Accessibility Settings and Features

  

Make Your Computer Easier to Use

Whether you have a Windows computer, a MacBook, or a Chromebook, your operating system includes features and settings that improve the accessibility and usability of the computer. (All modern smartphones also include accessibility settings, of course - but in these workshops we're focusing on laptops and desktop computers.)

Here you will get a quick overview of the general types of assistive technology (also called accessibility settings) that your computer comes with; the next few pages focus on the accessibility settings and features built into Microsoft Windows, the MacOS, and Google Chrome OS (which is what all Chromebooks run on).

Vision

• A magnifier or "zoom" tool
• The option to increase the size of your cursor or pointer
• A "high contrast" mode for your display
• Color filters for people with colorblindness
• A narration or "voice over" feature that describes (and reads) everything on screen

Hearing

• You can increase or decrease your computer volume
• In Windows, at least, you can have sound come out of one speaker or headphone only
• Set notifications to use visual alerts 

Interaction

• A speech recognition feature that lets you control your computer with voice commands
• A dictation feature that lets you dictate text
• Keyboard and mouse settings that make it easier to use the computer (like "sticky keys" for example)