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Accessibility Tutorials / Windows XP

Choose a High Contrast Color Combination to Improve Screen Resolution

High Contrast is an accessibility feature designed for people who have vision impairment. High Contrast color schemes can increase legibility for some users by heightening screen contrast with alternative color combinations. Some of the schemes also change font sizes for greater legibility. This procedure tells you how to turn on High Contrast through Accessibility Options in Control Panel.

Mouse actions
Keyboard actions
1
On the Start menu:
  • Select Control Panel
Display the Start menu by pressing CTRL+ESC (or the Windows logo key [image: Windows logo key] ).
  • Select Control Panel by pressing C.
2
In Control Panel:
  • Be sure you are in Classic View (all Control Panel icons are showing).
  • If not, under Control Panel in the left pane, select Switch to Classic View.
  • Select Accessibility Options.
In Control Panel:
  • Be sure you are in Classic View (all Control Panel icons are showing).
  • If not, under Control Panel in the left pane, select Switch to Classic View by pressing TAB.
  • Press ENTER.
  • Press the RIGHT ARROW key, and then the LEFT ARROW key to select Accessibility Options.
  • Press ENTER.
3
In the Accessibility Options dialog box:
  • Select the Display tab.
In the Accessibility Options dialog box:
  • Select the Display tab by pressing CTRL+TAB.
4
On the Display tab:

To turn on High Contrast:

  • Select the Use High Contrast check box.
  • Note  To turn off High Contrast, clear the Use High Contrast check box.

On the Display tab:

To turn on High Contrast:

  • Select the Use High Contrast check box by pressing U.
  • Note  To turn off High Contrast, clear the Use High Contrast check box by pressing U.

5
To access High Contrast settings:
  • Select Settings.
To access High Contrast settings:
  • Select Settings by pressing S.
6
In the Settings for High Contrast dialog box:
  • Select the check boxes of the options you want.
  • Select OK twice to save your settings and close the dialog boxes.
In the Settings for High Contrast dialog box:
  • Select Use shortcut by pressing U.
  • Select a high contrast appearance scheme by pressing Y, and then pressing the UP ARROW and DOWN ARROW keys.
  • Press ENTER twice to save your settings and close the dialog boxes.
7
To close Control Panel:
  • Select the Close button.
To close Control Panel:
  • Press ALT+F, C.

[image: Control Panel: Accessibility Options: Display tab: Use High Contrast]

Control Panel: Accessibility Options: Display tab: Use High Contrast


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Last updated: Thursday, February 14, 2008
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