Customizing Windows, Windows NT, or Windows 2000

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

• Accessibility features have been built into Windows, Windows NT, or Windows 2000 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, Windows NT, or and Windows 2000 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, 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 below. Accessibility features are also documented in the Microsoft Windows 95 Resource Kit, the Microsoft Windows 98 Resource Kit and the Microsoft Windows NT Resource Kit.