Applies ToWindows 10 Office (retired — do not use)
В этом руководстве описаны самые популярные функции Windows и Microsoft Office. В нем также охватываются продукты, предназначенные для Windows и Microsoft Office, предназначенные для людей с слепотой или слепотой. Чтобы получить более полный обзор,перегрузим вас полным руководством.
Если у вас есть вопросы, связанные со специальными возможностями, обратитесь в microsoft Disability Answer Desk. Эта команда поможет вам использовать многие популярные вспомогательные технологии с поддержкой английского, испанского, французского и американскому языку жестов (ASL).
Если вы правительственный, коммерческий или корпоративный пользователь, см. поддержку по специальным возможности для предприятий. Чтобы устранить распространенные проблемы и узнать больше о некоторых из наших функций, включая некоторые функции, о которых идет речь в этом руководстве, ознакомьтесь со списком воспроизведения по специальным возможностям на канале YouTube службы поддержки майкрософт.
В этом руководстве:
Установка Кортана с помощью Windows 10
Настройка параметров доступности в Windows 10
Использование функций доступности в Office
Установка Кортана с помощью Windows 10
В этом разделе показано, как использовать речь экранного диктора и Кортана для Windows установки и настройки компьютера.
Установка Windows с помощью диктора
Как только вы запустите компьютер, вы сможете использовать экранный диктор для установки Windows.
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Нажмите клавиши CTRL+Windows клавиша с логотипом + ВВОД, чтобы запустить диктор.
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Выберите язык и время, а затем выберите Установить сейчас
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В ок Windowsвведите ключ продукта.
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Выберите я принимаю условия лицензии.
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Выберите Обновление или Настраиваемая установка.
Активируйте Кортана, чтобы помочь настроить Windows
После установки Windows вы можете активировать Кортана, чтобы помочь вам в этом.
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Выберите сеть
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Введите данные своей учетной записи Майкрософт. Если у вас нет учетной записи Майкрософт, выберите Нет учетной записи? Создайте ее!
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Выберите Настроить или Использовать express Параметры
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Выберите Да, чтобы Кортана личный помощник.
См. Windows 10
Настройка параметров доступности в Windows 10
С помощью этой программы вы можете настроить параметры и программы, доступные в Windows.
См. упростите работу с компьютером.
См. Windows 10 справке по специальным возможности
Включить параметры простоты доступа
В Windows вы можете получить доступ к часто используемым специальным услугам прямо с экрана регистрации. Нажмите клавиши Windows клавиши с логотипом +U, чтобы открыть параметры Access.
Чтобы открыть параметры ease of Access на устройстве с сенсорным экраном, проведите пальцем от правого края экрана и выберите Все Параметры >Ease of Access.
Прослуш. текста, читаемого экр. диктором
Экранный диктор — это встроенное устройство чтения с экрана, которое читает вслух текст на экране и описывает события, например уведомления или встречи в календаре. Чтобы запустить или остановить работу диктора, нажмите клавиши CTRL+Windows клавиша с логотипом + ВВОД. На Windows мобильных устройствах нажмите Windows Клавиша с логотипом + Клавиша громкости вверх, чтобы отключить или выключить narrator. Чтобы открыть параметры диктора, нажмите клавиши CTRL+Windows клавиша с логотипом + N
Narrator can jump between headings and landmarks in apps. Чтобы включить режим сканирования, нажмите клавиши CAPS LOCK+ПРОБЕЛ, а затем используйте следующие сочетания клавиш:
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Кнопки: клавиши B/SHIFT+B
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Поле со полем со полем со combo: C/SHIFT+C
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Ориентиры: нажмите D/SHIFT+D
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Поле Edit (Изменить) Нажмите E/SHIFT+E.
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Поле формы: F/SHIFT+F
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Заголовки: H/SHIFT+H
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Элемент: нажмите I/SHIFT+I
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Ссылка: нажмите K/SHIFT+K
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Абзац: P/SHIFT+P
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Переключать: клавиши R/SHIFT+R
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Таблица: нажмите T/SHIFT+T
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Check box: Press X/SHIFT+ X
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Перемещение между уровнями заголовков: от 1 до 9 или shift/1-9
См. ссылку Начало работы с диктором
Использование экранной лупы для просмотра элементов на экране
Экранная лупка — это инструмент, который увеличивает экран, чтобы слова и изображения были лучше видно. Вы можете увеличить экран целиком или только его часть и переместить экранную лупу в нужное место на рабочем столе. При увеличении масштаба лупу также можно сглажить края изображений и текста.
Другие сочетания клавиш:
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Открытие параметров лупункта: нажмите клавиши CTRL+Windows клавиша с логотипом + M
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Включить лупу и увеличить: нажмите Windows клавиша с логотипом + знак «плюс» (+)
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Уменьшить: нажмите клавишу Windows клавиша с логотипом + минус (-)
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Выйти из лупу: нажмите Windows клавишу с логотипом + ESC
См. использование экранной лупу для упростит их изображение на экране
Улучшение видимости с помощью высокой контрастности
Высокая контрастность увеличивает цветовую контрастность переднего плана и фона на экране, делая текст и изображения более четкими и упростив их определение. Чтобы включить режим высокой контрастности, нажмите ALT слева + SHIFT слева + Print Screen.
