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There are some general working attitudes and a plenty of Windows system settings and application settings, that can improve the accessibility.
These recommendations concern some system settings and define general rules for working with all Windows applications.
Use your word processor with a zoom factor of 100% (if applicable).
Turn off any screen savers you may have, or ONLY use the "blank screen" screen saver supplied with Windows.
Do not set any windows to be "Always on top".
If using Windows 95/98, make sure your DOS keyboard layout (set by the "keyb" command in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file) matches your Windows 95/98 keyboard layout (set in the Windows 95/98 Control Panel). If not, Screen Reader programs cannot choose the proper table for the speech output and for the Braille representation.
Disable any power management functions on your PC, video card or monitor. (Especially if in "low power mode", the serial ports are turned off, which would result in a lack of speech or Braille!)
Run all of your applications maximized. This will reduce the risk of text being clipped by the edges of windows.
Minimize all windows before using the desktop.
If you can use a mouse, set the pointer speed to slow with no acceleration.
Start the Control Panel in Start Menu, choose the submenu Settings
Menu: View
Activate option: Details
to get a simple up-down file listing which enables the accessing of
all items by using only UP and DOWN ARROW keys.
Multi-page
Dialog: Options
Properties
sheet: View
Radio button
group: Hidden Files
Check: Show all files
Properties sheet: Folders
Radio button
group: Browsing Options
Check: Browse folders by using a single window that changes as
you open each folder.
If Active Desktop is installed on your PC (only Win98), you have to make all adaptations for My Computer Application and for Windows Explorer in the settings for Active Desktop.
From the Windows 98 Start menu choose Settings/Active Desktop
Multi-page
Dialog: Customize Desktop
Properties
sheet: Web
Uncheck:
View as Web Page
Multi-page Dialog: Folders
Properties sheet: General
Radio button
group: Windows Desktop Appearance
Check: Custom
Dialog:
Settings
Radio button group: Active Desktop
Check: Classic Desktop
Radio button group: Browse Folders
Check: View each folder in the same window
Radio button group: View Web Content
Check: View in only folders I choose
Radio button group: Click Options
Check: Double click to Open, Single Click to Select
Properties sheet: View -
Advanced Options Section
Group: Files and
Folders
Uncheck: Remember each folder's view settings
Uncheck: Hide file extensions for known file types
to be able to view the complete file names including the file extension
after.
Group: Visual
Settings
Uncheck: Smooth screen font edges
Select the button: Like Current Folder to make all folders behave in the same way you have just selected.
Uncheck: Ruler
Multi-page Dialog: Customize
Properties sheet: Options
Uncheck:
Menus show recently used commands first
to get a constant
menu structure.
Uncheck:
Large icons
Check: List
font names in their font
Select: Menu
animations (none)
Properties sheet: Toolbars
Uncheck:
Clipboard
to disable an extra
Clipboard tool bar appearing anywhere on the screen.
Check: Menu
bar
Multi-page Dialog: Options
Properties sheet: General Options
Uncheck:
Provide feedback with animation
Check:
Confirm conversion at Open
to enable opening
files in their proper format.
You will be asked for
the proper format of each file before you open it.
Properties
sheet: View
Uncheck:
Horizontal scroll bar
to automatically
break the text on window.
Check:
ScreenTips
to enable the
automatic graphics labeling.
Check:
Picture placeholders
Check:
Paragraph marks
to display a special
character which marks the end of a paragraph.
Check: Wrap
to window
Go to Menu: Tools, Multi-page Dialog: Internet Options,
Properties sheet: Advanced
Accessibility Section:
Check: Move system caret with focus/selection changes
Check: Always expand ALT text for images
to be able to access the alternative textual
names for graphics (if available in a web page).
Browsing Section:
Uncheck: Show friendly URLs
Uncheck: Use smooth scrolling
Uncheck: Enable page transitions
For partially sighted having problems with ever-changing colors, fonts and font sizes:
Go to Properties sheet: General
Dialog: Accessibility
Check: Ignore colors specified on
Web pages
Check: Ignore font styles specified
on Web pages
Check: Ignore font sizes specified
on Web pages
Note: You may want to turn off some of the multimedia options to increase speed when loading pages.
From the JAWS window choose:
Menu: Utilities, Option: Configuration Manager
In the Configuration Manager open the default file:
Menu: File, Option: Open Default File
Choose Menu: Set Options
Dialog: User Options
Check: Key Repeat
to enable the key stroke repeatability when you
halt a key down longer.
Dialog:
Synthesizer Options
Check:
Allow wave files with software synthesizers
to be able also other sounds besides the JAWS
speech synthesizer.
Dialog:
Braille Options
Dialog:
Braille Dot Patterns
List box: Pattern Types
Select: PC
Cursor
Radio button group: Braille Cursor
Check: Always Up
Select: JAWS
Cursor
Radio button group: Braille Cursor
Check: Blinking