Appendix H - Accessibility

Article
02/20/2014

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This appendix describes how to install, configure, and use features in Microsoft Windows 98 that support enhanced accessibility. Network administrators and users with disabilities will find this appendix useful in setting up custom installations. Many accessibility features will also be of interest to users without disabilities such as anyone using Windows 98 without a mouse. This appendix also provides information about Microsoft products and services that make Windows 98 more accessible for people with disabilities.

Overview of Accessibility

Microsoft is committed to making computers easier to use for everyone, including individuals with disabilities. In recent years, Microsoft has established close relationships with users who have disabilities, organizations representing disabled individuals, workers in the rehabilitation field, and software developers who create products for this market. Based on their combined input, Microsoft has defined specific design goals for Windows 98:

Continue to integrate and improve the Windows 95 features that compensate for difficulties some individuals have in using the keyboard or the mouse.
Continue to make the visual user interface easier to customize for people with limited vision.
Provide additional visual feedback for users who are deaf or hard-of-hearing.
Provide new application programming interfaces (APIs) and "hooks" for independent software vendors (ISVs) developing accessibility aids, including those that allow blind individuals to use Windows.
Make information on accessibility solutions more widely available, and increase public awareness of these issues.

Windows 98 offers several enhancements designed to meet these accessibility goals. The primary improvements in accessibility for Windows 98 from previous versions of Windows are:

Scalable user interface elements, incl/technet/images/archive/win98/reskit/part7/uding large and extra-large mouse cursors.
An expanded selection of high-contrast color schemes designed to address various forms of vision impairment.
Visual cues to tell the user when the application is making sounds.
Notification to other applications when the user has limited vision, needs additional keyboard support because of difficulty using a mouse, or wants visual captions to be displayed for speech or other sounds.
Notification to other applications when they should modify behavior to be compatible with accessibility software utilities running in the system.
Audible prompts during Setup for users who have low vision.

In addition to enhancing the accessibility features available through Control Panel, Windows 98 introduces two new accessibility tools:

The Accessibility Wizard, which makes it easier for users and administrators to set up accessibility options by selecting from examples instead of having to change numeric values or individual settings in Control Panel.
The Magnifier, a limited-function screen enlarger that makes Windows easier to see for users with low vision and for users who require occasional screen magnification for such specific tasks as editing art.

Installing Accessibility Options

Windows 98 Setup retains the Accessibility Options that were previously installed automatically when upgrading from earlier versions of Windows. To use a computer that does not have Accessibility Options installed on the hard drive, or to install the Accessibility Tools and the additional color and pointer schemes added to Windows 98, perform the following procedures.

To install Accessibility Options

Select Start.
Select Settings.
Select Control Panel.
Select Add/Remove Programs Properties.
Select Windows Setup.

The Windows Setup tab appears. If all the accessibility components have been installed, the Accessibility check box displays a check mark.
In the Components list, select Accessibility.
Select Details.

The Accessibility dialog box appears. Accessibility Options and Accessibility Tools are displayed as two options in the list.
Select the Accessibility Options check box.
Select the Accessibility Tools check box.
Select OK.
On the Add/Remove Programs Properties page, select OK.

Note If you used a compact disc to install Windows, you are prompted to insert it into your computer.

Configuring Accessibility Features Using Control Panel

The Accessibility Options icon in Control Panel controls most of the accessibility features in Windows 98. Users can customize display, keyboard, mouse, and sound operation for their own particular needs. This section presents each feature in detail. Most users will find it easier to configure their settings using the Accessibility Wizard. See "Configuring Accessibility Features with the Accessibility Wizard" later in this chapter.

A few features are available only through Control Panel settings. These include:

Large fonts.
Some of the Filter Keys functions.
All 27 high-contrast custom color schemes (six are available through the Accessibility Wizard, but you may wish to look at the expanded library available through the Custom list in the Display tab).

Features for Making the Display Easier to See

This section describes the specific accessibility features that Windows 98 provides to make the display easier to see for users with limited vision, including:

Scalable user interface elements.
Customizable display for the mouse pointer.
High-contrast mode.

Scalable User Interface Elements

Users who have limited vision or who suffer eyestrain during normal use of a video display can now adjust the sizes of window titles, scroll bars, borders, menu text, and other standard screen elements.

To change the color and size of standard screen elements

Select Start.
Select Settings.
Select Control Panel.
Select Display.
Select the Appearance tab.

Use the Scheme list to select sample schemes. The selected schemes will be displayed. You can customize item and font choices in the Item and Font lists after selecting an entry in the Scheme list.

Customizable Display for the Mouse Pointer

Users who have difficulty seeing or following the mouse pointer can now set the following characteristics to improve visibility of the mouse pointer:

Pointer size
Pointer color
Speed of the pointer
Visible trails of pointer movement
Animation of the pointer

Customizable mouse pointer display schemes are loaded automatically when you install Windows 98 from the compact disc using the Typical setup. If another setup option was chosen, use the Add/Remove Programs option in Control Panel to install the mouse pointer display schemes from the compact disc. In addition, with the Windows 98 compact disc, the user can install color schemes and select from red, gray, yellow, green, or violet 16-color schemes for the mouse pointer.