В параметрах высокой контрастности можно выбрать разные темы. Нажмите клавишу Windows клавиша с логотипом U,а затем выберите Высокая контрастность. Выберите тему с высокой контрастности в меню и выберите применить
См. использование режима высокой контрастности.
«Изменение размера текста, приложений и прочих элементов»
Если текст и другие элементы на рабочем столе слишком маленькие, их можно увеличить, не изменяя разрешение экрана и не включая экранную лупу.
Чтобы изменить размеры:
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Откройте параметры, нажав Windows клавишу с логотипом + I
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Выбор системного > дисплея
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В области Изменение размера текста, приложений и другихэлементов выберите нужный размер.
Использование функций доступности в Office
Microsoft Office есть встроенные функции, предназначенные для людей с слепотой или слепотой. Вы также можете настраивать параметры в Office с потребностями и предпочтениями.
Параметры простоты доступа в Office
Вы можете настроить общие параметры доступности в параметрах ease of Access в Word, Excel, PowerPoint и Outlook.
Чтобы найти параметры простоты доступа:
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Откройте приложение Office.
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Выберите Параметры > файлов > удобством доступа
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Настройте параметры доступности.
Увеличение и уменьшение масштаба документов
Вы можете увеличить размер страниц в документах Word, PowerPoint слайдах, Excel электронных таблицах и других документах в Office.
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Чтобы быстро увеличить или уменьшить масштаб, нажмите клавиши CTRL+колесико мыши, кнопка вверх/вниз
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Для увеличения и уменьшения масштаба также можно использовать ползунок в панели состояния. Вы также можете указать масштаб навкладке Вид на ленте.
См. изменение масштаба документа, презентации или книги
Использование Обучение в Word
Обучение Инструменты доступны в Microsoft 365 версии Microsoft Word.
Чтобы использовать Обучение в Word 2016:
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Откройте любой Microsoft Word документ.
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На вкладкеВид в разделе Иммерсивное представление выберите Обучение Инструменты
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Выберите один из следующих вариантов:
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Ширина столбца
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Цвет страницы
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Интервалы между текстом
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Слогов
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Чтение вслух
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См. Обучение в Word
Нужна дополнительная помощь?
Нужны дополнительные параметры?
Изучите преимущества подписки, просмотрите учебные курсы, узнайте, как защитить свое устройство и т. д.
How to find and use the accessibility features in Microsoft Windows 10
Accessibility Settings
Finding the Ease of Access menu
To activate and deactivate most accessibility features, the very best place to start is the Settings menu. To access the settings menu:
- Using your mouse, click the Start Menu icon at the bottom left corner of your screen. It features the Windows logo.
- Click on the Settings icon.
- The Settings Application will open.
The Ease of Access setting is where you will find most assistive technology features on your Windows device. You will see it as an option among the other settings.
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1. Text, Size, Colours, Contrast and Brightness
1.1. Enlarge Text
- Open Ease of Access setting.
- Search for the ‘Display’ section, under the ‘Vision’ category, on the left-hand side of the screen.
- Use the slider to enlarge the text.
- Alternatively, you can use the tab button on your keyboard to find the slider and use the left and right arrow keys to enlarge the text.
- Click ‘Apply’.
1.2. Enlarge the Size of Apps and Text on the Display
- Open Ease of Access setting.
- Search for the ‘Display’ setting, under the ‘Vision’ category, on the left-hand side of the screen.
- Open the drop-down menu.
- Alternatively, you can use the tab button on your keyboard to find the drop-down menu, press enter, and use the up and down arrow keys.
- Select the preferred option.
1.3. Change Brightness
- Open Ease of Access setting.
- Search for the ‘Display’ setting, under the ‘Vision’ category, on the left-hand side of the screen.
- Use the slider to increase or decrease brightness.
- Alternatively, you can use the tab button on your keyboard to find the slider and use the left and right arrow keys to change the screen brightness.
1.4. Change Colour Filters
- Open Ease of Access setting.
- Search for the ‘Colour Filters’ setting, under the ‘Vision’ category, on the left-hand side of the screen.
- Toggle the off button to on.
- For convenience, check the box beneath the switch to allow the shortcut key to toggle the filter on or off.
- Select preferred colour filters, such as greyscale, inverted or colour-blindness filter.
- To switch off, toggle switch back to off.
1.5. Increase Colour Contrast
- Open Ease of Access setting.
- Search for the ‘High Contrast’ setting, under the ‘Vision’ category, on the left-hand side of the screen.
- Toggle the off button to on.
- Alternatively, press: left Alt, left shift then print screen.
- Choose a preferred theme and/or customise the current theme.
- Press Apply.
- To switch off, toggle switch back to off.
2. Mouse Visibility Options
Make your mouse pointer and touch feedback easier to see.
2.1. Change Mouse Pointer Size
- Open Ease of Access setting.
- Search for the ‘Mouse Pointer’ setting, under the ‘Vision’ category, on the left-hand side of the screen.
- Use the slider to enlarge the mouse pointer.
- Alternatively, you can use the tab button on your keyboard to find the slider and use the left and right arrow keys to enlarge the pointer.
2.2. Change Mouse Pointer Colour
- Open Ease of Access setting.
- Search for the ‘Mouse Pointer’ setting, under the ‘Vision’ category, on the left-hand side of the screen.
