Beyond visual

Your computer can be low-vision friendly By Rick Castellini, MCP Nationally Syndicated Computer columnist special to PRIME Over the years, some of my favorite people to help with their computers are blind computer users. At first, I was intimidated and awed by these users working with their computer simply by using the keyboard and listening to their speakers. Many advances in software and hardware technology make computing a reality for men and women who have low or no vision. And those of us who can see the monitor and maneuver a mouse can learn much and save time by learning to adopt some of the keyboard shortcuts that blind computer users use every day. Every computer has the tools Both of the major desktop operating systems offer tools to help people with disabilities. Microsoft Windows calls it their Accessibility Options and Apple's Mac OS X calls it Universal Access. Both systems offer low vision users the option to set a high-contrast display option and large fonts which uses a reverse text (white on black) and other high-contrast color combinations that make it easier to make out what is on the screen. Microsoft Windows also has a simple screen magnifier function found in the Accessibility options listed under accessories. It takes some coordination at first, but works quite well for many computer users. Macintosh OS X uses a little more elegant approach to screen magnification by offering a Zoom tool that will magnify an area under the mouse up to 20 times. Including screen readers Screen reading technology was developed for computer users who have absolutely no vision. Screen readers read everything on the screen to the computer user through a synthesized voice heard over the computer speakers. This technology requires a fair amount of training and patience, but once mastered allows blind computer users to function independently with their computer. Both major operating systems offer a built-in screen reader. Apple calls their product Voice Over. Like many of Apple's products, Voice Over is well thought out and integrates tightly with the computer and offers most functions that any user would need. It can be activated by simply pushing the Command + F5 key on the keyboard. Windows, on the other hand, offers a very basic service called Narrator. It can read on-screen text and dialog boxes, but very little else. Only a highly skilled computer user who just recently lost their sight would feed remotely comfortable with this screen reader. Screen reading software The most popular screen reader software for Windows based PCs is called "Jaws" from Freedom Scientific (www.freedom.scientific). Jaws gives blind or low vision computer users complete independence from the screen or mouse by accurately and efficiently guiding the user, or allowing the user to guide it, around the computer. Jaws is so popular that it is currently available in 17 languages and can be installed independently by a blind user. The software uses a customizable voice synthesizer to read the screen and even comes with training software. Experienced computer users will feel comfortable with this technology as it becomes a necessity, but many computer users will benefit from having someone work with them to understand the nuances and techniques necessary to get the most out of any screen reading software. Also, the hardest part, unfortunately, about using screen reading software is navigating web sites. Many of today's web sites use so many graphics, Flash and Java menus, and other eye candy, that it makes them extremely difficult for screen readers to decode. Again, patience is paramount. Websites for more info For more information on the topics I explored here and many more resources for low vision or blind computer users visit these sites: American Council of the Blind - http://tinyurl.com/qalr Visually Impaired and Blind User Group (Massachusetts, but lots of good links and information) - www.vibug.org Microsoft Windows Narrator - http://tinyurl.com/k55re Macintosh OS X VoiceOver - http://tinyurl.com/f47ev I would like to thank Jim, a blind computer user, who answered some questions for me and contributed to this article. Rick Castellini hosts a nationally syndicated radio show, is an author and computer consultant in Colorado. Visit his web site at HelpMeRick.com for practical tips and computer information every week.