

Magnify an area of the screen up to nine times the standard display size.

Follow the mouse pointer, the keyboard focus, the text editing focus, or any combination of these three.

Invert colors for contrast.

Toggle High Contrast mode display for the entire screen.

Resize and relocate the Magnifier display area.

When Magnifier is on, the magnified area is merely a display and is not itself an active area. The active focus for cursor, keyboard, and other input devices is always in the unmagnified area. To run Magnifier through the Start menu, point to Programs, Accessories, and Accessibility Options, and then click Magnifier; or use the WINDOWS LOGO key+U to run Utility Manager. If Magnifier is already running, select its button on the taskbar to open the dialog box. You can set tracking options to follow the mouse pointer, the keyboard focus, or text editing.

To change the size of the magnification window

Move the mouse pointer over the edge of the magnification window. The pointer becomes a double-pointed arrow.

Drag the magnification window border to resize the window.

To change the position of the magnification window

Place the mouse pointer inside the magnification window.

Drag the window to the desired area on the desktop.

You can dock the magnification window to the top, bottom, or side of the display, or you can position the window anywhere within the desktop area. Reposition the windows by using the arrow key.

Customizing Fonts

You can add or remove fonts and also restrict font sizes by removing all TrueType customizable fonts and leaving only raster fonts. TrueType fonts are device-independent fonts that are stored as outlines and that can be scaled to produce characters in varying sizes. Raster fonts are created with a printer language that is based on bitmap images for greater visibility. Removing fonts does not delete them from the hard disk drive. Users can easily reinstall the fonts for later use. To add or remove fonts, in Control Panel, double-click Fonts.

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Limiting fonts also limits the number of fonts available to applications. This operation affects the display of documents on the screen and how they are printed and should be used with caution.

To limit the system to a single font

Create a new folder on the desktop or hard disk, and give it a name such as Other Fonts.

In Control Panel, double-click Fonts.

Select all the fonts in the Fonts folder, and then move them to the new folder named Other Fonts. (The system font is not listed, so it remains even when you delete all other fonts.)

Shut down, and then restart the computer.

To restore the fonts

Move or copy the fonts from the Other Fonts folder that you have created to Control Panel, Fonts.

Shut down, and then restart the computer.

You can change text sizes in Windows messages in Accessibility Wizard or Control Panel. Set custom options in Custom Font Size by choosing Other in the Font Size list and then either selecting one of the percentage options in the drop-down list or clicking the ruler and dragging the pointer to specify a font size. If you install new fonts, you must restart your computer to apply any changes. The font size you specify in Control Panel affects all video adapters on your system. To change font settings for individual window objects, double-click Display in Control Panel, and then click the Appearance tab. To add a new font, in Control Panel, double-click Fonts.

To add OpenType, TrueType, or raster fonts from a network drive without using disk space

In the Add Fonts dialog box, check the Copy Fonts to Fonts Folder check box to clear it, and then select the Install New Font check box.

In the Windows 2000 Accessibility Wizard and in Control Panel, users can adjust the size and color of most screen elements, such as window text, menus, mouse pointer, fonts, and caption bars. This capability can make the system easier to use and can reduce eyestrain. In Accessibility Wizard, users can change icon size, mouse pointer size, and text size. In Control Panel, font options are unavailable for properties that do not contain text.

The following are some points to take into consideration when you adjust the color settings:

Settings that display a large number of colors require a large amount of computer processor resources.

A High Color setting (16-bit) includes more than 65,000 colors. A True Color setting (24-bit) includes more than 16 million colors.

The monitor and display adapter determine the maximum number of colors that can appear on the screen.

To change settings for another monitor in a multiple-monitor system, you must select the Extend My Windows Desktop onto this Monitor check box to change the settings for the other monitor. You can make color settings for each installed monitor.

To adjust window size using the keyboard

Press ALT+SPACE to select the window's control menu, and then select the Size check box.

Press an arrow key to select the top, bottom, left, or right border to resize. The mouse pointer moves to the corresponding window edge.

Press the arrow keys to move the selected window edge, and then press ENTER when you are finished. Or you can press ESC to cancel.

To change the border width of windows, including command prompt windows, double-click Display in Control Panel, and then click the Appearance tab to select the preferred scheme. Users can also resize a window by using the keyboard instead of the mouse, or in Accessibility Wizard by selecting I am blind or have difficulty seeing things on screen.

High-Contrast Color Schemes

This feature, new to Windows 2000, is a built-in and expanded library of color schemes for users with low vision who require a high degree of contrast between foreground and background objects to distinguish the objects. An example is those users who cannot easily read black text on a gray background or text drawn over a picture. By selecting a high-contrast display scheme, users can now instruct Windows 2000 and programs to display information with a high degree of contrast. Activating High Contrast mode automatically selects the user's preferred color scheme. Ready-to-use appearance schemes make it easier to see screen objects.

Built-in, and no longer in Control Panel alone, the high-contrast color schemes feature for users with various kinds of vision needs has an expanded selection. Through the Magnifier dialog box, users can invert the colors of the magnification window or display the screen in high contrast. It can take a few seconds for High Contrast Mode to take effect. Customizing contrast and color can make the system easier to use and can reduce eyestrain.

New Mouse Pointers

Customized through Accessibility Wizard or Control Panel, new mouse pointers allow the user to select the most visible one. Pointers now include three sizes—large and extra-large in addition to the default size—and a white or black pointer or an inverted pointer that reacts to screen colors and changes to a color that contrasts with the background. Users can now set the following characteristics to improve the visibility of the mouse pointer:

Pointer size

Pointer color

Speed of the pointer

Visible trails of pointer movement

Animation of the pointer

Another option for users who have difficulty seeing the mouse pointer is to use MouseKeys. For a description of this feature, please see "Accessibility Options for Users with Physical Disabilities" earlier in this appendix.

Insertion Point Indicator Blink Rate

For users with low vision, you can increase the visibility of the insertion point indicator (sometimes called a "caret") by changing the rate at which it flashes. You can change the insertion point indicator blink rate by going to Control Panel and then double-clicking the Keyboard icon.