To change the pointer size and color

Select Start.
Select Settings.
Select Control Panel.
Select Mouse.
Select the Pointers tab.
Select the scheme you want from the Scheme list.

Sample pointers appear in the lower list.
Select OK.

To change pointer speed or add trails

Select Start.
Select Settings.
Select Control Panel.
Select Mouse.
Select the Visibility tab.

Use the Pointer Speed slider to set the speed of the pointer. Select the Display pointer trails check box to display pointer trails, and use the slider to set the length of the pointer trails.

Note Not all displays support mouse pointer color schemes. Windows 98 features an animated hourglass pointer for better viewing.

High-Contrast Mode

Many users with low vision require a high degree of contrast between foreground and background objects to distinguish the objects. For example, some users may not be able to read black text on a gray background, or text drawn over a picture easily. By setting a global flag, users can instruct Windows 98 and applications to display information with a high degree of contrast. Activating high-contrast mode automatically selects the user's preferred color scheme.

Through both Control Panel and the Accessibility Wizard, Windows 98 offers 12 high-contrast screen selections optimized for individuals with low vision.

To set screen colors in high-contrast mode

Select Start.
Select Settings.
Select Control Panel.
Select Accessibility Options.
Select Display.
Select Settings.

The Settings for High Contrast dialog box appears.
Select Custom.
Select the display you want from the Custom list.
Select OK.

To set the High Contrast hot key

Select Start.
Select Settings.
Select Control Panel.
Select Accessibility Options.
Select Display.
Select Settings.

The Settings for High Contrast dialog box appears.
Select the Use shortcut check box.

The shortcut key for High Contrast (left ALT+left SHIFT+PRINT SCREEN) is enabled.
Select OK.

Note You can also activate High Contrast mode using Magnifier.

Features for Making Keyboard and Mouse Input Easier

This section describes accessibility features that assist users who may have difficulty using the keyboard or the mouse. Notice that even without installing accessibility features, you can use the TAB key in dialog boxes to move the focus (that is, the outline that indicates where you are currently working in the dialog box), and you can use the arrow keys to select items in a list. In property sheets that have multiple tabs, you can press CTRL+TAB to select each property sheet in order from left to right. Or you can press the TAB key until the focus is in the tab for the current property sheet, and then press an arrow key to select the next sheet. See "Using Keyboard Navigation" later in this chapter for lists of shortcut keys to use throughout Windows 98.

StickyKeys for One-Finger or Mouthstick Typing

Many software programs require you to press two or three keys at a time. For people who type using a single finger or a mouthstick, that is not possible. StickyKeys allows you to press one key at a time and instructs Windows to respond as if the keys had been pressed simultaneously.

When StickyKeys is on, pressing any modifier key (CTRL, ALT, or SHIFT) "latches" that key down until you release the mouse button or press a key that is not a modifier key. Pressing a modifier key twice in a row locks the key down until it is tapped a third time.

To adjust StickyKeys settings

Select Start.
Select Settings.
Select Control Panel.
Select Accessibility Options.
Select Keyboard.

The Keyboard tab appears.
To configure StickyKeys, select the related Settings button.

The Settings for StickyKeys dialog box appears.
Select the options you want from the check boxes.
Select OK.

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

Press the SHIFT key five times.

If you have the sound features of StickyKeys enabled, you hear a rising siren tone when StickyKeys is turned on or off using the hot key.

StickyKeys operates in two modes: Latched mode and Locked mode:

Tapping once on a modifier key puts it into Latched mode. If the StickyKeys sound features are enabled, you hear a short low beep/high beep. When the next non-modifier key is pressed, the modifier key(s) are released.
Tapping twice in succession on a modifier key puts it into Locked mode. If the StickyKeys sound features are enabled, you hear a short low beep/high beep after the first tap and a single high beep after the second tap. Once a modifier key is locked, it stays locked until it is pressed a third time.
Any and all of the modifier keys (SHIFT, CTRL, and ALT) can be latched or locked in combination.

For shared computers, there is an optional feature to keep non-disabled people from being confused when StickyKeys is left on. Whenever other people use the keyboard, they can hold the modifier key down and strike another key simultaneously. If the option Turn StickyKeys Off When Pressing Two Keys At Once is enabled, StickyKeys detects that two keys are held down simultaneously and automatically turns the StickyKeys feature off.

Some people do not like to have keyboard sounds, while others find them useful. You can turn feedback sounds on or off in the StickyKeys properties by using the option Make Sounds When Modifier Key Is Pressed.

Also, it is possible to disable the Locked mode of StickyKeys by making sure the Press Modifier Key Twice To Lock check box is not selected.

