Customizing Microsoft products for people with disabilities
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, are blind or have low 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.
- 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 from the Microsoft Web site.
- 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. You can download the Dvorak layouts from the Microsoft Web site.
- 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 individual’s needs. The Accessibility Wizard also enables you to save your settings to a file that can be used on another computer.
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