- Select the preferred colour from the options, under ‘Change pointer colour’.
3. Enable/Disable Text Cursor
Make your text cursor easier to see.
- Open Ease of Access setting.
- Search for the ‘Text Cursor’ setting, under the ‘Vision’ category, on the left-hand side of the screen.
- Toggle the off button to on.
- Select preferred cursor indicator size, colour and thickness.
- To switch off the text cursor indicator, toggle it back to off.
4. Narrator
Narrator is a screen-reading application that describes what is on your screen, allowing you greater control as you navigate your device. It can be controlled by mouse, keyboard, and touch.
4.1. Enable/Disable Narrator
- Press the Windows key–Ctrl-Enter.
Alternatively, you can enable the feature through the system’s settings:
- Open Ease of Access setting.
- Search for the ‘Narrator’ setting on the left navigation panel, under the ‘Vision’ category.
- Toggle off switch to on. Alternatively, you can use your Tab key to select the button and press Enter on your keyboard.
- To disable, toggle switch back to off.
Note: Allowing the shortcut key to start Narrator is a setting that can be automatically set when you initially begin using your device. If it is not set, then you will have to manually set it by selecting the first box under Start-up Options titled ‘Allow the shortcut key to start Narrator’.
You can personalise how you would prefer the Narrator to function in the Narrator settings. For example, you can choose when you would like Narrator to start. If you’d like it to start after you sign into your computer, select the second box beneath Start-up Options titled ‘Start Narrator before sign-in for me’.
4.2. Narrator touch gestures
To explore and hear items on a screen, drag one finger around the screen. When you hear an item that you want to use, double-tap the screen with one finger to activate it. To move through items on the screen, flick left and right with one finger.
You can find more shortcuts that can help you use Narrator under the guide’s Keyboard Shortcut Reference List.
5. Magnifier
Magnifier is a feature that zooms in on parts of your computer display. Magnifier can be viewed in full screen, in a separate window or as a lens that follows your mouse pointer around your screen.
5.1. Enable/Disable Magnifier
- Press the Windows logo key + Plus Sign key (+).
Alternatively, you can enable the feature through the system’s settings:
- Open Ease of Access setting.
- Search for the Magnifier setting on the left navigation panel, under the ‘Vision’ category.
- Toggle off switch to on. Alternatively, you can use your Tab key to select the button and press Enter on your keyboard.
- To disable the feature, toggle the switch back to off.
5.2. Activate Reading
Reading enables Magnifier to read from your screen.
- Activate reading by pressing a Modifier key and Enter. The default modifier key is Ctrl and Alt. However, the key can be changed to the Caps Lock and/or Insert key in the Magnifier settings.
Once a modifier key has been chosen, you can use the following commands to have Magnifier read from your screen:- Start, pause and resume reading: Modifier Key + Enter
- Stop reading: Any key
- Reading from mouse pointer: Modifier key + Left Mouse Click
- Read previous sentence: Modifier key + H
- Read Next Sentence: Modifier key + K
- To deactivate Reading, press any key.
You can personalise Magnifier to suit your needs in the Magnifier settings. Shortcuts can be found in the Keyboard Shortcuts Reference Sheet.
When starting Magnifier, it is also important to decide when you would like Magnifier to start. For example, you can choose the option to have Magnifier automatically start after the user signs into their device.
You can personalise how you would prefer the Magnifier to function in the Magnifier settings.
5.3. Magnifier touch gestures
Use the following gestures to work with Magnifier on a Windows touchscreen device:
- Zoom in: Press the Plus (+) button on either the top left or top right of the screen
- Zoom out: If already zoomed in, press the Minus (-) button on either the bottom left or the bottom right of the screen
You can also use the floating bar to control the magnifier:
- Minus: Zooms out
- Plus: Zooms in
- Back: Reads previous sentence
- Play/Pause: Reads out text
- Forward: Reads the next sentence
- Pointer: Reads from where the mouse pointer is clicked
- Settings: Change the speed of the narrator and voice
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1. Mono and Stereo Options
1.1. Increase, Decrease and Mute Device Volume: Three Methods
First Method
Search for the increase, decrease and mute volume buttons on the keyboard, which are generally located on the top row of the keyboard. The button features a little speaker.
Second Method
Go to the System Tray of the computer’s taskbar at the bottom right corner of the computer screen, which contains the clock, battery life, Wi-Fi connection and volume. Click the speaker icon and adjust the volume.
Third Method
Open Ease of Access, then search for the ‘Audio’ settings on the left navigation panel, under the ‘Hearing’ category. Adjust the volume with the slider.
1.2. Turn on Mono Audio
Mono Audio combines the left and right audio channels into one channel.
- Open Ease of Access setting.
- Search for the ‘Audio’ settings on the left navigation panel, under the ‘Hearing’ category.
- Toggle the off button to on.
- To switch off mono audio, toggle back to off.
2. Enabled Visual Notifications
Select how visual alerts for notifications are displayed.
- Open Ease of Access setting.
- Search for the ‘Audio’ settings on the left navigation panel, under the ‘Hearing’ category.
- Under the header ‘Show audio alerts visually’, open the dropbox menu.
- Select the preferred option.
3. Closed Captions
Make your device easier to use without sound by displaying audio as text.
3.1. Personalise Closed Captions Settings
- Open Ease of Access setting.