FilterKeys for Controlling Keyboard Input

Windows 98 includes features designed to work either separately or in combination to address problems related to keyboard sensitivity. These features are grouped as FilterKeys and are known separately as SlowKeys, BounceKeys, and RepeatKeys. These options include the following:

SlowKeys instructs Windows to disregard keystrokes that are not held down for a minimum period of time. This allows you to brush against keys without any effect. When you place a finger on the proper key, you can hold the key down until the character appears on the screen.
RepeatKeys enables you to adjust the repeat rate or disable the key-repeat function on your keyboard. Most keyboards allow you 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.
BounceKeys instructs the computer to ignore keystrokes that are repeated quickly. This is useful for people with tremors whose fingers tend to bounce on the keys when pressing or releasing them.

You can adjust FilterKeys settings by using the Accessibility Options icon in Control Panel, or you can turn a specific FilterKeys feature on or off by using an emergency hot key.

To activate FilterKeys with your default settings, hold down the right SHIFT key for at least eight seconds.

The following sequence of events happens:

After four seconds, three short warning beeps sound. This enables you to stop the process if you were turning on FilterKeys accidentally.
After four more seconds, a single rising siren indicates that FilterKeys is turned on, using the previously chosen or default settings.
After four more seconds, you hear two rising siren sounds, which signal the first level of emergency settings: no key repeats, no acceptance delay, and ignoring repeated keystrokes.
After four more seconds (a total of about 16 seconds), you hear three rising sirens, which signal the second level of emergency settings: no key repeats, with an acceptance delay of two seconds.

When you disable FilterKeys (using the same keyboard action), you hear a falling siren.

You can adjust the FilterKeys settings so that unwanted functions have no effect.

To adjust FilterKeys settings

Select Start.
Select Settings.
Select Control Panel.
Select Accessibility Options.
Select Keyboard.

The Keyboard tab appears.
Select the Settings button related to FilterKeys.
Select Ignore Repeated Keystrokes, and then select the related Settings button.
The Advanced Settings for FilterKeys dialog box appears.
Drag the slider to show how much time must elapse after you press a key before subsequent presses of the same key are accepted.

– Or –

Select Ignore Quick KeyStrokes, and then select the related Settings button. You can then configure settings for RepeatKeys and SlowKeys.

For RepeatKeys, which overrides the settings made using the Keyboard properties in Control Panel:

First choose whether you want to slow down the repeat rate on the keyboard or disable the repeat altogether.
If you choose to slow down the repeat rate, drag a slider to set the length of time you must hold a key down before it begins to repeat. If you have trouble releasing a key in time, set this to a long setting. Then drag the second slider to indicate how long to wait between repeated keystrokes for the key that is held down.
For SlowKeys, define the acceptance delay, which allows you to adjust the amount of time that you must hold a key down before it is accepted by the computer.

Another very 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 when the computer accepts the key. This can be useful when the keyboard is set to respond differently than usual.

ToggleKeys for Audio Cues on the Key's State

People with visual impairments may 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 you whether these keys are active or inactive. If ToggleKeys is enabled, when you press one of these keys and it turns on, you hear a high beep. When you press one of these keys and it turns off, you hear a low beep.

To adjust ToggleKeys settings

Select Start.
Select Settings.
Select Control Panel.
Select Accessibility Options.
Select Keyboard.

The Keyboard tab appears.
To configure ToggleKeys, select the related Settings button.

The Settings for ToggleKeys dialog box appears.
In the settings for ToggleKeys, select the Use shortcut check box.
Select OK.

Remember the following points when using ToggleKeys:

To turn ToggleKeys on or off by using an emergency hot key, hold down the NUM LOCK key for eight seconds.
When ToggleKeys turns on, you hear a rising siren if sound is turned on.
ToggleKeys is especially useful for people who accidentally press CAPS LOCK instead of TAB, because it provides immediate feedback when they make such a mistake. ToggleKeys also functions with keyboards that do not have the status indicator lights for the CAPS LOCK, NUM LOCK, and SCROLL LOCK keys. The audible low and high beeps can be very useful for all users with this style of keyboard.

MouseKeys for Keyboard-only Input

MouseKeys lets you control the mouse pointer by using the keyboard. Although Windows 98 is designed to allow you to perform all actions without a mouse, some programs might still require one, and a mouse might be more convenient for some tasks. MouseKeys is also useful for graphic artists and others who need to position the pointer with great accuracy. You do not need to have a mouse to use this feature.

To adjust MouseKeys settings

Select Start.
Select Settings.
Select Control Panel.
Select Accessibility Options.
Select Mouse.

The Mouse tab appears.
To configure MouseKeys, select the related Settings button.

The Settings for MouseKeys dialog box appears.
In the settings for MouseKeys, use the check boxes and sliders to select the options you want.
Select OK.

To turn on MouseKeys from the keyboard

Press left ALT+left SHIFT+NUM LOCK.

