Accessibility for People with Disabilities

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Custom interfaces allow users with disabilities to control their computing environment so that they can succeed in using the software they need to perform their work. Depending on each person's specific needs, users might find challenges with different aspects of Windows. Although accessibility features install automatically with Windows 2000, in a complete installation, previously configured options and settings must be reconfigured — and new customized options must be configured for individual users.

Table A.10 describes some of the user aids that are built into the Windows 2000 operating system to make it more accessible. Because some features can apply to several disabilities, they are listed by particular difficulty, rather than by any one category of disability. For descriptions of features by category of disability, see the section Setting Options by Type of Disability later in this appendix.

Table A.10 Common User Difficulties and Solutions

If user has difficulty

Windows 2000 Solutions

Customizing settings in a multiple user network.

Accessibility Wizard , Control Panel.

Doing the following:
Opening Windows or applications.
Navigating through desktop elements and windows.

Hot keys; Utility Manager; Narrator; On-Screen Keyboard; Active Desktop, keyboard shortcuts.

Remembering what accessibility features are activated.

Show Status on Screen option in Control Panel, status indicators on the system status area of the taskbar, Utility Manager.

Finding a needed feature.

Options listed by disability in Accessibility Wizard ; Windows Help.

Remembering keyboard navigation indicators (underlined access keys).

I have difficulty using the keyboard or mouse, then Do you want extra keyboard help? options in Accessibility Wizard .
Display , Effects , then clear Hide keyboard navigation indicators until I use the ALT key options in Control Panel (temporary).
Accessibility Options , Keyboard, then Show extra keyboard help in programs options in Control Panel.

Spelling words correctly.

Automatic Spell Checker, AutoComplete feature, AutoCorrect feature, keyboard shortcuts.

Hearing, such as in the following situations:
Hearing sound prompts.
Distinguishing sounds.
Hearing audible cues.
Working in a noisy environment.

ShowSounds, SoundSentry in Control Panel; customizable sound schemes in Accessibility Wizard and in Control Panel.

Using standard keyboard configurations.

Dvorak keyboards, On-Screen Keyboard, MouseKeys in Accessibility Wizard and in Control Panel; third-party alternative keyboards.

Using keyboard due to slow response time.

RepeatKeys and StickyKeys in Control Panel; Keyboard Options in Control Panel.

Using keyboard due to inadvertent repeating of keys.

BounceKeys in Accessibility Wizard ; RepeatKeys, SlowKeys, and ToggleKeys in Accessibility Wizard and in Control Panel.

Holding down two or more keys at the same time.

StickyKeys in Control Panel.

Using standard UI methods, including using the standard mouse and keyboard.

Narrator; On-Screen Keyboard on the Start menu, MouseKeys, Utility Manager, third-party utilities.

Manipulating a mouse.

MouseKeys in Accessibility Wizard and in Control Panel; keyboard shortcuts.

Working with flashing events and other schemes that trigger seizures.

Timing, color, contrast, and sound schemes in Accessibility Wizard and in Control Panel.

Seeing or following the mouse pointer.

Mouse options in Accessibility Wizard and Accessibility and Mouse Options in Control Panel.

Seeing keyboard status lights.

ToggleKeys in Accessibility Wizard and in Control Panel; Narrator

Seeing screen elements.

Narrator and Magnifier on the Start menu, Utility Manager; size, color, and contrast schemes in Accessibility Wizard and Accessibility and Display Options in Control Panel.

Functioning well with built-in accessibility features; needs add-on devices.

SerialKeys in Control Panel for third-party assistive devices.

Finding third-party assistive devices and other accessibility information.

Microsoft Accessibility Web site. (See Additional Resources for details.)

Users and administrators can use Accessibility Options in Control Panel to customize many of the accessibility features in Windows 2000. However, you can also configure many popular accessibility features using Accessibility Wizard . For example, you can customize display, keyboard, mouse, and sound options for the user's own particular needs by using either Control Panel or Accessibility Wizard . The two ways to configure options are described in the following sections.