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Accessibility on Public Access Computers The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is committed to making public access computing available to everyone. The Bigprint profile was created with this in mind. Because there is a broad range of accessibility issues we were not able to address
every issue, but we have worked with the Washington Assistive Technology Alliance to create a profile that works for many.
The Bigprint profile is available as an option on all U.S. Library Program granted computers. Log On To The Bigprint Profile 1. If you are logged on to the computer in a profile other than Bigprint, click Start and select Log Off. Click Yes to log off Windows. 2. Type Bigprint in the User name box. Click OK.
Options For People with Vision Impairments The Magnifier and Display Options modifications can assist patrons and staff that have vision problems to use Public Access Computers. Using the Magnifier The Magnifier enlarges the active part of the screen for easier viewing. You can modify the magnifier by: To Change Size of the Magnifier Window The Magnifier window can be enlarged to take up more space on the computer screen. Hint: Occasionally a window will open behind the Magnifier. If you cannot access the Title bar of the window because it is behind
the Magnifier, you will either need to resize the Magnifier window or close the Magnifier entirely. To Move the Magnifier The Magnifier window can be anchored on any side of the computer screen or can float anywhere on the computer screen. 1. Move the mouse pointer to the middle of the Magnifier window. The mouse pointer changes to a hand with a pointing finger. 2. Click and drag to move the Magnifier. To Modify the Magnification Level When the Magnifier opens the level is set at 2, but can be increased to 9. 1 is normal sized text. 1. Click the Magnifier Settings button on the Taskbar. 2. Make desired changes to the settings. Clicking the Close button will close the Magnifier Settings dialog box and the Magnifier.
If you accidentally close the Magnifier, you can open it again by double-clicking the Magnifier icon on the Desktop. Click the upward and downward pointing arrows to change the magnification level. The Colors options are similar to what you can select in the Display Properties. 3. Click the Minimize button to hide the Magnifier Settings dialog box. Using the Narrator The Narrator reads text displayed on the screen aloud. Because this is not a full featured program, like some screen readers,
it has limited capabilities. For instance, even though it cannot read text in Microsoft Word, it can read characters as they
are typed. It reads aloud the text on most dialog boxes and can read words aloud that are copied into Notepad or WordPad.
To Explore Narrator Options 1. Click Start > Programs > Accessories > Accessibility > Narrator. The Narrator opens. 2. Double-click the Microsoft Word icon on the desktop. 3. Type The Narrator only reads individual letters as they are typed in Microsoft Word, but will read whole words in Notepad
or WordPad. If you type slowly, you will be able to hear each letter read aloud.
4. Press Ctrl + A to select all of the text in the Microsoft Word document.
5. Press Ctrl + C to copy the selected text.
6. Click Start > Programs > Accessories > Notepad. Notepad opens. 7. Click Edit and select Paste.
8. Press Ctrl + Shift + Spacebar. The Narrator begins reading the contents of the Notepad window.
9. Click the Close button on the Notepad window. Wait until the dialog box has been read by the narrator, then click No to discard changes. 10. Click the Close button on the Microsoft Word window. Click No to discard changes. 11. Click Exit on the Narrator dialog box to close the Narrator. Hint: To use the Narrator to read Web pages, copy the text from Internet Explorer into Notepad. Changing the Display Options If there is not enough contrast on the computer screen with the default settings in Bigprint or if you want to use a light background with dark text, you can change the color settings to a preset color scheme or create
your own color scheme. To Select Color Schemes 1. Double-click the Display icon on the Desktop. The Display options window opens. 2. Click the downward-pointing arrow next to the Scheme drop-down list. A list of predefined schemes appears. Hint: If you want to quickly return to the display settings that are set for the Bigprint profile without logging off, click the
Save As button next to the Scheme drop-down box. Name the scheme Bigprint. After applying a new scheme, you can select and
apply the Bigprint scheme listed in the scheme list to return to the original settings. The scheme is deleted when you log
off. 3. Select a scheme, such as High Contrast White (large). Schemes containing the words large, extra-large, and/or high contrast were developed for persons with vision difficulties. 4. Click OK. The changes are applied and the Display dialog box closes. To Change the Text Size There are eight items that have a font size associated with them. If you do not want to use the Magnifier to enlarge text
on the computer screen, you can modify any of these settings to enlarge the text displayed on the computer screen.
1. Double-click the Display icon on the desktop. Hint: If you created a Bigprint scheme in the color schemes exercise, and want the display to appear as it does when you log onto
Bigprint, select that scheme before making any changes to the text size. 2. Click the downward-pointing arrow next to Item and select Active Title Bar.