When MouseKeys turns on, you hear a rising siren if sounds are turned on.

If you are using only one finger, a mouthstick, or a head-pointer to operate the computer, the easiest way to activate MouseKeys is to first activate StickyKeys by tapping either SHIFT key five times. You can then press the three keys in sequence rather than simultaneously.

Note If SlowKeys is active, all the MouseKeys control keys respond according to the acceptance delay set for SlowKeys.

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 indicated by their arrows.
Use the 5 key for a single mouse-button click and the PLUS SIGN (+) for a double-click.
To drag and release an object, place the pointer on the object, and then press INSERT to begin dragging. Move the object to its new location, and then press DEL to release it.
To select the left, right, or both mouse buttons for clicking, press the Slash (/) key, the MINUS SIGN (-) key, or the ASTERISK (*) key, respectively.
To cause the pointer to "jump" across large sections of the screen, hold down CTRL while using the movement keys (any numeric keypad key except 5).
To move the mouse a single pixel at a time for greater accuracy, hold down SHIFT while using the movement keys (any numeric keypad key except 5).

You can use NUM LOCK to toggle the MouseKeys control pad back to the numeric keypad and vice versa. This is especially useful with a laptop or notebook computer that does not have a separate numeric keypad. On these computer keyboards, the numeric keypad is usually overlaid on top of the standard QWERTY keyboard.

Note 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 disabled.

For example, if you are using the numeric keypad for number entry before starting MouseKeys, when you toggle out of MouseKeys by using NUM LOCK, 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 NUM LOCK, you have a cursor keypad.

It can be useful to combine use of MouseKeys and use of a physical mouse. For example, you can use the standard mouse to move quickly around the screen and then use MouseKeys to move more precisely (unit by unit) to your final destination. Some people cannot use the standard mouse while simultaneously holding down the mouse button, so you can use MouseKeys to lock down the currently active mouse button, move the mouse cursor by using MouseKeys or the real mouse, and then release the mouse button by using MouseKeys.

Features for Replacing Sounds with Visual Cues

ShowSounds is a feature that instructs programs to provide visible feedback, in effect, asking the programs to be "closed-captioned."

SoundSentry tells Windows to send a visual cue, such as a blinking title bar or a screen flash, whenever the computer generates a sound. This enables you to see when the computer is generating sounds, although it cannot help you distinguish between different sounds.

ShowSounds and SoundSentry can be enabled through both the Accessibility Wizard and the Sounds tab within Accessibility Options in Control Panel.

You can also assign your own WAV files as custom sounds to any event through Sounds in Control Panel.

For information on using NetMeeting within corporate intranets to communicate real time in text-based chat, see "Conferencing with NetMeeting" in Chapter 20, "Internet Access and Tools."

To adjust Sound settings

Select Start.
Select Settings.
Select Control Panel.
Select Accessibility Options.
Select Sound.

The Sound tab appears.
To configure SoundSentry, select the related Settings button.

The Settings for SoundSentry dialog box appears.
Select the options you want from the lists.
Select OK.

Configuring Accessibility Features with the Accessibility Wizard

You can configure most accessibility features in Windows 98 through both the Accessibility Wizard and Control Panel. The Accessibility Wizard presents examples of accessibility features in one single place, making it easy to customize Windows to each individual's needs. The Accessibility Wizard also provides the option of saving your settings to a disk that can be used on another computer.

To start the Accessibility Wizard

Select Start.
Select Programs.
Select Accessories.
Select Accessibility.
Select Accessibility Wizard.

If Accessibility Wizard does not appear on the Programs menu, you need to install Accessibility Options.

Using the Accessibility Features

Once configured, the accessibility features can be turned on and off at any time using hot keys. Users can also save their accessibility settings as part of their user profiles in Windows 98 so that multiple users can comfortably share the same machine.

Using Accessibility Hot Keys

The accessibility hot keys provide an immediate method of activating accessibility features for people who could not use the computer without first having accessibility features in effect. Also known as shortcuts, hot keys allow the user to temporarily turn on a specific feature. Then, after the feature has been turned on, the user can navigate to Control Panel and adjust the feature to the user's own preferences or turn the feature on 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. These keys are shown in the following table.

To	Press
Switch FilterKeys on and off	Right SHIFT for eight seconds
Switch High Contrast on and off	Left ALT+left SHIFT+PRINT SCREEN
Switch MouseKeys on and off	Left ALT+left SHIFT+NUM LOCK
Switch StickyKeys on and off	SHIFT five times
Switch ToggleKeys on and off	NUM LOCK for five seconds

Hot keys are designed to be unique key combinations that should not conflict with keys used by applications. If such a conflict does arise, the hot keys can be disabled, and the user can still use the feature or not, as needed.

