Detailed Product Description

Windows Vista includes built-in accessibility settings and programs that make it easier for you to see, hear, and use your computer. The accessibilitysettings and programs in Windows Vista are particularly helpful topeople with visual difficulties, hearing loss, pain in their hands orarms, or reasoning and cognitive issues.

Ease of Access Center

The Ease of Access Center in Windows Vista provides a convenient,centralized place to locate accessibility settings and programs to makeyour computer easier to use. The Ease of Access Center includes quickaccess to common tools, a questionnaire to get recommendations foraccessibility settings and tools, and the ability to explore allaccessibility settings in seven categories. The Ease of Access Centercan be found in the Control Panel in Windows Vista or by selectingWindows logo key+U. The Ease of Access icon is also available when youare logging into Windows Vista. The Ease of Access Center replaces theAccessibility Wizard and Utilities Manager in previous versions ofWindows.

Gain quick access to common tools

Start Narrator, Magnifier, On-Screen Keyboard, and High Contrast quickly from Quick access to common toolsin the Ease of Access Center. When you start these tools from the QuickAccess section, the tools will turn off after you log off or shut down.If you want these tools to start automatically every time you log on,turn them on under the Explore all settings categories.

Get recommendations for settings

TheEase of Access Center includes an optional questionnaire (that replacesthe Accessibility Wizard found in previous versions of Windows). Basedon your answers, a custom list of recommended accessibility settings isprovided so you can choose which options you want to try. You can takethis questionnaire and adjust your settings as often as you like. Thisquestionnaire takes the guesswork out of selecting settings.

Thequestionnaire includes questions about performing routine tasks, suchas whether you have trouble seeing faces or text on TV, hearing normalconversations, or using a pen or pencil. Based on your answers, WindowsVista provides a personalized recommendation of the accessibilitysettings and programs that are likely to improve your ability to see,hear, and use your computer.

The questionnaire asks questions that relate to:

• Eyesight

• Dexterity

• Hearing

• Speech

• Reasoning tasks

You can find the questionnaire in the Ease of Access Center (in the Control Panel) by selecting Get recommendations for settings.

Explore all settings by category

Insteadof looking for accessibility settings in various places on yourcomputer, Windows Vista brings all those settings together andorganizes them into categories that you can explore in the Ease ofAccess Center.

You can explore seven different categories of accessibility settings and programs:

• Use the computer without a display.

• Make the computer easier to see.

• Use the computer without a mouse or keyboard.

• Make the mouse easier to use.

• Make the keyboard easier to use.

• Use text or visual alternatives for sounds.

• Make it easier to focus on tasks.

Make things on the screen larger with Magnifier

Magnifieris a magnification program in Windows Vista that enables you to enlargea portion of your computer screen in a separate window to make iteasier to see. You can choose magnification levels up to 16 times theoriginal size, and you can choose to track the mouse, the keyboard, ortext editing.

In Magnifier, you can choose to:

• Invert the colors for better screen legibility.

• Move the Magnifier window anywhere on your screen.

• Choose a docking position which places the magnifier window at the left, top, right, or bottom of your screen.

• Adjust the tracking focus so that it follows the movement of the mouse cursor, keyboard focus, or text editing.

You can find Magnifier in the Ease of Access Center.

Hear text read aloud with Narrator

Narratoris the text-to-speech program in Windows Vista that reads what isdisplayed on your screen, including the contents of the active window,menu options, or the text you have typed. Narrator reads menus withoutleaving the active window and includes a pleasant, natural-soundingvoice.

Narrator has a number of options that allow you to customize the way screen elements are read. You can:

• Read Narrator menus without leaving the active window.

• Movearound the desktop with the number keys using virtual focus, whichallows you to move through the objects on the desktop and read aloudany content they contain.

• Move around the desktop with the arrow keys using virtual menus.

• Use bookmarks to find commonly used programs.

Youcan choose the type of text Narrator reads aloud, such as keystrokes,system messages, and scroll notifications, and you can choose voicesettings. Plus, Narrator is compatible with any SAPI-compliant voicefor users who can use a different voice.

You can find Narrator in the Ease of Access Center.

Type with On-Screen Keyboard

On-ScreenKeyboard in Windows Vista displays a visual keyboard with all of thestandard keys on the screen. Instead of relying on the physicalkeyboard to type, you can select keys using the mouse or anotherpointing device, a small group of keys, or just one key. Severalkeyboard layouts are available in On-Screen Keyboard, and views areavailable to promote faster typing or to give access to the maximumnumber of keys. You can choose the typing mode that works best foryouclicking mode, hovering mode, or scanning mode. To make theOn-Screen Keyboard keys easier to see, you can change the font, fontstyle, and font size from the Settings menu.

You can find On-Screen Keyboard in the Ease of Access Center.