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Accessibility for People with Disabilities

Microsoft is committed to making its products and services easier for everyone to use.  This help file provides information about the following features, products and services, which make Microsoft® Windows®, Microsoft® Windows NT® and Microsoft® Monster Truck Madness™ more accessible for people with disabilities:

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

Access Packs for either Microsoft Windows or Microsoft Windows NT, a software utility that makes using Windows and Windows NT easier for people with motion or hearing disabilities

Keyboard layouts for single-handed users

Microsoft software documentation on audio cassette, floppy disk and compact disc (CD)

Third-party utilities to enhance accessibility

Hints for customizing Microsoft Windows or Microsoft Windows NT

More information about products and services for people with disabilities

Note The information in this section applies only to users who purchased Windows or Windows NT in the United States.  If you purchased Windows or Windows NT outside the United States, your Windows 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 help file are available in your area.


Deaf and hard-of-hearing support services
Microsoft Services for People Who Are Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing

Through a text telephone (TT/TDD) service, Microsoft provides people who are deaf or hard-of-hearing with complete access to Microsoft product and customer services.

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. For technical assistance you can contact Microsoft Support Network on a text telephone at (206) 635-4948 between 6:00 A.M. and 6:00 P.M. Pacific time, Monday through Friday, excluding holidays. In Canada, dial (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 Microsoft prices, terms, and conditions in place at the time the service is used.


Access Pack for Microsoft Windows
Access Packs for Microsoft Windows and Microsoft Windows NT

Microsoft distributes Access Packs for Microsoft Windows and Microsoft Windows NT, which provide people with motion or hearing disabilities better access to computers running Windows or Windows NT. (If you are running Microsoft Windows 95, these same Access Pack features are already built in. See the Windows 95 online Help for more information.) Microsoft Windows and Microsoft Windows NT contain features that:

Allow single-finger typing of SHIFT, CTRL, and ALT key combinations.

Ignore accidental keystrokes.

Adjust the rate at which a character is repeated when you hold down a key, or turn off character repeating entirely.

Prevent extra characters if you unintentionally press a key more than once.

Enable you to control the mouse cursor by using the keyboard.

Enable you to control the computer keyboard and mouse by using an alternate input device.

Provide a visual cue when the computer beeps or makes sounds.

Access Pack for Microsoft Windows is included on the Microsoft Windows Driver Library in the file ACCP.EXE.  Access Pack for Microsoft Windows NT is included in the Microsoft Application Note WNO789. If you have a modem, you can download ACCP.EXE or WNO789.EXE, which are self-extracting archive files from the following network services:

CompuServe®

GEnie™

Microsoft OnLine

Microsoft Download Service (MSDL), which you can reach by calling (206) 936-6735 any time except between 1:00 A.M. and 2:30 A.M. Pacific time.  Use the following communications settings:

For this setting	Specify

Baud rate	1200, 2400, 9600, or 14400

Parity	None

Data bits	8

Stop bits	1

Various user-group bulletin boards (such as the bulletin-board services on the Association of PC User Groups network)

In /SOFTLIB/MSLFILES on the Internet servers FTP.MICROSOFT.COM and WWW.MICROSOFT.COM

People within the United States who do not have a modem can order the Access packs by calling Microsoft Sales Information Center at (800) 426-9400 (voice) or (800) 892-5234 (text telephone).  In Canada, you can call (905) 568-3503 (voice) or (905) 568-964.


Keyboard Layouts for Single-Handed Users

Microsoft distributes Dvorak keyboard layouts that make the most frequently typed characters on a keyboard more accessible to people who have difficulty using the standard "QWERTY" layout. There are three Dvorak layouts: one for two-handed users, one for people who type with their left hand only, and one for people who type with their right hand only. The left-handed or right-handed keyboard layouts can also be used by people who type with a single finger or a wand. You do not need to purchase any special equipment in order to use these features.

Microsoft Windows and Microsoft Windows NT already support the two-handed Dvorak layout, which can be useful for coping with or avoiding types of repetitive-motion injuries associated with typing. To get this layout use the Windows Control Panel; consult your Window 95 online Help for detailed instructions. The two layouts for people who type with one hand are distributed as Microsoft Application Note GA0650. It is also contained in file GA0650.EXE on most network services and on the Microsoft Download Service.  For instructions on obtaining this application note see Access Packs for Microsoft Windows and Microsoft Windows NT.


Microsoft Documentation in Alternative Formats

People who have difficulty reading or handling printed documentation may obtain many Microsoft publications from Recording for the Blind, Inc.  Recording for the Blind distributes these documents to registered eligible members of their distribution service either on audio cassettes or on floppy disks. The Recording for the Blind collection contains more than 80,000 titles, including Microsoft product documentation and books from Microsoft Press.  You can contact Recording for the Blind at the following address or phone numbers for information on eligibility and availability of Microsoft product documentation and books from Microsoft Press:

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

Phone: (609) 452-0606
Fax: (609) 987-8116


Third-Party Utilities to Enhance Accessibility

A wide variety of third-party 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 Microsoft® MS-DOS®, Microsoft Windows, and Microsoft Windows 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 users to "type" using a mouse or their voice.

•	Word or phrase prediction software that allows one to type more quickly and with fewer keystrokes.

•	Alternate input devices, such as single switch or puff-and-sip devices, for those who cannot use a mouse or a keyboard.

For more information on obtaining third-party utilities, see Getting More Information. For more information about customizing Windows and Windows NT for people with low vision, see Customizing Windows or Windows NT.


Customizing Windows or Windows NT

There are many ways you can adjust the appearance and behavior of Microsoft Windows or Microsoft Windows NT to suit varying eyesight and motor skills without requiring any additional software or hardware.  These include ways to adjust the appearance as well as the behavior of the mouse and keyboard.  The specific methods available depend on which operating system you are using.  Application notes are available describing the specific methods available for each operating system.

See the appropriate application note for information related to customizing your operating system for people with disabilities. For information on obtaining application notes, see Access Pack for Microsoft Windows and Microsoft Windows NT.

Operating system	Application note number
Microsoft Windows 3.0	WW0786.TXT
Microsoft Windows 3.1	WW0787.TXT
Microsoft Windows for Workgroups 3.1	WG0788.TXT
Microsoft Windows NT 3.1 and 3.5	WN0789.EXE
Microsoft Windows 95	WN1062


Getting More Information

For more information on Microsoft products and services for people with disabilities, contact:

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

Voice telephone: (800) 426-9400
Text telephone: (800) 892-5234
Fax: (206) 635-6100

The Trace R&D Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison produces a book and a compact disc that describe products that help people with disabilities use computers. The book, titled Trace ResourceBook, provides descriptions and photographs of about 2,000 products. The compact disc, titled Co-Net CD, provides a database of more than 18,000 products and other information for people with disabilities. It is issued twice a year. To obtain these directories, contact:

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

Voice telephone: (608) 263-2309
Text telephone: (608) 263-5408
Fax: (608) 262-8848

For general information and recommendations on how computers can help specific people, you should consult a trained evaluator who can best match your needs with the available solutions. An assistive technology program in your area will provide referrals to programs and services that are available to you. To locate the assistive technology program nearest you, you can contact:

National Information System
Center for Developmental Disabilities
Benson Building
University of South Carolina
Columbia, SC 29208

Voice/text telephone: (803) 777-4435
Fax: (803) 777-6058