- Search for the ‘Closed Captions’ setting on the left navigation panel, under the ‘Hearing’ category, on the left-hand side of the screen.
- Use the drop-down menu to change how closed captions appear in Windows.
- Add a text background to improve contrast and make the text easier to read.
- Add a text background to improve contrast and make the text easier to read.
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General and Mobility-Related
1. Speech
Convert spoken words into text on your device.
1.1 Enable/Disable Dictation
- Press the Windows logo key and H
(On touch keyboards, press the microphone button).
1.2 Enable/Disable Speech Recognition
Dictate text and control your device with only your voice.
- Press the Windows logo key-Ctrl-S
Alternatively, you can enable the feature through the system’s settings:
- Open Ease of Access setting.
- Search for the ‘Speech’ setting on the left navigation panel, under the ‘Interaction’ category.
- Under ‘Turn on Speech Recognition’, toggle switch from off to on.
- To disable, toggle switch back to off.
2. Keyboard
Make it easier to type and use keyboard shortcuts.
2.1. Enable/Disable On-Screen Keyboard
Display a virtual keyboard on the screen to enter input without using a physical keyboard.
- Press the Windows logo key-Ctrl-O
Alternatively, you can enable the feature through the system’s settings:
- Open Ease of Access setting.
- Search for the ‘Keyboard’ setting on the left navigation panel, under the ‘Interaction’ category.
- Under ‘Use the On-Screen Keyboard’, toggle the switch from off to on.
- To disable, toggle switch back to off.
2.2. Enable/Disable Sticky Keys
Sticky Keys allow modifier keys (like Ctrl and Shift) to remain active even after when you are no longer pressing them. This helps users who have trouble pressing two keys at the same time.
- Press the Shift key five times.
Alternatively, you can enable the feature through the system’s settings:
- Open Ease of Access setting.
- Search for the ‘Keyboard’ setting on the left navigation panel, under the ‘Interaction’ category.
- Under ‘Use Sticky Keys’, toggle the switch from off to on.
- To disable, toggle switch back to off.
2.3. Enable/Disable Toggle Keys
Toggle Keys provide sound cues when the locking keys, such as Caps Lock, Num Lock or Scroll Lock, are pressed.
- Press and hold the Num Lock key for five seconds.
Alternatively, you can enable the feature through the system’s settings:
- Open Ease of Access setting.
- Search for the ‘Keyboard’ setting on the left navigation panel, under the ‘Interaction’ category.
- Under ‘Use Toggle Keys’, toggle switch from off to on.
- To disable, toggle switch back to off.
2.4. Enable/Disable Filter Keys
Filter Keys inform the device to ignore brief or repeated keypresses and allow the user to set the time a key is pressed before it repeats.
- Press and hold the right Shift key for eight seconds.
Alternatively, you can enable the feature through the system’s settings:
- Open Ease of Access setting.
- Search for the ‘Keyboard’ setting on the left navigation panel, under the ‘Interaction’ category.
- Under ‘Use Filter Keys’, toggle the switch from off to on.
- To disable, toggle switch back to off.
3. Mouse
Make it easier to see and control the mouse cursor.
3.1. Enable/Disable Mouse Keys
Control the mouse pointer using the numeric keypad.
- Open Ease of Access setting.
- Search for the ‘Mouse’ setting on the left navigation panel, under the ‘Interaction’ category.
- Toggle switch from off to on.
- To disable, toggle switch back to off.
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Keyboard Shortcuts
1. Visual-Related Keyboard Shortcuts
Toggle colour filter on or off: Windows logo key–Ctrl–C
Narrator
Note: The default Narrator key is the Caps Lock key. This can be changed in the Narrator settings, under ‘Select Narrator key’.
- Enable/Disable Narrator: Windows key–Ctrl–Enter
- Activate scan mode: Caps lock–spacebar (press up and down arrows to read page)
- Increase voice speed: Narrator–Plus sign (+)
- Slow voice speed: Narrator–Minus Sign (-)
- Increase voice volume: Narrator–Ctrl–Plus Sign (+)
- Decrease voice volume: Narrator–Ctrl–Minus Sign (-)
- Change how Capitalised text is read: Narrator–4
- Change how much detail Narrator provides about text and controls: Narrator–V
- Get the webpage source of a link: Narrator–Ctrl–D
- Get a webpage summary: Narrator–S
- Get the webpage summary and popular links dialog box: Narrator–S twice quickly
- Turn on or off Outlook column header reading: Narrator–H
- Give feedback on Narrator: Narrator–Alt–F
Narrator touch screen gestures
- Read what’s under your finger: Touch or drag a single finger
- Activate primary action: Double-tap or hold with one finger and then tap anywhere on the screen with a second finger
- Activate secondary action: Triple-tap or hold with one finger and then double-tap anywhere on the screen with a second finger
- Start dragging or extra key options: Hold one finger and tap once with a second and third finger
- Move to next or previous item: Flick left or right with one finger
- Change view: Flick up or down with one finger
- Stop narrator from reading: Tap once with two fingers
- Change verbosity mode: Tap once with three fingers
- Show narrator commands for the current item: Tap once with four fingers
- Show context menu: Double-tap with two fingers
- Read text attributes: Double-tap with three fingers
- Open search mode: Double-tap with four fingers
- Show all narrator commands: Tap three times with four fingers
- Scroll: Swipe in any direction with two fingers
- Tab forward or backwards: Swipe left or right with three fingers
- Read current window: Swipe up with three fingers
- Start reading on explorable text: Swipe down with three fingers
- Turn semantic zoom on or off where supported: Swipe up or down with four fingers
- Move narrator cursor to beginning or end of unit: Swipe left or right with four fingers
Magnifier
- Enable/Disable Magnifier: Windows logo key and Plus sign (+)
- Turn off Magnifier: Windows logo key and Esc
- Zoom In: Windows key and Plus Sign (+)
- Zoom Out: Windows key and Minus Sign (-)
- Zoom In and Out: Press and hold Ctrl and Alt then roll the wheel on your mouse.