3. Click the downward-pointing arrow next to Size and select 16. This increases the font size to 16 pt. 4. Click Apply. The text size on the title bar changes to reflect the new size. The following table lists the items that you can change the font size for along with the default settings and a description
of what the items modify.
Item Default Settings Description Active Title Bar 8 pt Tahoma Changes title bar, inactive title bar, & taskbar. Icon 8 pt Verdana Ref Changes icon text size on desktop and toolbar text within windows: font face, etc. Inactive Title Bar 8 pt Tahoma Changes with Active Title Bar. Menu 8 pt Tahoma Changes menu bar text - but not in Encarta titles. Message Box 8 pt Tahoma Changes some dialog boxes. Palette Title 8 pt Tahoma Affects palettes in PhotoDraw, toolbox in Access, some palettes in PowerPoint. Selected Items 8 pt Tahoma Changes with Menu. ToolTip 8 pt Tahoma Changes all ToolTips.
Options For People with Mobility Impairments The computer keyboard and mouse can be adjusted for people that have mobility problems, such as shaky hands, stiff hand joints,
or the use of only one hand.
Keyboard Options There are a number of alternatives and alterations you can make to the keyboard to improve accessibility on the Gates Library
Computer. These options include StickyKeys, FilterKeys, ToggleKeys, and MouseKeys. All of these options modify how information is input into the computer by using either the keyboard or mouse. Access the settings
for the keyboard options by double-clicking the Access Options icon on the desktop. StickyKeys Keys that normally need to be pressed together, can be pressed individually in sequence. For instance, if you want to copy
a selected area of text in Word, you could press Ctrl, release it, and then press C to complete the action.
StickyKeys are on when you log on to Bigprint. FilterKeys When FilterKeys are on, extra, repeated letters will not appear on the screen. FilterKeys are off when you log on to Bigprint. ToggleKeys When ToggleKeys are enabled, a sound is emitted when locking keys like Ctrl or Alt are pressed.
ToggleKeys are off when you log on to Bigprint. To Use the Keyboard to Move the Mouse Pointer MouseKeys enable a person to use the number pad on the keyboard to control the mouse pointer on the screen. This can be useful
for someone who has difficulty using a mouse.
1. Double-click the Access Options icon on the Desktop and click the Mouse tab. 2 Click the Use MouseKeys checkbox if the box does not have a check mark inside it. 3. Click OK to close the dialog box. 4. Locate the arrow keys on the number pad on the keyboard. Using the On-Screen Keyboard The On-Screen Keyboard is useful for persons who are not able to use the keyboard or who want to use the mouse to type. You
can even set the On-Screen Keyboard to hover mode, which enables a person to just move the mouse pointer to a character on
the On-Screen Keyboard to select it.
To Use the Hover Mode For persons who are unable to click a mouse, the On-Screen keyboard can be set to accept input by just hovering the mouse
pointer over a character on the On-Screen keyboard.
Changing Mouse Settings You can change the Mouse settings to make the mouse work more effectively. Some settings that are useful to change are the
button configuration, the double-click speed, and how quickly the mouse pointer moves across the screen.
To Change the Mouse Buttons for Left Hand Use 1. Double-click the Mouse Settings icon on the Desktop. 2. Click the Left-handed option. 3. Click OK. The mouse buttons are now set for left hand use. The right mouse button is used to select and open, the left mouse button
is used to open a shortcut menu. Hint: To reset the mouse to right-handed use, double-click the Mouse Settings icon on the Desktop with the right mouse button. Click the Right-handed option with the right mouse button, then click Apply with the right mouse button to reset the mouse to right-handed use. To Change the Mouse Pointer You can select a different mouse pointer if you want the mouse pointer to be more visible on the computer screen. 1. Double-click the Mouse Settings icon on the Desktop. 2. Click the Mouse Pointers tab. 3. Click the downward pointing arrow next to Scheme and select a scheme. Schemes with the text large or extra large in them were developed to be easier to view on the computer
screen. 4. Click OK to select the scheme and close the dialog box. The Physical Setup To accommodate a wheelchair, fixed desks and tables should be 27" high, 30" wide, and 19" deep. The tops of tables and counters
should be between 28" and 34" high. A computer monitor should be set so that the top of the screen will be even with your
eyes.
Options For People with Hearing Impairments Estimated time: 10 minutes If a computer user is not able to hear sounds produced by the computer, you can adjust the settings so that sounds will be
replaced by visual cues or text. Fortunately, much of the information on a computer is text and image based.
Turning on Closed Captions in Magic School Bus Programs Magic School Bus is not available in the Bigprint profile. 1. Log on as all or child.
