TechnoTalk The TASC Newsletter

Transcription

1 TechnoTalk The TASC Newsletter Volume 17 Issue 1 March 2008 Editorial Welcome to our first edition of TechnoTalk for The TASC team have had a very interesting start to the new year with an unplanned relocation of our service to due to a fire which destroyed our offices in December au/news/news_items/fire-allambie-heights/index.htm. News... This is where TASC was located, before the devastating fire which destroyed Head Office at Allambie Heights. As a result of the fire the TASC Technology team have lost all of our valuable resources and we are currently in the process of ordering new equipment and rebuilding our service. Thankfully the TASC Seating team did not lose any equipment but have also relocated while demolition of the fire damaged section of the building is in progress. However this unplanned event has not stopped us from sourcing new and interesting information in the world of assistive technology. Kerrie Potgieter (who has recently returned from maternity leave) has provided a comprehensive review of the accessibility features of Vista. We always wait with baited breath when there are any changes in operating systems due to the potential impact on our clients. Please read on and find out about the exiting new features in Vista s accessibility features. Finally a big thankyou to all of you who have contacted TASC and offered your support over the last few months. Your understanding in this unique time for us has been appreciated. Jo Ford Inside Editorial...1 News...1 Main Story: What s New In Microsoft Vista...2 We welcome any feedback, good or bad, that you have on our service. Please feel free to contact us by phone on , tasc@tscnsw.org.au or byiwriting to The Spastic Centre PO Box 184 Brookvale NSW 2100 TechnoTalk Newsletter is free and available from

2 Main Story: What s new in Microsoft Vista? by Kerrie Potgineter Microsoft Vista brings with it a new range of options to enable people with physical, hearing or visual disabilities to access the computer. The biggest changes in accessibility have been a new Ease of Access Centre and speech recognition abilities and improved magnification in Microsoft Magnifier. Ease of Access Centre The new Ease of Access Centre provides a centralised location where the user can adjust accessibility settings and manage accessibility programs. It can be found in the Control Panel of Windows Vista (select Start, then Control Panel) or by selecting the Windows key + U. It replaces the Accessibility Wizard and Utilities Manager in previous versions of Windows. Programs such as Magnifier, Narrator, On-Screen Keyboard or High Contrast (see more information below) can be started or the user can follow a series of questions about everyday tasks to allow the computer to set up appropriate settings. For example, it may ask Do you have difficulty seeing faces or text on the TV? or Do you have difficulty using a pen or pencil?. The Ease of Access Centre also allows the user to explore settings by categories: using the computer without a display, making the computer easier to see, using the computer without a mouse or keyboard, making the mouse or keyboard easier to use, using text or alternatives for sounds, and making it easier to focus on tasks. Speech Recognition Software Windows Speech Recognition allows some users who have difficulty manipulating a keyboard or mouse to navigate around the computer; start programs, open menus, click buttons and other objects on the screen, dictate text into documents and write and send s using voice. There is an easy set-up process similar to other voice recognition software programs involving: Setting up the microphone Taking a Speech Tutorial to learn about voice commands with sample programs Training the computer by reading training text that appears on the screen with the option to read more text to further train Speech Recognition to understand commands and dictation. 2

3 There is a Speech Reference Card with a list of commands that can be printed or accessed on the screen. Windows Speech Recognition uses Say what you see commands to allow the user to naturally control applications and complete tasks, for example, open Internet Explorer, scroll down or show desktop. The recognition accuracy improves with each use as it adapts to the user s speaking style and vocabulary. It is available in English (U.S.), English (U.K.), German, French, Spanish, Japanese and Chinese (Traditional and Simplified). Speech Recognition can be set to turn on each time the user logs onto the computer. To start Speech Recognition open the Control Panel of the computer. 2. Select Speech Recognition 3. Select options as appropriate Magnifier Magnifier is a magnification program in Windows Vista that enables the user to enlarge a portion of the computer screen in a separate window to make it easier to see. The magnification quality has improved from previous versions. Now magnification levels up to 16 times the original size can be chosen, and the user can choose to track the mouse, the keyboard, or text editing. In Magnifier, options for set-up include: Inverting the colours to enhance screen visibility Moving the Magnifier window anywhere on the screen Choosing a docking position to place the magnifier window either to the left, top, right or bottom of the screen Adjusting the tracking focus so that it follows the movement of the mouse cursor, keyboard focus, or text editing. To start Magnifier for the current session, open the Control Panel. 2. Select Ease of Access Centre 3. Under Quick access to common tools select Start Magnifier To start Magnifier so that it starts automatically each time the user logs onto the computer: 1. Under Explore all settings select Make the computer easier to see 2. Under Make things on the screen larger select Turn on Magnifier 3. Save Narrator Narrator is a basic text-to-speech program in Windows Vista that reads what is displayed on the screen, including the contents of the active window, menu options, or the text typed. It is designed to be used with most Windows 3

4 applications. Narrator has a number of options to allow the user to customise the way the screen is read aloud. These include: Having new windows, menus or shortcut menus read aloud when they are displayed. Having typed characters read aloud. Having the mouse pointer follow the active item of the screen. Adjusting the speed, volume or pitch of the voice. Narrator is compatible with any SAPI-compliant voice for users who use a different voice. To start Narrator for the current session, open the Control Panel. 2. Select Ease of Access Centre 3. Under Quick access to common tools select Start Narrator To start Narrator so that it starts automatically each time the user logs onto the computer: 1. Under Explore all settings select Use the computer without a display 2. Under Hear text read aloud select Turn on Narrator 3. Save Other Accessibility Features in Windows Vista The following accessibility options are available in Microsoft Vista as in previous versions of Windows. For further information and instructions for set-up please contact TASC or visit the Microsoft website enable/ On-Screen Keyboard On-Screen Keyboard can be enabled for users who do not have the ability to use a standard or alternate keyboard. It displays a virtual keyboard on the screen and allows users to enter all keys on a standard keyboard using a mousing device or switch. Keyboard Shortcuts Keyboard shortcuts can be used to perform computer functions that would normally be executed using a mouse. They can be single key selections, such as hitting the Windows key to activate the Start menu in Windows, or a combination of presses such as Control + P to bring up the Print dialogue box in a word processor. To obtain lists of keyboard shortcuts for various applications and the accessibility options discussed in this article: 1. Open the Start menu 2. Select Help and Support 3. Type keyboard shortcuts in the Search Help box 4. Select the search icon 4

5 Mouse Keys Instead of using the mouse, Mouse Keys allows users to perform mouse functions using the arrow keys on the keyboard or the numeric keypad. Sticky Keys Sticky Keys allows the user to press each key separately when performing multiple key operations. This feature allows the user to type capital letters and perform keyboard commands to print, save etc. without having to press two keys at once. Filter Keys Filter Keys allows users to adjust the sensitivity of the keyboard to either prevent the computer from entering repeated letters when a key has been held down for too long or to instruct the computer to not accept a key as pressed until it has been held down for a specified length of time. This can reduce the number of typing errors for people who accidentally hit keys adjacent to their target key. Visual Notifications (Sound Sentry) For those users who may have a hearing impairment, the user can choose to receive notifications for system sounds visually rather than audibly. This includes flashing the active window, caption bar or desktop. NB. Information and pictures in this article have been obtained from the Microsoft website. For further information go to: The Spastic Centre 321 Mona Vale Road, Terrey Hills, NSW PO Box 184, Brookvale, NSW, 2100 T F E scnsw@tscnsw.org.au For people with cerebral palsy 5