- Invert Colours: Ctrl–Alt–I
Change Magnifier View
- Lens: Ctrl–Alt–L
- Full Screen: Ctrl–Alt–F
- Docked: Ctrl–Alt–D
- Cycle through the views: Ctrl–Alt–M
Reading
Note: The default Modifier key is Ctrl and Alt. This can be changed in the Magnifier settings, under ‘Choose a Modifier key’.
- Start, pause, and resume reading: Modifier key and Enter
- Stop Reading: Any Key
- Read from Mouse Pointer: Modifier key and Left Mouse Click
- Read previous sentence: Modifier key and H
- Read next sentence: Modifier key and K
2. Mobility-Related Shortcuts
- Enable Dictation: Windows logo key and H
- Enable/Disable Speech Recognition: Windows logo key–Ctrl–S
- Enable/Disable On-Screen Keyboard: Windows logo key–Ctrl–O
- Enable/Disable Sticky Keys: Press Shift key five times.
- Enable/Disable Toggle Keys: Press Num Lock key for five seconds.
- Enable/Disable Filter Keys: Press and hold the right Shift key for eight seconds.
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Additional Resources
Additional information on the assistive technology products and services Microsoft offers on Windows 10 be found in the following link:
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/accessibility/windows
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Quick Links
Accessibility options are built into Windows to help users who may have trouble using their computers normally get a little more functionality out of their favorite OS. Though Windows 10 does innovate on many features we’ve come to expect from older versions of the operating system, for the most part Microsoft has opted to keep much of the core functionality of its accessibility features the same to make it easier both on users and developers to adapt without much trouble in between the old system and the new.
Even so, here’s how to manage all the accessibility options available in the latest update of Windows 10.
Narrator
For the blind or those with acute sight limitations, Narrator is a vital tool which will read off the contents of any page, window, or application your click into piece by piece, while also reciting the specific portions of those selections out loud.
Many of the same features first introduced in Windows 7 have carried through to 10, such as reading off the characters you type as you type them, playing audio cues when you click into new pages or applications, and reading off hints for controls and buttons which will nudge sight challenged users in the right direction based on carefully tuned prediction algorithms.
One voice option you might not recognize from the previous version of Windows, however, is Microsoft’s Zira, who’s offered up as an alternative to the standard male orator, David. Here in Narrator, you can switch between the two, though neither has any particular advantage over the other, and in general it’s merely a matter of personal preference.
Magnifier
Magnifier is yet another of the Windows Ease of Access features designed to assist anyone who either has trouble reading their screen, or even just creative professionals wants a tool that will allow them to get a close up view of detail work in 3D modeling, Photoshop, or game design.
Here you’ll find options such as turning the Magnifier on or off, inverting colors within the magnified area (again, made with designers and digital painters in mind), and a toggle which will automatically start the Magnifier tool each time you log in to your account.
New to Windows 10 is a setting which will allow you to specifically designate what gets magnified. This can be changed to follow only the mouse, the selection of the keyboard, or even both at the same time.
High Contrast
Sticking with the concept of «making things easier», Microsoft has opted to group all its visual accessibility features into the top three choices in the Ease of Access panel.
High contrast will drastically alter the overall color scheme so that text, images, application windows and icons become easier to read for anyone who might have colorblindness, or simply want to spice things up when the old layout gets too easy on the eyes.
Closed Captions
The closed captions section can be used to customize how any closed captions in your local media players will appear during the playback of movies or TV shows. For those who have difficulties making out the white text against moving backgrounds in Windows Media Player, this option can be a godsend that allows you to choose between any color you’d like on the Windows color palette.
You can opt to change the font, the color of the text, or both at the same time if you have specific needs depending on your own vision requirements.
Keyboard
The keyboard options in Ease of Access has always been one of Windows shining points, offering up a wide range of customization that will help anyone with disabilities or special needs have exactly the PC experience they want every time they boot up and log in.
The On-Screen Keyboard is a great tool for anyone who’s using Windows 10 on their Surface tablet, or just want to get a few words in without having to break out the bluetooth keyboard to make it happen. Sticky Keys will change your keyboard to treat any strikes of the ctrl, shift, or alt keys as a hold command, rather than a tap as it usually would. This is perfect for anyone who has issues maintaining finger dexterity for long periods of time (arthritis patients come to mind), or just users who are too lazy to manage holding down more than a few keys at once.
Toggle Keys will help to solve the pesky problem of never knowing whether or not Caps Lock has been activated by playing a tone every time that or the Num Lock or Scroll Lock keys are hit. Great for anyone who might be sight challenged, or sausage fingers like myself who accidentally hit it when they’re trying to enter their password at the main screen.
