Accessibility for people with disabilities

Microsoft is committed to making its products and services easier for everyone to use. The following topics provide information about the features, products, and services that make Microsoft Windows and Microsoft NT more accessible for people with disabilities:

• Customizing Windows or Windows NT
• Microsoft services for people who are deaf or hard-of-hearing
• Microsoft documentation in alternative formats
• Utilities to enhance accessibility
• Getting more accessibility information

Note   The information in this section applies only to users who license Microsoft products in the United States. If you obtained this product outside the United States, your package contains a subsidiary information card listing Microsoft support services telephone numbers and addresses. You can contact your subsidiary to find out whether the type of products and services described in this section are available in your area.

Customizing Windows or Windows NT

There are many ways you can customize Windows or Windows NT to make your computer more accessible.

• Accessibility features have been built into Windows and Windows NT since the introduction of Windows 95. These features are useful for individuals who have difficulty typing or using a mouse, have moderately impaired vision, or who are deaf or hard-of-hearing. The features can be installed during setup, or you can add them later from your Windows installation disks.
• For information about installing and using these features, look up ôaccessibilityö in the Windows Help Index.
• Some of the accessibility features built into Windows and Windows NT can be added to earlier versions of those products, and to MS-DOS, through Access Pack files. You can download these files or you can order them on disks from Microsoft. (See details in ôAccessibility Notes and Utilities to Downloadö later in this appendix.)
• You also can use Control Panel and other built-in features to adjust the appearance and behavior of Windows or Windows NT to suit varying vision and motor abilities. These include adjusting colors and sizes, sound volume, and the behavior of the mouse and keyboard.
• In Windows 98 and later versions of Windows, the majority of accessibility settings can be set through the Accessibility Wizard or Control Panel. The Accessibility Wizard presents features sorted by disability, making it easy to customize Windows to each individualÆs needs. The Accessibility Wizard also enables you to save your settings to a file that can be used on another computer.
• Dvorak keyboard layouts make the most frequently typed characters on a keyboard more accessible if you have difficulty using the standard QWERTY layout. There are three Dvorak layouts: one if you are a two-handed user, one if you type with your left hand only, and one if you type with your right hand only. You do not need to purchase any special equipment to use these features.

The specific features available, and whether they are built-in or must be obtained separately, depend on which operating system you are using.

For full documentation on the accessibility features available in the operating system you are using, obtain the documents listed in "Accessibility notes and utilities to download." Accessibility features are also documented in the Microsoft Windows 95 Resource Kit, the Microsoft Windows 98 Resource Kit, the Microsoft Windows NT Resource Kit, and the Windows 2000 Resource Kit.

Accessibility notes and utilities to download

The following documents explain how to customize Microsoft Windows and Windows NT for users with disabilities. Specific instructions for downloading the files immediately follow this list.

To download the files

If you have a modem or another type of network connection, you can download the accessibility files from the following network services:

• Microsoft Accessibility Web site.
• Microsoft Product Support Services Web site. First choose the link, Searchable Knowledge Base. Then choose the appropriate application from the list labeled My search is about, or choose All Products). Next, select Specific article ID number from I want to search by. Finally, enter Q165486 in the text box labeled My question is and click Go or press ENTER.

The search results will include a link to the Knowledge Base article, "Customizing Windows for Individuals with Disabilities," which includes links to all of the documents listed in "Accessibility notes and utilities to download."

• Microsoft Internet server at ftp.microsoft.com, in /softlib/mslfiles.

Microsoft services for people who are deaf or hard-of-hearing

If you are deaf or hard-of-hearing, complete access to Microsoft product and customer services is available through a text telephone (TT/TDD) service.

Customer service

You can contact Microsoft Sales Information Center on a text telephone by dialing (800) 892-5234 between 6:30 AM and 5:30 PM Pacific time, Monday through Friday, excluding holidays.

Technical assistance

For technical assistance in the United States, you can contact Microsoft Product Support Services on a text telephone at (800) 892-5234 between 6:00 AM and 6:00 PM Pacific time, Monday through Friday, excluding holidays. In Canada, dial (905) 568-9641 between 8:00 AM and 8:00 PM Eastern time, Monday through Friday, excluding holidays. Microsoft support services are subject to the prices, terms, and conditions in place at the time the service is used.

Microsoft documentation in alternative formats

In addition to the standard forms of documentation, many Microsoft products are available in other formats to make them more accessible. If you have difficulty reading or handling printed documentation, you can obtain many Microsoft publications from Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic, Inc. RFB&D distributes these documents to registered, eligible members of their distribution service, either on audio cassettes or on floppy disks. The RFB&D collection contains more than 80,000 titles, including Microsoft product documentation and books from Microsoft Press. You can download many of these books from the Microsoft Web site.

For more information, contact Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic at the following address or phone numbers:

Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic, Inc.
20 Roszel Road
Princeton, NJ 08540

Phone: (800) 803-7201 or (609) 452-0606
Fax: (609) 987-8116

Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic Web site

Web addresses can change, so you might be unable to connect to the Web site or sites mentioned here.

Utilities to enhance accessibility

A wide variety of hardware and software products are available to make personal computers easier to use for people with disabilities. Among the different types of products available for the MS-DOS, Windows, Window NT operating systems are:

• Programs that enlarge or alter the color of information on the screen for people with visual impairments
• Programs that describe information on the screen in Braille or synthesized speech for people who are blind or have difficulty reading
• Hardware and software utilities that modify the behavior of the mouse and keyboard
• Programs that enable people to ôtypeö by using a mouse or their voice
• Word or phrase prediction software that allows users to type more quickly and with fewer keystrokes
• Alternative input devices, such as single switch or puff-and-sip devices, for people who cannot use a mouse or a keyboard

Getting more accessibility information

In addition to the features and resources already described in this section, other products, services, and resources for people with disabilities are available from Microsoft and other organizations.

Microsoft

Microsoft provides a catalog of accessibility aids that can be used with the Windows and Windows NT operating systems. You can obtain this catalog from the Microsoft Accessibility Web site.

Macintosh Disability Solutions

For more information on products and services for the Macintosh for people with disabilities, see the Apple Disability Resources Web site.

Web addresses can change, so you might be unable to connect to the Web site or sites mentioned here.

Trace R&D Center

The Trace R&D Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison maintains a Web site with a variety of resources for people with disabilities and developers of assistive technology. For information, contact:

Trace R&D Center
University of WisconsinûMadison
5901 Research Park Boulevard
Madison, WI 53719-1252
Fax: (608) 262-8848

Trace Research & Development Center Web site

Web addresses can change, so you might be unable to connect to the Web site or sites mentioned here.