As a precaution against accidental use, pressing an accessibility hot key causes special tones to sound (a rising siren tone for on and a falling siren tone for off) and causes a confirmation dialog box to appear, briefly explaining the feature and how it was activated. If the user pressed 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 the Control Panel settings for the hot key feature, in case the user wants to disable the hot key permanently.

Accessibility Status Indicator

While an accessibility feature is in use, Windows 98 can display an optional visual indicator icon that tells the user which accessibility features are turned on. The icon also provides feedback on the keys and mouse buttons currently being "held down" by the StickyKeys and MouseKeys features. The status indicator icons can appear on the system taskbar or as a free-floating window; users can choose from a range of different sizes.

Cc768169.wrkyy11(en-us,TechNet.10).gif

In the preceding illustration, the three rectangles represent the left SHIFT, CTRL, and ALT keys. As each modifier key is held down by the StickyKeys feature, the corresponding rectangle appears filled.

The mouse in the Accessibility status indicator window may show either the left or the right button shaded, depending on which is selected. Pressing 5, PLUS SIGN (+), or INSERT is equivalent to using that button. If you have selected working with both buttons (equivalent to using the middle button on a three-button mouse), both buttons are shaded. If you lock down one or more mouse buttons using INSERT, the status indicator shows those buttons as being filled, rather than shaded. (To release them, press DEL.)

The stopwatch indicates that the keyboard response is being affected by SlowKeys, BounceKeys, or RepeatKeys features.

Settings for Multiple Users

To enable multiple users to personalize settings

Select Start.
Select Settings.
Select Control Panel.
Select Passwords.

The Passwords Properties tabbed pages appear.
Select the User Profiles tab.
Select the Users can customize their preferences and desktop settings radio button.

Your settings, including all accessibility settings, will be saved for the next time you log on.
Select OK.

The next person who logs on to Windows can change settings without changing your preferred settings. The next time you log on, your settings will be restored.

Accessibility Time-out

The time-out feature of the Accessibility properties dialog box turns off accessibility functionality after the computer has been idle for a certain period of time. It returns the operating system to its default configuration. This feature is useful on computers shared by multiple users.

Using Magnifier

Magnifier enlarges a portion of the display of Windows 98 to make the screen easier to read for people with slight visual impairments or whenever magnifying screen elements may be useful, such as during graphic editing. Magnifier is intended to provide a minimum level of functionality for users with moderate visual impairments. Many users with visual impairments will need a magnification utility program with higher functionality for daily use. For a list of Windows-based magnification utilities, see https://www.microsoft.com/technet/images/prodtechnol/win98/reskit/part7/images/wrkyy13.gif .

Using Magnifier, you can:

Magnify an area of the screen up to nine times the standard display size.
Follow the mouse cursor, the keyboard focus, the text editing focus, or any combination of these three.
Invert colors for contrast.
Toggle High Contrast display for the entire screen.
Resize and relocate the display area.

When Magnifier is on, the magnified area is merely a display and not itself an active area. The active focus for cursor, keyboard, and other input devices is always in the unmagnified area.

To start Magnifier

Select Start.
Select Programs.
Select Accessories.
Select Accessibility.
Select Magnifier.

If Magnifier does not appear on the Programs menu or one of its submenus, see the procedure "To install Accessibility Options" earlier in this appendix.

You can customize your Start bar or create a shortcut to make starting Magnifier easier or to use settings for multiple users.

To set the magnification level

Start Magnifier.
In the Microsoft Magnifier dialog box, select an arrow or enter a number in the Magnification level box to increase or decrease magnification.

If Magnifier is already running, select its program button on the taskbar to open the dialog box.

You can also change the magnification level from the keyboard by holding down the Windows logo key and pressing the arrow keys. Press the UP ARROW key to increase magnification and the DOWN ARROW key to decrease magnification.

To set tracking options

Start Magnifier.
In the Microsoft Magnifier dialog box, select any of the tracking options you want from the following three choices:

Follow Mouse cursor
Follow keyboard focus
Follow text editing

If Magnifier is already running, select its program button on the taskbar to open the dialog box.

You can turn mouse tracking on and off from the keyboard by pressing the Windows logo key + PAGE DOWN.

To change the size of the magnification window

Move the mouse pointer over the edge of the magnification window. The cursor becomes a double-pointed arrow.
Drag the magnification window border to resize the window.

Keyboard users can use Mousekeys to change the size and position of the Magnifier 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 your desktop.

You can dock the magnification window to the top, bottom, or side of your display, or you can position the window anywhere within the desktop area.

To invert the colors of the magnification window

Start Microsoft Magnifier.
In the Microsoft Magnifier dialog box, select the Invert Colors check box.

If Microsoft Magnifier is already running, select its program button on the taskbar to open the dialog box.

You can turn color inversion on and off from the keyboard by pressing the Windows logo key + PAGE UP.

To copy the contents of the magnifier to the clipboard

Right-click on the area displayed in the magnifier.

The copy to clipboard button appears.
Press ENTER.

