Windows 3.1 Tips for Users with Low Vision Copyright, May, 1995 by Elizabeth Hamilton ======================================================= CIS: 73733,2600 Internet: elizabeth.hamilton@uc.edu http://ucunix.san.uc.edu/~hamilte (Disability-related home page.) ======================================================== Note: This text file was written with a Windows word processor using text wrap. If you load it into Notepad, use the Text Wrap option on the Edit menu. If you load this file into a DOS text editor, you will see few line breaks. It is meant to be viewed in a Windows word processor or text editor. Introduction ============= These tips are meant primarily for people with low vision but could be useful to sighted and blind people as well since they give good, practical tips that any Windows user can employ. They are useful for beginners, intermediate and even you "power users" out there! If you have shied away from Windows, you will be pleased to discover that it has many advantages over DOS. One of the advantages is the uniformity of its user interface. All applications under Windows have a similar look and functionality. You don't have to learn a whole new screen layout for each program. The menu bar looks and functions in a similar fashion in all Windows programs. Most Windows programs use the same common dialog boxes. All Windows programs share common keystrokes for many basic functions such as cutting and pasting. They all use the same device drivers (software that runs such things as your printer or scanner). You don't have to install different drivers for each program. Another important advantage of Windows over DOS for all users but especially for those with low vision is that it supports many different fonts in any size or style both for the screen and for the printer. I recommend Arial, bold. Note: Windows 95 will have advantages for users with low vision too. We will be able to adjust the font, font style and size of the fonts displayed on many of the screen elements such as the Taskbar (Windows 95 menu bar) and message boxes. Section 1: Getting Around in Windows ===================================== If you have trouble seeing to use the mouse, you'll be happy to know that most Windows applications allow you to navigate with keystrokes. The tips in this section tell you how to use the keyboard to open applications, move around them and close them. Note: To execute the keystroke examples given in these tips follow this convention: [Alt] + W means to press the [Alt] key and hold it down while pressing the W key and releasing it. An instruction that says, [Alt] + W, G means press and hold down [Alt] while pressing and releasing W. Let go of [Alt] and press G. Opening a program At the DOS prompt, type "win". Windows will load the Program Manager. The Program Manager is a shell program from which all other Windows programs are launched. You can use it to access Windows Help and to arrange your program groups. When you open Windows, you are in the Program Manager. When you close Windows you are in Program Manager. It runs all the time Windows is running and is a program in its own right. All your programs are found in "program groups" which are groupings of program icons. If the Program Manager does not come up with your program's group window open, you can get to its window by pressing [Alt] + W. You will see all your program group windows listed. Type the number of the group you want to open. If you share your PC with others, you may want to create your own program group window with your favorite programs in it. That way your group window can be made off limits to other users. You will be able to find your icons "just where you left them." See Windows Help for instructions on how to do this. You can put an icon for a program in your program group window even if another user has one in his or hers. Icons are just pointers to programs. Now you are ready to open the program you want to use. You can open a program three ways. Windows is a wonderfully versatile program which gives you many ways to do the same thing. You can choose what is comfortable for you. You can use a program's icon, you can use a dialog with a command line or you can use the File Manager. File Manager allows you to start your program and open the file you want to work on all in one step. Using the Icon Open a Program To use the icons you cycle through them with the arrow keys until the highlight is on the right one. Next, simply press [Enter]. Or double cllick on the program icon with the mouse. Using the Command Line To use the command line method press [Alt] + F to bring down the File menu in Program Manager. Next press R for Run. That will activate the Run dialog box. Simply type in the path and file name just as you would in DOS and press [Enter.] If you use the above techniques, once you are in your program you usually use [Alt] + F to open the file menu (See the Accessing Menus sub section) and O for the Open File Dialog which allows you to type in your path and filename. If the Open File dialog box is hard to see you might want