2. Double-click the MSB Whales icon on the desktop. 3. Click the CC in the upper right corner of the window. Closed captions appear on the top of the program window. Hint: The CC is available once you enter the classroom. MSB Mars MSB Flight 4. Exit Magic School Bus. Turning on Closed Captions in Encarta Encyclopedia Closed captions are automatically on in the bigprint profile. 1. Log on as all or child.
2. Double-click the Encarta Encyclopedia icon on the desktop. 3. Click Options and select Closed Captions.
4. Click the downward pointing arrow in the Choose a type of information box and select Videos.
5. Click the American Sign Language video in the Pinpointer list. The video plays with closed captions below. 6. Close Encarta Encyclopedia.
The Magnifier, Narrator, and On-Screen Keyboard are available in all public profiles. Accessing Accessibility Tools You can access the accessibility tools on the Start menu. Click Start > Programs > Accessories > Accessibility, and then select the accessibility tool. The Web has a wealth of information available regarding assisting people with disabilities. The following list of Web sites
are a sample of the broad types of information that is available on the Web. Also, many of these Web sites have links to other
sites with additional information, so if these Web sites don't have what you are looking for, maybe a link from one of the
sites will.
ABLEDATA ABLEDATA is a federally funded project whose primary mission is to provide information on assistive technology and rehabilitation
equipment available from domestic and international sources to consumers, organizations, professionals, and caregivers within
the United States.
The Access Board The Access Board is an independent Federal agency devoted to accessibility for people with disabilities. This site provides
accessibility guidelines, technical assistance regarding these guidelines, links, and other information relating to developing
and maintaining accessibility requirements for the built environment, transit vehicles, telecommunications equipment, and
for electronic and information technology.
Adaptive Technology for the Internet: Making Electronic Resources Accessible to All The Online Version, by Barbara T. Mates This work seeks to guide information providers in establishing accessible Websites and acquiring the hardware and software
needed by people with disabilities. The book focuses on access to the Internet using large print, voice, and Braille.
http://www.ala.org/editions/samplers/mates/ Alliance for Technology Access ATAC is an assistive technology organization that provides assistance, training, and consultation. Center for Applied Special Technology CAST expands opportunities for individuals with disabilities through the development of and innovative uses of technology.
Hosts the "Bobby" website, which serves as an online evaluation program that assess a website and provides tips for ensuring
that your website is accessible to people with disabilities.
Compatible Assistive Aids for Windows 2000 This is a compilation of Assistive Technology products that are known to function in Windows 2000. The document lists the
product, a description of what the product does, and contact information for purchasing.
http://www.microsoft.com/enable/download/products/Windows2000/Window s2000_Aids.doc DisabilityDirect This is a government Web site that provides one-stop online access to resources, services, and information available throughout
the Federal government.
Disability Resources, Inc This nonprofit organization monitors, reviews and reports on resources about disabilities on a daily basis. The DRM WebWatcher
is an easy-to-use online subject guide to disability resources on the Internet including assistive technology. They provide
the DRM Guide to Disability Resources on the Internet. http://www.disabilityresources.org/ DO-IT Program (Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking, and Technology) Equal Access: Computer labs An excellent "brochure" on making computer labs more accessible from the University of Washington. http://www.washington.edu/doit/Brochures/Technology/comp.access.html Microsoft Accessibility: Technology for Everyone This site provides documentation and detailed, step-by-step instructions for setting the accessibility options available in
Microsoft software, including the Office programs and Windows operating systems.
http://www.microsoft.com/enable National Association of the Deaf NAD is a national consumer organization representing people who are deaf and hard of hearing. National Federation of the Blind NFB is the nation's largest and most influential membership organization of blind persons. As a consumer advocacy organization,
the NFB is considered the leading force in the blindness field today. Their site has a wealth of information and links about
accessibility for blind people.
Phoenix Public Library's Special Needs Center Information about equipment and services for people with disabilities available from the Phoenix PL. A comprehensive resource
with a great deal of relevant but often neglected information (like availability of handicapped parking near the center)
http://pac.lib.ci.phoenix.az.us/web/servicesframe.html Section 508: The Road to Accessibility Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, as amended, requires that Federal agencies' electronic and information technology is
accessible to people with disabilities. This site covers the requirements of section 508 and provides resources to help organizations
comply with the standards set forth.
Washington Assistive Technology Alliance General information on making technology more accessible, including information on peripherals that can benefit accessibility |
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Documents
| Access for the Vision Impaired |
If you are using a Gates U.S. Library Program computer, you can use the Bigprint profile to assist patrons with low vision. This handout also covers other accessibility options available on the Windows operating system.
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