To display the screen in High Contrast

Start Magnifier.
In the Microsoft Magnifier dialog box, select the Use High Contrast scheme check box.
Select OK.

It can take a few seconds for High Contrast Mode to take effect.

To exit Magnifier

Select the Microsoft Magnifier button on the toolbar.

The Microsoft Magnifier dialog box appears.
Select the Exit button.

Both on the Active Desktop and in Help, you can use the TAB key to rotate through controls such as icons, buttons, list boxes, panes, and links generally in left-to-right and top-to-bottom order. Use SHIFT+TAB to rotate through in reverse order. You can use ENTER to choose icons, choose commands, choose buttons, and activate links.

Many Microsoft products have specific shortcut keys to make keyboard access convenient. Look for the phrases "keyboard shortcuts" or "keystroke shortcuts" in the Help index. Shortcut keys for Windows 98 are listed in Appendix G, "Shortcuts for Windows 98."

Overview of Active Desktop

New features in the Windows 98 Active Desktop include:

The Start menu and menus displayed by Windows Explorer are now custom scrolling menus. This allows you to have more menu commands than fit on the screen at one time, a helpful feature for people who enlarge the menu fonts or customize their menu to have many commands.

You have several new desktop toolbars to choose from. These include:
- The Address bar, which functions like the Run command on the Start menu.
- The Links bar, which shows Web sites of general interest.
- The Desktop bar, which shows the objects on your desktop.
- The Quick Launch bar, which shows links to commonly used commands.
You can create your own desktop toolbars with commands you use frequently. See the following procedures.
You can choose to make your desktop and folder look and act like Web pages, including the ability to activate objects with a single select and to select them simply by hovering the mouse over them. Adjust these and other options by opening any folder and choosing Folder Options from the View menu.
You can view any folder as a Web page. Open any folder and choose as Web Page from the View menu. If you do not like this view, you can switch back to any of the views provided by Windows, including Large Icons, Small Icons, and List views.

For more information on Active Desktop, see Help in Windows 98 and Chapter 6, "Configuring the Active Desktop and Active Channels."

Cc768169.wrk0i02(en-us,TechNet.10).gif

Press TAB and SHIFT+TAB to move forward and backward between the Start button, desktop icons, the QuickLaunch bar, the Taskbar, and the Channel bar. A one-pixel-wide border appears around items so you can see what is selected.

The selection rotates forward through the Active Desktop items in the following order:

The Start button on the Taskbar

The Quick Launch toolbar
- One of the Quick Launch icons appears selected.
- You can use the arrow keys to move among the program icons. Once the focus is on an icon, press ENTER to launch the applications, or press SHIFT+F10 to display the shortcut menu for the toolbar. (All the toolbars on the desktop share the same shortcut menu.)
- The arrow keys wrap; that is, continuing to use the right arrow on the rightmost icon moves you to the leftmost (first) icon.
The Taskbar
- A selection does not appear on the Taskbar, but the focus is in fact there. Press SHIFT+F10 at this point to display the shortcut menu for the toolbar. (All the toolbars on the desktop share the same shortcut menu.)
- Press the RIGHT ARROW key to select an application. You can press ENTER to display the selected application, or press SHIFT+F10 to display the shortcut menu for that application.
- Use arrow keys to move among the application buttons.
- The arrow keys wrap; that is, continuing to use the right arrow on the rightmost icon moves to the leftmost (first) icon.
The Desktop icons
- An icon on the desktop appears selected.
- Use arrow keys to move between the icons on the desktop. Press ENTER to open the application or document, or press SHIFT+F10 to display the shortcut menu for that icon.
- Press CTRL+SPACEBAR to select or deselect the current icon; when no icon is selected, you can press SHIFT+F10 to display the shortcut menu for the entire desktop.
- The arrow keys do not wrap; that is, continuing to use the left arrow on the leftmost selection does not move the focus and does not play an error sound.
The Channel bar
- The topmost button on the Channel bar appears selected.
- Use arrow keys to move between the icons on the Channel bar. Press ENTER to display a channel using Windows 98.
- The arrow keys do wrap; that is, continuing to use the down arrow on the last selection moves to the top button.
- Note that you can only reach the Channel bar by pressing TAB. The Channel bar is skipped when you navigate in reverse order using SHIFT+TAB.
The Start button again

If you add other bars, such as the Address bar, Quicklinks bar, Desktop bar, or a New Toolbar, you can also use TAB and SHIFT+TAB to navigate to these bars.

Customizing Desktop Toolbars

You can create your own desktop toolbars with commands you use frequently. This is most useful for people who prefer to use the mouse rather than the keyboard; users who prefer the keyboard usually want to add commands to their Start menu instead.

