Accessibility Tips for the Workplace
Workshop Goals
- Illustrating common problems
- Review of Windows XP accessibility features
- Discussion of other tools and resources
Common Workplace Problems
- Mobile computing
- Repetitive motion
- Low vision and eye strain
Mobile computing
- Avoid Laptop-carrying muscle strain - change it up
- Use other input devices - bring a mouse
Mobile computing, continued
- Adjust screen contrast and resolution via Control panel
- START - SETTINGS - CONTROL PANEL - DISPLAY
Windows XP Accessibility Features
- START - PROGRAMS - ACCESSORIES - ACCESSIBILITY
Preventing Repetitive Motion Injury
- Sticky Keys
- Mouse Keys
- Handedness adjustment
- Mouse pointer speed
Simple Eye Strain Fixes
- Change font size
- Change screen resolution and contrast
- Disable personalized menus
Preventing Eye Strain
- Screen magnifier - commercial products also available
- Speech synthesizer - not that great, see ReadPlease, Opera, FoxyVoice
Accessibility Wizard Pre-Sets
- Blind/low vision
- Deaf/hearing impaired
- Motor impairment
- Setting administrative options
Accessibility Wizard: Keyboard Helpers
- Sticky Keys (allows you to perform key combinations like CTRL ALT DEL one key at a time)
- Bounce Keys (ignore repeated keystrokes)
- Toggle keys (announces change in state for caps, num, scroll lock)
- Extra keyboard help (displays extra help for non mouse users when available)
Accessibility Wizard: Mousing Help
- Adjust mouse pointer speed
- Configure for handedness, right or left
Accessibility Wizard: Going Mouseless
- Mouse Keys (Use your numeric keypad instead. arrow keys to move pointer. "5" to click, "+" to double click. INS to hold down the mouse button, DEL to release)
- Mouse cursor (various sizes and contrasts)
Accessibility Wizard: Low Vision Help
- Scroll bar and window border size
- Icon size
- Display color settings - multiple high contrast settings
- Mouse cursor mentioned in motor impair above
- Cursor blink rate and width
Accessibility Wizard: Hearing Impairment Help
- SoundSentry (visual warnings for system sounds)
- ShowSounds (Display captions when available)
Need More?
- For egronomic consultation, contact Ian Bertmaring
- For assistive technology consultation, contact Jason Morningstar