to try opening your programs from File Manager. Using File Manager to Open Files Introduction to File Manager The File Manager is a utility program that lists your directories on the left side of the screen and your files and subdirectories on the right. These listings can be increased to whatever font size is comfortable for you. (See below.) To see the listings for a given directory, click on the directory in the left hand column or arrow down to it. If the focus is not on the left hand listings, press [Tab] until you see one of the directories highlighted. When the directory you want to see is highlighted, look at the right hand column. There, you will see files and subdirectories in the directory you've chosen. You can tab over to the right hand column and arrow down those listings. If you don't find what you are looking for and want to try another directory, press [Tab] twice to get back to the left hand column where the directories are listed. File Manager has many other useful features such as a search option to find lost files. If you want ot search for a lost file anywhere on your C drive, make sure the the C:/ (standing for the root directory) is highlighted. If you want to only search one directory, highlight that one directory before performing the search. Press [Alt] + F and H. That brings up the Search dialog. Type in the name of your lost file and press [Enter]. You can also format disks from the File Manager using the Disk menu or copy, move or delete files using the File menu. You can use a font in File Manager that is easy for you to see. To change the font go to the Options menu: [Alt] + O and choose Font... (F). You will see the Windows common dialog box for font selection. Choose what you want by tabbing to the different selections in the dialog. Press [Enter] or click on OK to save your font choices and exit the Fonts dialog box. Opening Files with File Manager When you find a file you want to open such as a word processor document or spreadsheet file, simply arrow down till the highlight is on it and press [Enter] or double click with the mouse. Most programs set up an "association" between a given file extension and the word processor or spreadsheet program. That means that if you double click on a file called "report.wri" for example, the Write program will be launched with your file open. You can also simply launch executable or program files without opening any particular file. For example to simply start Write you can go to the Windows directory and choose write.exe. When you exit File Manager, your font selection is retained and in fact, the same directory you last used is still highlighted. Don't forget to shut down File Manager before shutting down Windows. A Running Start I have placed the File Manager icon in my Main group in the upper left corner where I know I can always find it. If you find that you prefer to launch all programs from the File Manager, you may want to put it in your Start Up Group. Drag the File Manager icon into the Start Up Group window. Next time your start Windows, it will launch File Manager right away. Moving Around with the Tab and Arrow Keys Once you open your program, you can access any text input areas by moving from field to field with the [Tab] key. You can tab backward between fields with [Shift] + [Tab]. Use these techniques to move around dialog boxes and to move around parts of program screens such as the fields in a database. You can use the arrow keys to move down lists such as drop down list boxes. In a word processor or text editor, you use the [End] key to move to the end of a line. [Home] moves you to the beginning. [Ctrl] + [End] moves you to the end of your document while [Ctrl] + [Home] moves you to the beginning. The arrow keys move you from letter to letter while [Ctrl] + right arrow moves you right, one word. [Ctrl] + left arrow moves you left, one word. Using the Default button Dialog boxes and programs usually have one button on them that is known as the "default" button. The border around it is darker making the button appear "raised" more than the others. If you press [Enter] it is the same as clicking this button with the mouse. The "OK" button on most dialog boxes is usually the default button. Likewise, the "Cancel" button is usually tied to the [Esc] key. Accessing Menus Activating menu bar titles is easy for keyboard users. You will notice that each title has an underlined letter in it, usually the first letter. Pressing and holding down [Alt] and then pressing and releasing the key corresponding to that letter will open that menu. Once you have brought down the menu, all you need to do is type the underlined letter of the open menu choices. For example, if you want to save a file, press [Alt] + F to bring down the file menu. Next, press S for save or A for "Save As..." (if this is your first time to save the file.) Employing Shortcut Keys There are also some shortcut keys. [Ctrl] + P will open the print dialog box in most programs. [Ctrl] + C will copy selected text to the Clipboard, [Ctrl] + X will cut it and [Ctrl] + V will