This Month's Access Tips

This month's Mr. Fix-It topic is changing color preferences and text size using Windows Vista.

 

For people with low vision, contrast between text and background colors can be as important as text size. Windows Vista is the newest operating system from Microsoft, and PCs being shipped now carry the Windows Vista Operating System.

The problem is, the control panels have been changed, and can be difficult to find to set preferences, particularly for people who have used (and are used to) the older operating systems. Recently, we have begun to get many questions about basic usability of Windows Vista by people with disabilities.

 

Below are some simple steps to set color preferences and text size in Vista.

1. Open the Start menu.

2. Click on "Control Panel."

3. Click on "Ease of Access Center."

4. Click on "Set Up High Contrast."

5. Click on "Choose a High Contrast color scheme." (The Appearance Settings dialog will appear.)

6. Click on the color scheme you want. Then click on "Apply" and "OK."

Note that there are no longer options for (large) or (extra large) color schemes. To change text size:

1. From the Appearance Settings dialog, click on the "Advanced" button.

2. Click on the "Item" pull-down list.   A list of elements (Icon, Menu, etc.) will appear.

3. For each element that you want to modify:

         a. Choose the item from the list.

         b. Click on the Size list directly above the OK button.

         c. Choose the font size you want.

4. When you've modified all the elements you want to modify, click on OK.

5. Click on OK

6. Click on Apply, then on OK.

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