Accessibility for people with disabilities

Microsoft is committed to making its products and services easier for everyone to use. This section provides information on the following features, products, and services that make Windows operating systems more accessible for people with disabilities:

  Customizing Microsoft Windows Operating Systems

  Microsoft Services for People Who Are Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing

  Microsoft Documentation in Alternative Formats

  Third-Party Utilities to Enhance Accessibility

  Getting More Accessibility Information

Note

This information applies only if you acquired this Microsoft product in the United States. If you obtained this product outside the United States, your package contains a subsidiary information card, Help file, or other documentation 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 these Help topics are available in your area.


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 (TTY/TDD) service.

Customer service

You can contact Microsoft Sales Information Center on a text telephone by dialing (800) 892-5234 between 6:30 A.M. and 5:30 P.M. Pacific time.

Technical assistance

For technical assistance in the United States, you can contact Microsoft Technical Support on a text telephone at (425) 635-4948 between 6:00 A.M. and 6:00 P.M. Pacific time, Monday through Friday, excluding holidays. In Canada, you can call (905) 568-9641 between 8:00 A.M. and 8:00 P.M. 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.


Third-Party 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 and Windows 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 “type” 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.

For more information about obtaining third-party utilities, see Getting More Accessibility Information.


Microsoft Documentation in Alternative Formats

In addition to the standard forms of documentation, many Microsoft products are also 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. Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic distributes these documents to registered, eligible members of their distribution service, either on audio cassettes or on floppy disks. The Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic collection contains more than 80,000 titles, including Microsoft product documentation and books from Microsoft Press. For information about eligibility and availability of Microsoft product documentation and books from Microsoft Press, 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: (609) 452-0606

Fax: (609) 987-8116

World Wide Web: http://www.rfbd.org/

You can also download many of these books from the Microsoft Web site at http://microsoft.com/enable/.


Customizing Windows Operating Systems

There are many ways you can customize Windows operating systems to make your computer more accessible.

Accessibility features have been built into Windows operating systems 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 installation disks. Look up “accessibility” in the Help Index for information about installing and using these features.

Some of the accessibility features built into Windows operating systems can be added to earlier versions of those products, and to MS-DOS, through Access Packs. You can download these files or you can order them on disks from Microsoft. (See details in “Accessibility Notes and Utilities to Download or Order” later in this topic.)

You can also use Control Panel and other built-in features to adjust the appearance and behavior of Windows operating systems 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 individual’s 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 appropriate application notes 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.

Accessibility notes and utilities to download

The following documents explain how to customize Microsoft Windows operating systems for users with disabilities. Specific instructions for downloading the files immediately follow this list. (You might need to enlarge the Help window to see the following table.)

For this	You need
Customizing Windows operating systems for individuals with disabilities (describes all of the other documents in this list and includes links to download them; this article will be updated when new versions of Microsoft operating systems are released).	Microsoft Knowledge Base article Q165486.
Customizing Microsoft Windows 98 for individuals with disabilities	Cst_W98.exe
Customizing Microsoft Windows 95 for individuals with disabilities	Cst_W95.exe
Customizing Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 for individuals with disabilities	Cst_NT4.exe
Customizing Microsoft Windows NT 3.1 and 3.5 for individuals with disabilities (includes Access Pack for Microsoft Windows NT, which provides features for people who have difficulty using a keyboard or mouse, or who are deaf or hard-of-hearing).	Cst_NT3x.exe
Customizing Microsoft Windows 3.1 for individuals with disabilities	Cst_W3x.exe
Customizing Microsoft Windows for Workgroups 3.1 for individuals with disabilities	Cst_WG3x.exe
Customizing Microsoft Windows 3.0 for individuals with disabilities	Cst_W30.exe
Access Pack for Microsoft Windows 3.0 and 3.1, which provides features for people who have difficulty using a keyboard or mouse, or who are deaf or hard-of-hearing	ACCP.exe
Dvorak keyboard layouts for people who type with one hand (already included in Windows NT version 3.5 and later)	GA0650.exe
Downloading the files

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

The Microsoft Accessibility and Disabilities Web site on the Internet, http://microsoft.com/enable.

Support Online from Microsoft Product Support Services at http://support.microsoft.com/support. Choose the appropriate application from the list labeled My search is about (or choose All Products) and enter Q165486 in the text box labeled My question is. The search results will display a link to the Knowledge Base article, “Customizing Windows for Individuals with Disabilities,” which includes links to all of the documents listed above about customizing Windows operating systems.

For other accessibility articles, choose the appropriate application from the list labeled My search is about and enter kbenable in the text box labeled My question is.

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

Microsoft Download Service (MSDL), which you can reach by calling (425) 936-6735 any time except between 1:00 A.M. and 2:30 A.M. Pacific time.

MSDL supports 1200, 2400, 9600, or 14400 baud rates (V.22bis, V.32, V.32bis and V.42), with 8 data bits, no parity, and 1 stop bit. MSDL does not support 28800, 56K or ISDN connections.


Getting More Accessibility Information

In addition to the features and resources already described in this Help file, other products, services, and resources are available from Microsoft and other organizations.

Microsoft

Microsoft provides a catalog of accessibility aids that can be used with the Windows operating systems. You can obtain this catalog from our Web site or by phone:

Microsoft Sales Information Center
One Microsoft Way
Redmond, WA 98052-6393

World Wide Web: http://microsoft.com/enable/

Voice telephone: (800) 426-9400
Text telephone: (800) 892-5234

Macintosh Disability Solutions

For more information about products and services for the Macintosh for people with disabilities, contact:

Apple Worldwide Disability Solutions Group

World Wide Web: http://www.apple.com/disability/

Voice telephone: (800) 600-7808
Text telephone: (800)755-0601

Trace R&D Center

The Trace R&D Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison publishes a database of more than 18,000 products and other information for people with disabilities. The database is available on their site on the World Wide Web. The Trace R&D Center also publishes a book, titled Trace ResourceBook, that provides descriptions and photographs of about 2,000 products.

To obtain these materials, contact:

Trace R&D Center
University of Wisconsin
S-151 Waisman Center
1500 Highland Avenue
Madison, WI 53705-2280

World Wide Web: http://trace.wisc.edu/

Fax: (608) 262-8848

Assistive technology programs and trained evaluators

Computers and other assistive devices can help persons with disabilities to overcome a variety of barriers. For general information and recommendations on how computers can help you with your specific needs, you should consult a trained evaluator. For information about locating programs or services in your area that may be able to help you, please contact:

National Information System
University of South Carolina
Columbia, SC 29208

Voice/text telephone: (803) 777-1782

Fax: (803) 777-9557