Accessibility features - Windows - Overview

Summary

Windows offers a number of built-in accessibility features.

More information about accessibility and assistive technology products is available on the Microsoft Accessibility website.

For a step-by-step tutorial about accessibility settings that are available in Windows, see Introducing Accessibility in Windows.

Below an overview of the accessibility features built into Windows7.

Overview of accessibility features in Windows7

Feature	Description
Ease of Access Center	Provides a centralized location in the Control Panel where you can adjust accessibility settings and programs. You can also get recommendations for settings to make your PC easier to see, hear, and use.
Magnifier	Magnifies the screen or a portion of the screen to make text, images, and objects easier to see.
On-Screen Keyboard	A visual, on-screen keyboard with all the standard keys that you can use instead of a physical keyboard. On-Screen Keyboard also lets you type and enter data with a mouse or other pointing device.
Narrator	Reads aloud on-screen text and describes some events (such as error messages appearing) that happen while you're using the computer.
Speech Recognition	Enables you to interact with your computer using only your voice while maintaining, or even increasing, your productivity.
Change text size	Lets you make text and objects larger and easier to see without losing graphics quality.
Personalization	You can add a personal touch to your computer by changing the computer's theme, color, sounds, desktop background, screen saver, font size, and user account picture. You can also select specific gadgets for your desktop.
Touch	If you've got a touch-screen monitor, you can just touch your computer screen for a more direct and natural way to work. Use your fingers to scroll, resize windows, play media, and pan and zoom.
Keyboard shortcuts	Keyboard combinations of two or more keys that, when pressed, can be used to perform a task that would typically require a mouse or other pointing device. Keyboard shortcuts can make it easier to interact with your computer, saving you time and effort.
Sticky Keys	Instead of having to press three keys at once (such as when you must press the CTRL, ALT, and DELETE keys simultaneously to log on to Windows), you can press one key at a time when Sticky Keys is turned on.
Mouse Keys	Instead of using the mouse, you can use the arrow keys on the numeric keypad to move the pointer.
Filter Keys	Ignore keystrokes that occur in rapid succession and keystrokes that are held down for several seconds unintentionally.
Visual Notifications	Replace system sounds with visual cues, such as a flash on the screen, so system alerts are announced with visual notifications instead of sounds.
Captions	Get information via animations and video that some programs use to indicate that activity is happening on your computer.

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