Sticky Keys can also be activated anywhere in Windows by pressing down the shift key five times in a row in rapid succession.
Filter Keys will keep an eye out for repeated keystrokes and minimize your need to go back over what you’ve written with the backspace key, designed for anyone who might have trouble managing their hands on the keyboard or need a system that monitors for faulty keyboard commands struck too many times in a short period of time.
Mouse
Options to change the mouse around are pretty slim, but if you have problems seeing the cursor and need to enlarge it for enhanced viewability, this is the place to do it.
Furthermore, you can also customize your keyboard to act as a secondary mouse in case you prefer navigating around the screen using the arrow keys, and change the speed toggle to ctrl and shift, accordingly.
Other Options
Last but not least, Ease of Access has a few odds and ends that can hone down the Windows 10 experience to fit your browsing style as best as possible. Here you can change things like whether or not Windows uses animations throughout the experience, whether the desktop displays a background, or how long a notification will pop up from the toolbar before flashing away.
Windows 10 Ease of Access doesn’t exactly revolutionize accessibility settings for the new OS, but still includes plenty of subtle improvements to the experience that will allow anyone with any special needs to get everything they could want out of their PC experience.
Assistive technology in Windows 10 is known as “Ease of Access” and can provide huge benefits to those with accessibility challenges and those without. Windows 10 accessibility features allow you to utilize text to speech, change font color and size, and much more.
In fact, Microsoft has put more effort into accessibility options than most of the world’s major companies. Former principal design director Kat Holmes implemented an “inclusive design” policy that touches everything the company does. Though this means a ton of accessibility settings, it can also be intimidating to sort through.
As a result, today we’re going to walk you through Ease of Access in Windows 10 in simple English. We’ll cover how to find the settings and which each does, in three distinct sections. Let’s get started:
Windows 10 Ease of Access: Vision
Windows 10 can help you with anything from poor eyesight to color blindness or total blindness. Here’s how you access the accessibility settings for vision and what each of them does.
- Open settings
Press the Start button and click the settings cog above the power button.
- Click on “Ease of Access” in the Settings app
- Make text and UI elements bigger
Click the “Display” heading under the “Vision” section to access the size settings. You’ll see two main options:
Make text bigger: This Windows 10 Ease of Access option does about what you’d expect. By dragging the slider underneath this heading, you can change the size of the text throughout your system. Pay particular attention to the sample text, as that gives you a preview of what the final result will look like.
Make everything bigger: This changes the size of text, but also the interface in general. If you struggle to see small icons, for example, this could be useful.
- Change your brightness and effects
Scrolling further down the “Display” section you’ll see two more headings:
Make everything brighter: This ease of accessibility option lets you increase or decrease the brightness of your display so you can see it better. It provides an additional link to night light settings, which allows you to adjust how warm your display is.
Simplify and personalize Windows: These accessibility settings help you reduce effects that may confuse your eyes. You can turn off animations, transparency effects, automatic scroll bar hiding, and desktop backgrounds. You can also change the amount of time notifications stay on your screen.
- Change your mouse pointer settings
By clicking the “Mouse pointer” heading in the sidebar, you can access various Windows 10 cursor settings:
Change pointer size and color: Drag the slider to make your cursor bigger until you can see it comfortably, to change its color to provide more contrast against different backgrounds.
Change touch feedback: Struggling to tell when you’ve pressed a UI element? Turning visual feedback on will display an animation when you tap. You can optionally tick the “Make visual feedback for touch points darker and larger” if you’re struggling to see them.
- Change your text cursor indicator
The text cursor indicator is the small, black line that signifies where you are in a text document or search bar. If you struggle with your vision, this can be very hard to see. Thankfully, there are Windows 10 accessibility options just for this. You can access them by clicking the “Text cursor” heading under the “Vision” section of your sidebar.
You’ll see the following accessibility settings:
Use text cursor indicator: The text cursor indicator is two fan shapes that show at the top and bottom of your text cursor. This makes it much easier to see. You can change the color below the toggle switch to one that suits your preferences.
Change the text cursor appearance: This Ease of Access setting lets you change the thickness of the line itself. You can drag the slider to make the text cursor wider and therefore stand out more against a background.
- Change Magnifier zoom levels
You’ve probably heard of Magnifier before, but you may not be aware of the customization options newer versions of Windows 10 offer. After finding it in the Vision section of the Ease of Access sidebar, you’ll see the following important options:
Use Magnifier: This toggle turns the magnifier on or off. You can hold Alt and scroll to zoom in or out.
Change zoom level: This changes the amount your screen will zoom. 200% will make everything double the size. You can go up to a maximum of 1600%.
Change zoom increments: Changes the amount the magnifier “jumps” when you use the controls to zoom in or out.
- Change your magnifier view
The magnifier section of Windows 10 Ease of Access also offers the ability to change your magnifier view.
Under the “Choose a view” heading you’ll see a dropdown with three options: “Full Screen”, which increases the size of your entire display, “Docked”, which creates a window at the top of your screen that you can move around, and “Lens”, which creates a box that automatically follows your cursor.
You can switch between these views at any point by pressing Ctrl + Alt + M on your keyboard.
