Vista accessibility tools enhance computing for everyone
Updated: December 19, 2006
If you feel as if you can't see your computer screen as well as you used to, or that your forearms and wrists ache while you're typing—you're not alone. Consider these statistics from Forrester Research: Approximately 25 percent of computer users have either a visual or dexterity difficulty or impairment, and 20 percent of computer users have a hearing difficulty or impairment. These problems are not going away—and in fact they will likely only worsen.
One reason behind this trend is the aging of the U.S. population; predictions hold that by 2010 the majority of people living in the United States will be age 45 and over, according to the Forrester accessibility study. That means more computer users with impairments. Secondly, since computer use has become a way of life both at work and at home, and with use starting at a younger age, computer-related tissue and nerve injuries are bound to grow at a sharp rate in the coming decade.
From a productivity and human resources (HR) standpoint, accessibility is an issue that all employers, technology vendors, and healthcare providers must address with practical solutions.
Fortunately, that is getting easier to do. Desktop software is finally incorporating accessibility features in a way that makes them highly intuitive and available for all. In the latest version of the Microsoft Windows operating system, Windows Vista, Microsoft has enhanced not only the technologies themselves but the way they're organized and presented. The accessibility tools in Windows Vista are ideal for people with mild to moderate impairments, yet those with more severe impairments will also benefit, given vast improvements in the overall functionality and user experience.
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Getting started with the Ease of Access Center
Go ahead, accuse me of being blatantly promotional here, but it's much easier to start up the accessibility features in the Windows Vista operating system than in other products I've used—and believe me, as a physician, I've used all kinds of clunky systems in my career. Instead of being placed in different places in the Control Panel, all the accessibility features are included in the Ease of Access Center, which will be on the Windows Vista desktop when you start the operating system and first log on And a helpful accessibility wizard can walk you through choosing settings and programs the first time you log on too.
Ease of Access Center features and programs
Below is a rundown of some of the features and programs you will find in the Ease of Access Center.
| • | Magnifier
This handy program allows you to make sections of the screen appear larger, just like using a magnifying glass. You can choose magnification levels from 2 to 16 times the original. |
| • | Narrator
If the magnifier is not enough, the Narrator text-to-speech program reads aloud on-screen text from any application, and describes some events (such as error messages) that may occur. In Windows Vista, Narrator now has a more pleasant, natural sounding voice. I talked to Rajiv Shah, who has a visual impairment and is an accessibility specialist in Washington, D.C., about how Narrator has helped him. "As a totally blind Web tester and user of information technology, accessibility in Windows Vista has permitted me to become more confident and efficient in performing my everyday tasks," he said. "The screen-reading combination of an upgraded version of Microsoft Narrator in conjunction with other screen readers has permitted me to navigate on the Internet with Internet Explorer 7 and perform tabbed browsing as well as text editing in Microsoft Word." |
| • | On-Screen Keyboard
The On-Screen Keyboard is a visual keyboard that allows you to interact with your computer using an alternative input device like a switch, rather than the physical keyboard. |
| • | Contrast
High contrast heightens the color contrast of some text and images on your computer screen, which reduces eyestrain and makes the screen easier for many people to read. |
In addition, the Ease of Access Center provides quick links to seven categories of accessibility settings—including programs for optimizing your visual settings, sound settings, and keyboard and mouse settings.
Talk to your computer and it understands you
Windows Vista marks the first time a sophisticated speech recognition application has been integrated into an operating system. Windows XP includes an earlier version of speech recognition, but the Windows Vista software is so improved, even the trade press is talking about it as a serious alternative to niche speech-recognition products. Windows Vista speech recognition is a "top secret" of the new operating system, according to a recent article in PC Magazine. And, a CBSNews.com column delivered a positive review of Windows Vista, comparing it alongside Dragon NaturallySpeaking software, citing an accuracy rate near 99 percent (other media and user reports have corroborated this accuracy).
You can access Windows Vista speech from the Ease of Access Center (and configure it to launch at startup). You'll need an external microphone, but after just a short initial voice training, you'll be able to simply dictate into any application--including your Web browser--and use commands to navigate screens and menus and edit text. If you say a wrong command, the software will tell you the correct one. If you forget a command, say "show numbers" to select a function you would like to enable (such as underlining text) by saying that number on the list. The software will then provide the appropriate verbal command for next time. Not only can you correct mistakes as you go with a pop-up correction window, you can also add new words to your vocabulary and train the software to understand difficult pronunciations.
Gene Girard, a former Los Angeles civil litigator who is now based in Sacramento, is a self-professed computer enthusiast—despite being confined to a motorized wheelchair after suffering a spinal cord injury as a teenager in 1970. Girard has had ample prior experience with speech recognition software, and he was an early user of Windows Vista; he had this to say about it: "The speech recognition is actually the most innovative feature of Windows Vista. Just say, ‘Open Word,' and begin dictating. You can dictate right into search bars and search the Internet. It's a natural way to interact with a computer, I think."
I have tried Windows Vista speech myself, and even if you don't have a neuromuscular impairment that inhibits you from typing on a computer or using a mouse, it's worth considering this alternative way to interact 100 percent hands-free with your computer. For caregivers, Windows Vista will offer an alternative to traditional dictation systems: Microsoft is working on tools to enable third-party vendors to create vocabularies for specialized communities including medical and legal professionals.
Accessibility tools are for everyone
Remember that accessibility is not just for people with clinically-diagnosed impairments or for people who must dictate in their jobs. Everyone can benefit from customizing their computer according to personal requirements or preferences. But you have to try the new and improved features in Windows Vista yourself to be convinced—just like a seat warmer in your car. When they first came out, I thought, why would anyone need that? But now I wouldn't think of buying a car without one.
Once people use Windows Vista with accessibility in mind, I am guessing they will come to the same conclusion.
 | Dr. Bill Crounse, M.D.
Dr. Bill Crounse, M.D., is senior director, worldwide health for Microsoft Corporation. Dr. Crounse is responsible for working with industry partners and healthcare organizations to help them benefit from using Microsoft technologies and solutions. Prior to joining Microsoft, Dr. Crounse was vice president and chief medical information officer for Overlake Hospital Medical Center and the Overlake Venture Center in Bellevue, Wash. Also, read Dr. Crounse's Healthcare Web log to get more insights into the latest technologies and trends in the healthcare industry. |