To create a custom desktop toolbar

Create a folder with the appropriate documents, shortcuts, or programs.
Display the shortcut menu for the taskbar by right-selecting on the taskbar, or by pressing CTRL+ESC, ESC, and TAB, then pressing SHIFT+F10.
Select the Toolbar command, then the New Toolbar command.
Enter the path to the appropriate folder, or select the folder from the displayed list. You can press the RIGHT ARROW key to display all the folders in a branch.
Select OK.

The new toolbar appears on your taskbar.

Overview of Windows 98 Help

Windows 98 includes a new Help facility called HTML Help. Because Help is now displayed as Web pages, most of the accessibility features in the Internet Explorer browsing software are now also available when viewing Help topics. You can override formatting options in Help, display text instead of images, disable animation, and even apply your own style sheet in order to have greater control over how Help is presented. When you adjust these and similar options in the Internet Explorer browsing software and then restart Help, your settings will automatically apply to all help topics you view. For more information on how to customize the display of Web pages and Help through the Internet Explorer browsing software, see that software's Help. Detailed information is also available online at https://www.microsoft.com/technet/images/prodtechnol/win98/reskit/part7/images/wrkyy13.gif .

As in previous versions of Help, you can use TAB and SHIFT+TAB to navigate between buttons, links, or panes of Windows 98 Help. Use ENTER to activate links.

When you display a topic in the right-hand pane, it continues to be displayed until replaced with another selection. This can be confusing in navigation, because the topic name currently selected in the left pane may not match the topic shown on the right.

The Hide button on the Help toolbar can hide the leftmost pane, which is used for Content, Index, and Search. When this has been done, there is no way to navigate Help or display the leftmost pane with the keyboard.

Using the Keyboard to Display Help Items

You can use keys to display and search for Help topics.

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To display the topics in the Contents page

Press ALT+C to move the focus to the Contents page.

The highlight indicates the topic in the list being focused on.

Use the up and down arrow keys to move the selection in the Contents page.
- As you select parent topics, they automatically open, as indicated by the open book icon and the expanded list of subtopics.
- As you leave the last subtopic of an opened topic for the next topic, the opened topic closes, collapsing the list and displaying a closed book icon.
- Pressing ENTER also opens and closes topics indicated by book icons.
When you have made your selection of an available topic (indicated by a page icon), press ENTER to display the information in the right-hand pane.
- Your topic is displayed in the pane on the right, and the keyboard focus moves to the Help topic. The text you searched for is highlighted wherever it appears in the topic.
- Use the arrow keys to scroll the screen up and down or left and right.
- Press HOME or END to scroll the screen to the beginning or end of the topic.
- Use CRTL+F10 to display the shortcut menu for the topic.
To return to the Contents page, press ALT+C.
Press ALT+F4 to quit Help.

To display a topic using the Index list

Press ALT+I to display the Index page.

The Index page consists of a text field, where you can enter a term, and a list box showing all available index entries.

The keyboard focus is in the text box. The first time you use this page, the text box is empty.
Use the arrow keys to scroll up and down the list of all topics. The selected topics appear in the text box as you scroll.

– Or –

Type the topic in the text box. The display scrolls to display matching topics as you type.
Press ENTER or ALT+D to display the selected topic.

Your topic is displayed in the pane on the right, and the keyboard focus moves to the help topic. The text you searched for is highlighted wherever it appears in the topic.
- Use the arrow keys to scroll the screen up and down or left and right.
- Press HOME or END to scroll the screen to the beginning or end of the topic.
- Use CTRL+F10 to display the shortcut menu for the topic.
Use ALT+I to choose other topics, or ALT+F4 to close Help.

To search for a topic by keyword in Windows 98 Help

Press ALT+S.

The Search tabbed page comes to the foreground, and the highlight indicates that the keyboard focus is in the Keyword text box.
Enter the keyword you want.
Press ENTER or ALT+L.

A list of topics pertaining to your keyword appears in the Topic list box.
Press ALT+P; and then the DOWN ARROW key to move the keyboard focus to the first item in the Topic list box.

The keyboard focus does not appear in the list box immediately after pressing ALT+P; it appears after using the DOWN ARROW key.
Use the UP ARROW and DOWN ARROW keys to select a topic.
Press ENTER or ALT+D to display the selected topic.

Your topic is displayed in the pane on the right, and the keyboard focus moves to the help topic. The text you searched for is highlighted wherever it appears in the topic.
- Use the arrow keys to scroll the screen up and down or left and right.
- Press HOME or END to scroll the screen to the beginning or end of the topic.
- Use CTRL+F10 to display the shortcut menu for the topic.
Use SHIFT+TAB to return to the Topic list box to choose another topic, or ALT+K to begin another search.
Use ALT+F4 to quit Help.

Replacing the Mouse or Keyboard with Other Devices

You can add alternative pointing devices, such as head-pointers or eye-gaze systems, without replacing or disabling the normal mouse.

