Posted by Denis Soukhanov on Fri, Mar 19, 2010
Windows 7 is the latest release of the Microsoft Operating System. Compared to the last release, Windows Vista, there is much more positive feedback about the ease of use and lack of ‘bugs' with this new operating system. Windows 7 offers updated accessibility features for users with a variety of health and learning impairments.
All of the following accessibility features can be found and activated by selecting the Windows icon at the bottom left of your desktop, then Control Panel, and then the Ease of Access menu.
Speech Recognition
The speech recognition software with Windows 7 is updated to work seamlessly with more programs. It allows the user to dictate commands or text to the computer. This is used as an alternative to the keyboard. In Windows 7, speech recognition is also able to learn speaking patterns better than ever before so that there are far less errors than in previous versions.
Magnifier
The magnifier in Windows 7 has two different options: full screen or lens mode. In full screen mode, the user can choose to have everything magnified. In lens mode, the user can choose which areas need to be magnified by using a movable small magnifier. The magnifier option in Windows 7 allows users to interact with the desktop the same way they would in a normal screen setting.
On Screen Keyboard
The Windows 7 on screen keyboard allows the user to type without an actual keyboard. There are three different input methods when using the on screen keyboard: click, hover, or scan. The user can use any of the three options to enter the text by actually selecting the character with their mouse, by moving the mouse over the characters they want to choose, or by scanning through the different characters. There is also a word prediction dictionary which will complete the words as you type them. The on screen keyboard can be used in conjunction with Windows Touch and is an appropriate touchscreen to be used in lieu of a keyboard.
Narrator & Visual Notifications
The narrator feature in Windows 7 can be used to read on-screen messages, including error messages or prompts. It can also be used to read a variety of text from the computer, including that in a Word Document or from the Internet. Audio descriptions for videos can also be used. For users with sound/hearing impairments, visual notifications or cues can be used in lieu of sounds for error messages.
Windows 7 online resources include an informative guide called Guides by Impairments. This guide provides users (or teachers) with the accessibility features that Windows 7 offers listed by the impairment of the individual. This can help to make the program run more efficiently and ease accessibility for users with impairments.
Article by Laura Ketcham
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