Suggested Features for Different Types of Disabilities

The following sections suggest features that can benefit users with certain types of disabilities. The list of features for each type of disability is not complete, because the needs and preferences of individuals vary and some people have a combination of disabilities or varying abilities.

To learn more about these features or to find procedures that explain how to configure a specific setting, see "Using Keyboard Navigation," "Customizing Fonts, Colors, and Styles," and "Configuring Advanced Internet Accessibility Options" later in this chapter.

Features for Users Who Are Blind

Many users who are blind depend on screen readers, which provide spoken or Braille descriptions of windows, controls, menus, images, text, and other information that is typically displayed visually on a screen. Internet Explorer 5 provides improved functionality for screen readers and offers a range of other features that can be helpful to individuals who are blind.

Users who are blind can benefit from these features:

• Use the keyboard to navigate Internet Explorer, Web pages, Internet Explorer Help, and NetMeeting.

• Ignore colors specified on Web pages.

• Ignore font styles and sizes specified on Web pages.

• Format documents by using an individualized style sheet.

• Expand alternate text for images.

• Move the system caret with focus and selection changes.

• Disable smooth scrolling.

• Choose not to show pictures, animations, and videos in Web pages.

• Disable smart image dithering.

• Assign a sound to the Start Navigation and Complete Navigation events.

Features for Users Who Have Low Vision

Common forms of low vision are color blindness, difficulty in changing focus, and impaired contrast sensitivity. Users with color blindness might have difficulty reading colored text on a colored background. Users who have difficulty changing focus or who experience eye strain with normal use of a video display might have difficulty reading small text, discriminating between different font sizes, or using small on-screen items as targets for the cursor or pointer. Users with impaired contrast sensitivity might have difficulty reading black text on a gray background.

Users who have low vision can benefit from these features:

• Use the keyboard to navigate Internet Explorer, Web pages, Internet Explorer Help, and NetMeeting.

• Ignore colors specified on Web pages.

• Ignore font styles and sizes specified on Web pages.

• Format documents by using an individualized sheet.

• Expand alternate text for images.

• Move the system caret with focus and selection changes.

• Disable printing of background colors and images.

• Choose text and background colors for Web pages (or create custom colors).

• Choose the visited and unvisited colors for Web links (or create custom colors).

• Display Web pages in the Windows High Contrast color scheme (click the Accessibility Options icon in Control Panel), which offers a simple color palette and omits images that make text difficult to read.

• Assign a sound to the Start Navigation and Complete Navigation events.

• Add the Size button to the browser toolbar so font sizes can be changed easily.

• Display large icons.

Features for Users Who Are Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing

Sound cues in programs are not useful to users with hearing impairments or users working in a noisy environment. Users who are deaf might have sign language as their primary language and English as their secondary language. As a result, they might have difficulty reading pages that use custom fonts, depart from typographical convention (that is, the standardized use of uppercase and lowercase letters), or use animated text displays.

Note Users who are deaf might also be interested in the features recommended for users with cognitive or language impairments.

Users who are deaf or hard-of-hearing can benefit from these features:

• Select SoundSentry , which generates visual warnings when the computer makes a sound.

• Select ShowSounds , which displays captions for the speech and sounds the computer makes.

• Integrate NetMeeting.

• Disable sounds in Web pages.

Features for Users with Physical Impairments

Users with physical impairments might perform certain manual tasks with difficulty, such as manipulating a mouse or typing two keys at the same time. They might also hit multiple keys or "bounce" fingers off keys, making typing difficult. These users could benefit from adapting keyboards and mouse functions to meet their requirements.

Users who have physical impairments can benefit from these features:

• Use the keyboard to navigate Internet Explorer, Web pages, Internet Explorer Help, and NetMeeting.

• Use Explorer bars.

• Ignore font sizes specified on Web pages.

• Format documents by using an individualized style sheet.

• Add hover colors to links.

• Expand alternate text for images.

• Move the system caret with focus and selection changes.

• Use inline AutoComplete for Web addresses.

• Use inline AutoComplete in the integrated shell.

• Use inline AutoComplete for Web forms.

• Underline links when hovering.

• Add the Size button to the browser toolbar so font sizes can be changed easily.

• Display large icons.

Features for Users with Seizure Disorders

Users with seizure disorders, such as epilepsy, might be sensitive to screen refresh rates, blinking or flashing images, or specific sounds.

Users who have seizure disorders can benefit from these features:

• Use the ESC key to immediately turn off animations.

• Disable animation.

• Disable video.

• Turn off sounds.

Note Even if users turn off sounds in Internet Explorer, sounds might still play if RealAudio is installed or if a movie is playing.

Features for Users with Cognitive and Language Impairments

Cognitive impairments take many forms, including short-term and long-term memory loss, perceptual differences, and developmental disabilities. Dyslexia and illiteracy are also common types of language impairments. People who are learning the language used by their computer software as a second language might also be considered to have a form of language impairment.

Users who have cognitive or language impairments can benefit from these features:

• Use the keyboard to navigate Internet Explorer, Web pages, Internet Explorer Help, and NetMeeting.

• Use Explorer bars.

• Ignore colors specified on Web pages.

• Ignore font styles and sizes specified on Web pages.

• Format documents by using an individualized style sheet.

• Choose text and background colors for Web pages (or create custom colors).

• Choose the visited and unvisited colors for Web links (or create custom colors).

• Display Web pages in the Windows High Contrast color scheme (click the Accessibility Options icon in Control Panel), which offers a simple color palette and omits images that make text difficult to read.

• Choose a hover color for links.

• Expand alternate text for images.

• Move the system caret with focus and selection changes.

• Choose to launch the browser in full-screen mode, which removes all toolbars and scrollbars from the screen. This capability enables users with cognitive disabilities to have more information on the screen at one time or to remove distractions from peripheral controls.

• Choose to display friendly URLs.

• Use inline AutoComplete for Web addresses.

• Use inline AutoComplete in the integrated shell.

• Choose not to use smooth scrolling.

• Disable images.

• Disable animation.

• Disable video.

• Add the Size button to the browser toolbar so font sizes can be changed easily.

• Display large icons.

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