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Key Features

  • Gain quick access to common tools - Start Narrator, Magnifier, On-Screen Keyboard, and High Contrast quickly from Quick access to common tools in the Ease of Access Center. When you start these tools from the Quick Access section, the tools will turn off after you log off or shut down. If you want these tools to start automatically every time you log on, turn them on under the Explore all settings categories.

  • Get recommendations for settings - The Ease of Access Center includes a new, optional questionnaire (that replaces the Accessibility Wizard found in previous versions of Windows). Based on your answers, a custom list of recommended accessibility settings is provided so you can choose which options you want to try. You can take this questionnaire and adjust your settings as often as you like. This new questionnaire takes the guesswork out of selecting settings.

  • Type with On-Screen Keyboard

    On-Screen Keyboard in Windows Vista displays a visual keyboard with all of the standard keys on the screen. Instead of relying on the physical keyboard to type, you can select keys using the mouse or another pointing device, a small group of keys, or just one key. Several keyboard layouts are available in On-Screen Keyboard, and views are available to promote faster typing or to give access to the maximum number of keys. You can choose the typing mode that works best for you-clicking mode, hovering mode, or scanning mode. To make the On-Screen Keyboard keys easier to see, you can change the font, font style, and font size from the Settings menu.

  • Interact with your PC by voice using Speech Recognition

    Speech Recognition in Windows Vista empowers you to interact with your computer by voice, significantly reducing the use of a mouse and keyboard, while maintaining or increasing your overall productivity. Speech Recognition is particularly useful for people who have difficulty with dexterity or have limited use of their hands and arms, because it reduces or eliminates their need for a mouse and a keyboard while enabling them to maintain or increase their productivity.

  • Explore all settings by category

    Instead of looking for accessibility settings in various places on your computer, Windows Vista brings all those settings together and organizes them into categories that you can explore in the Ease of Access Center.
    You can explore seven different categories of accessibility settings and programs:

    • Use the computer without a display.

    • Make the computer easier to see.

    • Use the computer without a mouse or keyboard.

    • Make the mouse easier to use.

    • Make the keyboard easier to use.

    • Use text or visual alternatives for sounds.

    • Make it easier to focus on tasks.