Via the Control Panel you can set various accessibility options. You can modify the following tabs :
| StickyKeys. If you turn StickyKeys on, the Shift, Tab, Alt, and Ctrl keys act like toggle switches. You can activate a shorcut (5 times pressing Shift), set the modifier key to lock when pressing two times, turn StickyKeys off when two keys are pressed simultaneously, make a sound when the modifier key is pressed and show the StickyKeys status on the screen. |
| FilterKeys. If you turn FilterKeys on, you can filter out certain keystrokes like very rapidly pressed keystrokes, double-pressing a key or accidentally pressing two keys at once. FilterKeys can be customized wit a shortcut (hold down right-Shift for 8 seconds), sensibility, sound notifications and status information on the screen. |
| ToggleKeys. If you turn this option on, ToggleKeys will make a sound when Shift, Ctrl, Alt, or Tab is pressed. It can be activated with a shortcut. (hold down Numlock for 5 seconds) |
| SerialKeys. If you turn this option on, you can use a alternative input device for keyboard input. |
| SoundSentry. If you turn SoundSentry on you can choose a visual substitute for a sound. (flash active caption bar, flash active window or flash desktop) |
| ShowSounds. If you turn ShowSounds on, caption-enabled programs to enter captioning mode. Speech and sounds will be captioned in whatever way the program is set up to caption. |
| HighContrast. HighContrast makes the screen easier read. In the settings box you can set various styles like white on black or black on white and activate a shortcut (Left Alt - Left Shift - Print screen) |
You can activate two other visibility options, Magnifier and Narrator via Start - Programs - Accessories - Accessibility. Magnifier magnifies the part of the screen where the mouse is, in a separate window. Narrator translates everything you type or what appears in the active window into sounds.
| MouseKeys. This option allows you to substitute keyboard inputs for mouse clicks. Normally, MouseKeys allows you to use the numeric keypad to handle the mouse pointer, switching between traditional input and mouse-substitute input by pressing Num Lock. You can modify the pointer speed, show status on screen and set a shortcut (Left Alt - Left Shift - Numlock) |
People who can use a mouse but cannot use a keyboard can use the on-screen keyboard. It starts via Start - Programs - Accessories - Accessibility.
| Turn off accessibility features after x minutes idle. (default off) |
| Notifications when a feature is turned on or off. (default on) |
| Settings for serialkey devices. Alternative access to keyboard or mouse via a COM-port. |
| Apply settings to logon desktop or default for all new users. (default off) |
Last update : 27 March 2002