Windows XP Professional Product Documentation > Networking and the Web > E-mail and the Web

Using accessibility features in Internet Explorer

In addition to Microsoft Windows accessibility products and services, the following features make Internet Explorer more accessible for people with disabilities.

Click a heading, or press the TAB key to highlight a heading, and then press ENTER.

Keyboard access

All features in Internet Explorer are accessible through the use of the keyboard or the mouse.

With Internet Explorer, you can use the keyboard to explore the Web. Just press TAB and SHIFT+TAB to move forward and backward between screen elements such as:

•	Links that are text or images
•	Hot spots on image maps
•	The Address bar
•	The menu bar
•	The Links bar
•	Frames

For more information about keyboard access, see Internet Explorer keyboard shortcuts

Highlighting box

As you move to or click a link or image, a thin border appears around it so you can see what is selected.

Customize the font size, formatting, colors

You can specify the font sizes, styles, and colors, and foreground and background colors of Web pages displayed on your computer screen, even if the author of the Web page has already specified these. You can also specify the color used to indicate links in Web pages, or a special color for links that is used only when the mouse passes over the link.

These customizations are useful if you have low vision, need larger fonts, or need high-contrast colors. You can set Internet Explorer to use the colors and fonts you specify, the default Windows colors and fonts, or the settings you specify in your own style sheet.

For more information, see Changing Web page fonts and background colors

Customize the toolbar

You can customize the toolbar by adding or removing buttons, changing the size of icons, and showing or hiding the text on labels.

Just right-click the toolbar, and then click Customize.

If you have low vision, you might want to add the Size button for quick access to the relative font size.

If you are using a screen reader, you might want to select Small Icons in the Icon Options list, and No text labels in the Text Options list to maximize the amount of screen space available for Web content.

Use AutoComplete

This feature saves you time when you are typing Web addresses or completing entries on Web pages, by displaying a list of previous matching entries as you type. To turn AutoComplete on or off, on the Tools menu, click Internet Options, click the Content tab, and then click the AutoComplete button. If you have cognitive disabilities, you might want to clear the check boxes to avoid distractions. If you use a blind-access utility, you might want to clear the check boxes if your accessibility aid reads the suggestions as they appear, making typing difficult.

Advanced options that make Internet Explorer more accessible

On the Tools menu in Internet Explorer, click Internet Options, and then click the Advanced tab.

Change the following settings as needed:

•	Move system caret with focus/selection changes If you use a screen reader, you might want to select this check box. Some screen readers or screen magnifiers use the system caret to determine which area of the screen to read or magnify.
•	Always expand alt text for images Select this check box if you rely on alternate (ALT) text instead of viewing the actual pictures (that is, you've cleared the Show pictures check box). This ensures that the text is not cut off if the amount of text is larger than the image area.
•	Use smooth scrolling and Enable page transitions If you use a screen magnification or screen reader program, you might want to clear these check boxes. If you use a voice recognition program, and you experience recognition errors during smooth scrolling and transitions, you might also want to clear these check boxes.
•	Show pictures, Play animations, and Play videos If you have low vision, you might want to clear these check boxes to improve performance. If you are sensitive to screen flashing, you might also want to clear these check boxes.
•	Play sounds If you have cognitive disabilities, you might want to clear this check box to prevent distractions. If you are blind, you might want to clear this check box or selectively download sounds so that they do not interfere with a screen reader reading text aloud.
•	Print background colors and images If you have low vision, you might want to clear this check box to improve print legibility.

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