The Serial Keys feature, in conjunction with a communications aid interface device, allows the user to control the computer using an alternative input device. Such a device needs only to send coded command strings through the computer's serial port to specify keystrokes and mouse events, which are then treated as if they were normal keyboard or mouse input. For more detail on configuring communications aids, see https://www.microsoft.com/technet/images/prodtechnol/win98/reskit/part7/images/wrkyy13.gif .

To replace the mouse or keyboard with other devices

Select Start.
Select Settings.
Select Control Panel.
Select Accessibility.
Select the General tab.
Under SerialKey devices, select the Support SerialKey devices check box.

To change the serial port and baud rate for your device, select the General tab, and then select Settings.

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Additional Accessibility Resources

For more information about Microsoft products and accessibility, visit the Microsoft Accessibility Web site at https://www.microsoft.com/technet/images/prodtechnol/win98/reskit/part7/images/wrkyy13.gif . This also includes information on how to design accessible Web pages, new PowerToys to make Windows 98 even more accessible, and how to design pages that take advantage of new features in Windows 98.

Microsoft provides a catalog of accessibility aids that can be used with the Windows and Windows NT operating systems. You can obtain this catalog from the Web site or by telephone.

For more information concerning Microsoft products for people with disabilities, contact:

Microsoft Sales Information Center
One Microsoft Way
Redmond, WA 98052-6393

World Wide Web:
Voice telephone:
Text telephone:

https://microsoft.com/enable/
(800) 426-9400
(800) 892-5234

Using the MS Text Telephone Service

If you are deaf or hard-of-hearing, complete access to Microsoft product and customer services is available through a text telephone (TTY/TDD) service.

Customer Service

You can contact Microsoft Sales Information Center on a text telephone by dialing (800) 892-5234 between 6:30 A.M. and 5:30 P.M. Pacific time.

Technical Assistance

For technical assistance in the United States, you can contact Microsoft Technical Support on a text telephone at (425) 635-4948 between 6:00 A.M. and 6:00 P.M. Pacific time Monday through Friday, excluding holidays. In Canada, dial (905) 568-9641 between 8:00 A.M. and 8:00 P.M. Eastern time Monday through Friday, excluding holidays. Microsoft support services are subject to the prices, terms, and conditions in place at the time the service is used.

Obtaining MS Documentation in Alternative Formats

In addition to the standard forms of documentation, many Microsoft products are available in other formats to make them more accessible.

Many of the Windows 98 documents are also available as Help*,* as online user's guides*,* or on a compact disc that comes with the package.

If you have difficulty reading or handling printed documentation, you can obtain many Microsoft publications from Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic, Inc. Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic distributes these documents to registered, eligible members of their distribution service, either on audiocassettes or on floppy disks. The Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic collection contains more than 80,000 titles, including Microsoft product documentation and books from Microsoft Press. For information about eligibility and availability of Microsoft product documentation and books from Microsoft Press, contact Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic at the following address or telephone numbers:

Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic, Inc.
20 Roszel Road
Princeton, NJ 08540

Telephone:
Fax:
World Wide Web:

(609) 452-0606
(609) 987-8116
https://www.rfbd.org/

You can also download many of these books from the Microsoft Web site at https://microsoft.com/enable/** **.

Accessibility Guidelines for Software Developers

Windows 98 contains many built-in accessibility features. To make a computer running Windows 98 truly accessible, application developers must provide access to their applications' features, taking care to avoid incompatibilities with accessibility aids.

As part of the Win32 Software Development Kit for Windows 98 and Windows NT and The Windows Interface Guidelines for Software Design, Microsoft has provided developers with documentation that not only outlines these important concepts but provides technical and design tips to help ISVs produce more accessible applications. Most of these tips mean very little additional work to the designer, as long as the person is aware of the issues and incorporates accessibility into the application design at an early stage. By providing this information to application developers, Microsoft hopes to increase the general level of accessibility of all software running on the Windows platform.

Getting More Accessibility Information

In addition to the features and resources available from Microsoft, compatible products, services, and resources are available from other organizations to users with disabilities.

Computer Products for People with Disabilities

The Trace R&D Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison publishes a database of more than 18,000 products and other information for people with disabilities. The database is available on their site on the World Wide Web. The database is also available on a compact disc, CO-NET CD, which is issued twice a year.

The Trace R&D Center also publishes a book, Trace ResourceBook, which provides descriptions and photographs of about 2,000 products.

To obtain these directories, contact:

Trace R&D Center
University of Wisconsin-Madison
S-151 Waisman Center
1500 Highland Avenue
Madison, WI 53705-2280

World Wide Web:
Fax:

https://trace.wisc.edu/
(608) 262-8848

General Information and Referrals for People with Disabilities

Computers and other devices can help people with disabilities overcome a variety of barriers. For general information and recommendations on how computers can help you with your specific needs, you should consult a trained evaluator. For information about locating programs or services in your area that may be able to help you, please contact:

National Information System
University of South Carolina
Columbia, SC 29208

Voice/text telephone:
Fax:

(803) 777-1782
(803) 777-9557