Chapter 16: Accessibility Options

What Accessibility Options Are Available in Windows XP?

Windows includes the accessibility options 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

• StickyKeys 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.
• FilterKeys Filters out repeated keystrokes. Good for typists who have trouble pressing a key once briefly.
• ToggleKeys 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.

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

Visual translation of sounds for those who have difficulty hearing include

• SoundSentry Displays a visual warning when the computer makes a sound.
• ShowSounds Displays a 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

• MouseKeys Enables you to use the numeric keypad to control the pointer.
• SerialKey Turns on support for alternate input devices attached to the serial port.

Do Applications Use the Windows Accessibility Settings? Although accessibility options 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 accessibility options with new software, make sure the software supports Windows accessibility options before you buy. Microsoft maintains an accessibility Web site at: http://www.microsoft.com/enable.