paste it to your document. Cutting and Pasting If I had to choose my favorite Windows feature I would have to choose cutting and pasting. You can cut or copy data from one application and drop it into another. What a boon to low vision users! If I have a long phone number or address to copy all I do is select the text by placing the insertion point at the beginning of the text. I hold down the [Shift] key and press the down arrow or right arrow key. With the text selected, I press [Ctrl] + C to copy it. Next, I open the application where I want to place the text. I position the insertion point where I want the text to go and use [Ctrl + V] to place it. I like to use this technique when I use the World Wide Web and other Internet applications. Cutting and pasting makes using long URL's (Web addresses) and other Internet addresses a breeze. This Window's feature uses what is called the Windows Clipboard, a special little scratch pad in memory where data (graphics or text) can be stored temporarily until other data is placed there. Moving Between Windows Applications You can have several applications open at one time in Windows. To cycle among them use the [Alt] + [Tab] keys. Press [Alt] and hold it down while you press [Tab] repeatedly until you come to the program you want to use. Let's say you are using your word processor and need to look up an address in the Cardfile database. Simply press [Alt] + [Tab] to go to the Program Manager. Open Cardfile, find the address, select it and copy it. If you think you will need Cardfile again just leave it open and use [Alt] + [Tab] to move back to your word processor to paste the data there. Using Windows Help Windows Help is a great feature for low vision users. We don't have to try to use a print manual. We simply press [Alt] + H in the Program Manager. The Help menu comes down. It allows you to choose how you want to search Help. I recommend "Search..." You simply type in your search term and Help tries to match it from its index. If you don't see a suitable match you can arrow through the list. As in other applications, press the [TAB] key to move from the text input box down to the index list. Nearly all Windows applications have Help too. It is accessed in other Windows programs the same way it is in Program Manager. Exiting Programs To exit from a program, save your work and press [Alt] + [F4]. To exit the Program Manager and exit Windows itself you also use [Alt] + [F4]. Always use [Alt] + [Tab] to move through all your open programs making sure they are all shut down and any files saved before you exit Windows. Section 2: Configuring Windows for Better Visibility =========================================================== In Windows, you can customize the type, style and size of your word processor's font and print in that type, style or size. You can use this feature to enlarge the "Readme" files that come with many programs. Simply select the text of the file by dragging over it with the mouse or holding down the [Shift] key and pressing the down arrow. Next, access the Fonts common dialog box. (The technique for this varies with your word processor. In Write you press [Alt] + C and then F. Choose the font, font style and size (tabbing to each setting or using the mouse). Press [Enter] or click on the [OK] button. Warning! Never select text and then press one of the letter keys on the keyboard. You will lose ALL the selected text!! That's Window's handy quick delete feature. It's okay to use it if you want to replace the highlighted text with the text that you are typing. Some Readme files are in Notepad (text) format. Notepad doesn't allow you to access the Font dialog box and change the font size so you may need to use Write instead. Note: If you open a text file in Write, make sure to choose "No Conversion" if you want to retain the text format. If you make changes to the file and want to save them in text format make sure to choose text from the "Save Files as Type..." drop down list. Icons Icons may be hard to see but you can increase the size of the icon titles by editing the "Desktop" section of the win.ini. The win.ini is one of the most important Windows configuration files so before editing it make sure to make a backup copy. Some suggested settings are: IconSpacing=175 IconTitleFaceName=Arial IconTitleSize=24 IconTitleStyle=0 IconVerticalSpacing=130 Your win.ini may already have some of these settings in the [Desktop] section but others may have to be added. The order in which you add them is not important. You do have to make sure that the first letter of the entry starts at the edge of your screen and that there are no spaces between the entry, the plus sign and the assigned value. Make sure the punctuation such as capitalization is as shown here. You can make it easy on yourself by cutting and pasting from this document directly into your win.ini. Icon Spacing IconSpacing controls the space between icons (side to side) while IconVerticalSpacing controls the space above and below. The spacing settings and the font size are your personal choice according