- Change your Magnifier reading settings
The “Reading” section of Magnifier settings provides a dropdown from which you can change your modifier key. You have four options: Control + Alt, Caps Lock, Insert, and Caps Lock or Insert.
All of these will change the button you press the start and resume Magnifier’s text-to-speech. You can see the shortcuts in your settings app or the image below.
- Enable color filters
Clicking “Color filters” in the Ease of Access vision section will provide you with various options, the first being the ability to turn them on or off via a toggle.
- Activate colorblind filters
Once color filters are activated, further accessibility settings let you choose between various colorblind modes. There are two red-green filters for deuteranopia and protanopia, and one blue-yellow for tritanopia.
- Turn on high contrast mode
In the vision section of the sidebar, you’ll also find the “High contrast” section. High-contrast makes background elements black and text white, yellow, or green depending on its function.
- Choose your high contrast theme
Below is how the default “High Contrast Black” theme appears. You also have the ability to choose between three additional themes, “High Contrast Light” and two other variations of the black theme.
- How to use text to speech (Narrator) on Windows 10
You can turn on Windows 10 text-to-speech under the “Narrator” section of the sidebar.
If you’re wondering how to have your computer read to you outside of the Magnifier, this is the answer. Turning on Narrator will cause text to speech to read out everything on your screen, including new notifications.
Further “Start-up options” allow you to customize whether the shortcut key for Narrator is active, whether it starts at sign-in, and more.
- Change your Windows 10 Narrator voice
If you don’t like the default voice for Windows 10 text-to-speech, Microsoft provides several options under “Personalize Narrator’s voice”. You may have fewer of these available if you use a language other than English, but most of the time there’s a male or female option.
You can additionally customize the speed, pitch, and volume of the voice to suit your preferences.
- Change the level of detail the Narrator provides
By default, Narrator reads out all control details, which can be useful or frustrating, depending on your situation. You can modify this through the dropdown under “Change the level of detail Narrator provides about text and controls”.
- Change what Narrator reads when you’re typing
You can also adjust what Narrator reads when you’re typing, with the ability to choose whether to hear words as you type, hear letters, numbers and punctuation, and more.
The Narrator settings also let you change your keyboard layout under the “Change keyboard settings” section, as well as the key you use to select narrator.
- Turn the Windows 10 Narrator cursor on or off
The Narrator cursor allows you to point at text with your mouse and have the Narrator read it out. You can adjust this in the Narrator settings too, with the choice between a total of six different narrator modes.
- Turn braille on or off
If you have a braille display, you can also configure it in the Narrator section. As well as the ability to turn on braille for use with Narrator, you can add a braille display, change input languages, and change output tables.
- Manage your data and services
You can also sync your settings, give feedback about Windows 10 text-to-speech, and choose whether to get image descriptions, page titles, and popular links by sending them to Microsoft.
- Enable scan mode for faster reading
The final notable option is scan mode, which you can activate by pressing the Caps Lock and Spacebar keys. Once active, you can tap the up and down keys to read everything in an app or webpage.
Windows 10 Ease of Access: Hearing
Though many of the Windows 10 accessibility options focus on vision, it also has a section for those with hearing difficulties. Here you’ll find volume adjustments, visual audio aids, and caption settings.
You’ll find these settings under the “Hearing” section of your Ease of Access sidebar.
- Change your audio settings for easier hearing
In the “Audio” section you can move the slider under “Make your device easier to hear” to make everything louder. Additionally, you can turn on mono audio so that you get the same sound in both ears. This is useful if one of your ears is weaker than the other.
Another very useful feature is the ability to “Show audio alerts visually”. When you get a notification, you can choose whether to flash the active window’s title bar, flash the entire active window, or flash the whole screen.
- Adjust your captions settings
In the “Captions” part of the “Hearing” section, you can modify how your captions look. There are several options available under the “Choose a caption style” heading.
- Change your Caption style
Windows 10’s default caption options let you choose between white on black, small caps, large text, or yellow on blue.
- Create a custom caption style
Alternatively, you can click the “Create new” button underneath the dropdown to make your own theme.
- Adjust your custom style text, background, and window
When you create your own caption style, you can name it and adjust aspects like don’t color and size, background color and opacity, and whether window content is dimmed to improve readability.
- Edit or delete custom styles
Once you have completed your custom style, you can edit or delete it at any point by pressing the “Edit” or “Delete” buttons under “Create new”.
Windows 10 Ease of Access Settings: Interaction
The final type of assistive technology in Windows 10 involves interaction. Here you’ll find the Ease of access keyboard settings, dictation tools, eye control, and more. Let’s dive into the different options:
- Enable or turn off voice dictation in Windows 10
One way Microsoft allows you to interact with your PC is through speech. After clicking “Speech” in the sidebar under the “Interaction” heading, you’ll see a heading called “Talk instead of type”.
You can start using Windows 10 dictation commands at any point by pressing “Windows + H”.
Voice dictation in Windows 10 requires online speech recognition to be turned on in privacy settings, as well as “Turn on Speech recognition” under the “Dictate text and only your device using only your voice” heading.
- Enable the on-screen Ease of Access keyboard
If you struggle to use a traditional keyboard, the “Use your device without a physical keyboard” section allows you to disable it. You can instead toggle the “Use the On-Screen Keyboard” option. You can turn the on-screen keyboard on or off at any time with “Windows + O” and simply tap or click the keys on your screen.
