Sound and display

Sound settings for users with partial hearing

There are two options available in Windows to replace audio:

SoundSentry

Sound Sentry gives a deaf user a visual warning when the computer makes a sound. This warning can be the flashing of a window or the task bar.

ShowSounds

ShowSounds allows programs which convey information by sound to display text or pictures whenever this sound is made.

Visual impairment

Visually impaired users can be provided with a variety of options to simplify the use of a computer.

Toggle keys

Toggle keys plays a sound to indicate whether caps lock, num lock and scroll lock have been switched on or off – a high pitched beep is emitted when the lock is turned on, and a low pitched beep when the lock is switched off.

High Contrast

High Contrast changes the display of the computer screen by increasing the contrast, making it easier for some people to see what is displayed. The Settings window gives a list of pre-created schemes (or settings). These options include various colour combinations, and some also allow an increase in font (letter) size to make words easier to read.

There are three different options for High Contrast: large font, white on black and normal

There is also the option to set a key combination which can switch your selected High Contrast scheme on and off.

Narrator

Narrator, found in Accessibility in Accessories, is a very basic screen reader. It is designed to work with Notepad, WordPad, Control Panel programs, Internet Explorer, the Windows desktop and Windows setup, all of which can be found on every computer. It may not work properly with other programs.

Font Size

Font Size changes the font size of all text displayed by Windows, including menus, icons on the desktop and text displaying information about a window. The font size options can be edited by clicking on the Appearance tab of Display Properties, which is accessed by right clicking on the desktop, then clicking on Properties.

There are three options for font size: normal, large and extra large. Visually impaired people may find it more effective to use the large and extra large font settings to be found in High Contrast Options, as these can provide extra clarity.

Magnifier

Magnifier, loaded from Accessibility in Accessories, is a basic screen magnification program. It can help users to read text more easily, but people with more severe visual impairments will require specialist software.

When started, Magnifier creates a strip across the top of the screen. This magnifies the area the pointer is over. The strip also follows the cursor in any windows where text is being typed.
The size and position of the Magnifier window can be altered as required, and its colours can be inverted to make text stand out from the desktop. The level of magnification can be set between 1 - 9 times normal size, and there is also an option to select High Contrast Mode, using the colour scheme selected in High Contrast Options.

General Display Settings

Individual display settings, such as Windows font size and icon size, can be changed in the Display Properties window. This can be accessed either through Control Panel, or by clicking the right mouse button on an empty part of the desktop, then clicking on Properties on the menu which appears.

In Display Properties you need to click on the Appearance tab. The window will change to give you three options. Font size changes the font size.

Clicking on Advanced opens another window, which allows you to change many of the display options such as icon size, font sizes in various locations and other things such as colours. Changing these may make the computer easier to use for someone with a visual impairment.