WINDOWS 1002000 PROFESSIONAL RESOURCE KIT [Electronic resources]

Making Windows 2000 Professional More Accessible

Making software accessible means that you give equal access to all users, including users with cognitive, hearing, physical, or visual disabilities. Windows 2000 Professional makes computers more usable through a flexible, customizable user interface, alternative input and output methods, and better visibility of screen elements.

You can use several built-in technologies and Windows Explorer options to configure user's computers with the accessibility features that users need. These features are as follows:

Tools You can set a wider range of accessibility and other options for groups by configuring the settings in Accessibility Options in Control Panel, Accessibility wizard, and Utility Manager.

Navigation Features Features, such as hot keys and Active Desktop^™, allow users to gain access to desktop icons, Windows Explorer, servers on a network, or Internet Explorer. They give users quick access to Windows and help users open folders and create their individualized settings. Keyboard shortcuts and personalized keyboard options assist users in working with programs and applications.

Active Accessibility With Active Accessibility®, applications work more effectively with system extensions, programs, devices, and other third-party accessibility aids, such as speech recognition systems. Active Accessibility upgrades are invisible to the user.

Customized Input Methods On-Screen Keyboard, special mouse settings, and other options, allow users to customize their user interface input schemes.

Accessibility Wizard The Accessibility wizard allows you to quickly customize user's computers with the features that they use most often.

Enlarged Display Magnifier makes it possible for users to view the display in a larger format.

Sound Options Sound options allow you to customize volume adjustment and multimedia options and use ShowSounds and SoundSentry to give users with hearing impairments control of their audio environment.

Visual Aids Windows 2000 offers several visual aids which help users who have special visual needs. For example, you can use Narrator to convert text to speech, set ToggleKeys to play audio cues when the user presses certain keys; and configure sounds for events in Sounds and Multimedia in Control Panel.

Keyboard Filters The FilterKeys feature adjusts keyboard response time and ignores accidental key-strokes.

Contrast, Color, Timing, and Sizing Schemes High-visibility mouse pointers, high-contrast color schemes, and the Accessibility wizard give users options that suit their needs and preference.

Third-Party Hardware Devices The SerialKeys feature, designed for users who are unable to use standard user interface options, allows users to attach an alternative input device through the computer's serial port.

For more information about using and configuring accessibility features, see the appendix, "Accessibility for People with Disabilities" in this book.

Enabling Third-Party Hardware Devices

Some users with disabilities might need additional tools for daily use. The Microsoft Active Accessibility (MSAA) application programming interface (API) allows additional accessibility aides to work with Windows user interface elements such as toolbars, menus, text, and graphics.

You can install smaller or larger keyboards, eye-gaze pointing devices, sip-and-puff systems that are controlled by breathing, and augmentative communication devices, which are designed to control a speech synthesizer for users who are nonverbal.

For more information about hardware and software for users with accessibility needs, see the Microsoft Accessibility link on the Web Resources page at http://windows.microsoft.com/windows2000/reskit/webresources.

Group Policy and Accessibility Options

Some Group Policy settings can limit the ability to change accessibility options. Table 7.8 lists some of the Group Policy settings that can affect accessibility options:

Table 7.8 Group Policy Settings That Can Affect Accessibility Options