While you’re there, you may want to decide whether to turn off Sticky Keys or leave them on. If you’re unsure what that means, you can check out the linked guide above for more info.
Toggle keys, meanwhile, play a sound whenever you press Caps Lock, Num Lock, or Scroll Lock. This is useful if, like me, you can a habit of missing the shift key.
- Enable Filter Keys or modify your keyboard shortcuts
The final keyboard options that are worth considering are Filter Keys, Underlined access keys, and Print Screen shortcut snipping.
Filter keys cause your keyboard to ignore repeated keystrokes so you can hold keys to type a letter. If your keyboard won’t type as a result of this, you can follow our dedicated guide.
The “Change how keyboard shortcuts work” heading contains a toggle for underlining access keys. This highlights shortcut keys in menus. For example, if a program says “Save” and the shortcut for that is Ctrl +S, it will read Save.
The toggle under the “Print screen shortcut” heading lets you set it so the print screen button opens the snipping tool rather than taking an image of the entire desktop.
Make sure you don’t miss the tick boxes at the bottom of the keyboard page, too. They let you show a warning message and sound when you turn on Sticky Keys, Toggle Keys, or Filter Keys.
- Control your mouse with a keypad
If you struggle to hold a mouse, you can control your cursor with the number keys instead. Under the “Mouse” section in the sidebar, you can toggle “Turn on Mouse Keys to use the numeric keypad to move the mouse pointer”.
4 and 6 will move your cursor left and right, 2 and 8 up and down, and 9 will click. You’ll be presented with additional options to change the pointer speed, acceleration, and other options on toggle.
- Control your mouse with your eyes
If controlling the mouse with a keypad is still difficult, you can instead use a compatible eye-tracker. Eye control is currently supported on various Tobii and EyeTech devices.
That should sum up everything you need to know about Windows 10 accessibility features. We hope that this tutorial will help you to use your PC despite the physical challenges you may encounter.
Last Updated on February 14, 2022 7:45 pm CET
Introduction
With its combination of familiar features and intuitive new additions, Windows 10 is Microsoft’s most user-friendly operating system to date.
Its accessibility doesn’t end with the new Start menu and straightforward Cortana search functions, though – Windows 10 also packs an impressive suite of extra tools to make using your PC as easy as possible.
In Windows 7, certain features (including the magnifier) were only available as part of the Aero display scheme, which put heavy demands on low-powered PCs.
Other features, including the screen reader and audio descriptions were buried five menus deep. Not ideal if you’re already having difficulty using your PC!
Thankfully, with its new focus on accessibility, Microsoft has addressed all of these concerns – and done much more besides.
- For more tutorials check out our collection of how to use Windows 10 guides
1. Read it aloud
Click Start > Settings > ‘Ease of Access’. The first option is Narrator, which is ideal if you have difficulty reading text on screen.
When activated, it reads text aloud when you move your mouse over a control, click or type text. Use the toggles below to decide which events should trigger it; turn all of them on to begin with, then deactivate any you find unnecessary.
2. Use the Magnifier tool
If you sometimes have difficulty reading small text on your PC’s screen, you might appreciate the Magnifier, which does what its name suggests.
Use the toggle switch to activate it, then tap [Win] + [+] and [Win] + [–] to zoom in and out respectively. The magnifier can also invert the colors on your screen, which can make text easier to read on colored backgrounds.
3. High contrast settings
If you’d rather make everything on screen more legible, or have trouble with colour blindness, take a look at the High Contrast setting.
There are four options here – two with white backgrounds and two with black. These color schemes make Windows itself much clearer visually, but websites and programs will be unaffected so you can choose to use the Magnifier as well.
4. Clearer captions
Closed captions are displayed in many video programs for viewers who have limited hearing. Windows 10’s Films and TV app supports closed captions (CC); while a video is playing, right-click it and you’ll see if the CC option is available.
Windows 10’s Ease of Access centre let you customise the colour and size of the captions, and add effects to make them easier to see.
5. Shorter shortcuts
The Keyboard options are worth investigating even if you don’t have any difficulty using Windows.
One of the most useful is Sticky Keys, which removes the need for finger gymnastics when performing keyboard shortcuts – activate it, and you can tap each key in turn rather than reading across the board to press them simultaneously. Try it – tap [Ctrl], followed by [Alt] and [Delete].
6. Click to type
The on-screen keyboard is useful. You might choose to use it because you find using a regular keyboard difficult, or you may find it more convenient if you have a touchscreen.
However, it isn’t effective if you’re worried about keyloggers – malicious programs that record what you type to steal your passwords and other information. An anti-virus tool is your best bet here.
- The best free anti-malware software 2017
7. Making the mouse easier to use
The default mouse pointer can often be hard to see, particularly if your monitor has a high resolution.
The Mouse settings in Ease of Access is therefore useful, letting you choose a size and color that are easier to see and use. The option to move the cursor using the numeric keypad is handy if you find a mouse tricky to use, or if the battery in your cordless mouse has gone flat.
8. Crystal clear
Perhaps the most useful accessibility tool for writers is under ‘Other options’ – the ability to change the thickness of the text cursor to make it much easier to spot in your word processor of choice.
We recommend experimenting with the other options here – particularly visual notifications for sound, which are helpful if you have limited hearing.
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