to your visual needs. A good choice for IconTitleFaceName is Arial since it is a simple, easy-to-read font. IconTitleStyle=0 means that the font is in bold. IconTitleStyle=1 is "regular" (i.e., not bold). Feel free to experiment with these settings to find what is best for you. Once you get your icons to the size you want them, make sure they are evenly spaced. In Program Manager, choose Alt + W, A. Next, use Alt + F, P to edit the icon titles to shorter versions so that the titles don't run together. For example "Clpbd Viewr" for "Clipboard Viewer." Colors The Windows Control Panel will allow you to change screen colors. You can choose, for example, a black background instead of the usual white. This makes working in a word processing program a lot easier for those that find that the white background creates glare and strain. You can change the colors on the scroll bars or on the dialog box borders to make these boundaries stand out. You can also choose the color of the print on the title bar of your window. Finally, most screen enlarging programs allow you to change your screen colors as well. Section 3: Hardware for Low Vision Windows Users =================================================== Bigger is Better Simply buying a larger, higher resolution monitor can do wonders! Monitor prices have been falling recently. Some SVGA graphics cards allow the user to select a Windows display that uses larger fonts as well. Follow that Mouse! Installing a new mouse or track ball with tracking features is a good idea. Some of the mice and track balls that have come out in the past year allow customization of their features. Some cause the pointer to track to a certain place such as to the default button on a dialog box or to the center of the screen. Some allow larger pointer sizes. The newer Microsoft mouse drivers have all these features plus a special tracking feature. The user presses a key and a series of "sonar rings" are generated around the mouse pointer. If you have bought a computer in the past year or a new Microsoft mouse in the past year you have these features. The generic mouse driver with Windows allows for "mouse trails." (Not to be confused with mouse droppings, please!) This means that the pointer leaves a little series of echoes behind. This feature also helps locate the mouse. Section 4: Screen enlargers ================================ There is software that enlarges the screen from two to at least twelve times. You can scroll around the screen with the mouse. Make sure to buy a program that enlarges both DOS and Windows. The most popular screen enlargers are MAGic, Zoomtext and LP DOS. These programs are sold directly by the manufacturers or through resellers such as Maxi Aids (1-800-522-6294) and LS & S Group (1-800-468-4789.) I use MAGic and find that it is easy to use and moderately priced. It comes in a regular and a deluxe edition. The regular edition only permits 2X magnification but costs $79. The deluxe permits up to 12X and costs $295. Please call the vendors for current prices. The vendors or the manufacturers usually have demo disks available for any of the screen enlarger programs. Note: Not all screen enlargers will work with displays that are use more than sixteen colors. Check with the vendor. The new Zoomtext upgrade will permit use with more than sixteen colors. Check with reseller or vendor for shipping date for this Zoomtext upgrade. Section 5: Windows and CIS - Using WinCim 1.4 ==================================================== You can customize your Wincim's font sizes and styles used in the various screen elements in the program. Choose Special (Alt + S) from the menu bar and P for Preferences, G for General. There you'll see the General Preference dialog. Choose F for Fonts. You see a list of the various elements you can change: dialogs, listboxes, printer, etc... The most frequently used settings are Dialogs, Editbox, and Printer. The ones with "fixed" behind their names aren't as used. For Dialogs, I recommend Arial, Bold, 10 Point. At higher point sizes the dialog box buttons and other elements don't display the large fonts well. For all the other elements, experiment. In fact, get used to "playing" with these elements because Windows 95, as I mentioned in the introduction, will allow a lot of flexibility in this area. The element called "Editbox" refers to the boxes where you read or edit mail or forum messages. Oops! That's Not What I Had in Mind! When you enlarge some of these screen elements, the actual box grows and you have to drag it by its menu bar so you can see all its buttons! To drag a window by its title bar place the mouse pointer on the title bar and holding down the left mouse button, move the mouse to position the window exactly where you want it. If you have trouble seeing to do this you may prefer to use your screen enlarger to enlarge fonts in screen elements rather than enlarging the elements themselves. Section 6: Using Spry Air Mosaic ============================== I discuss Spry Air Mosaic here because this is the browser supplied with Netlauncher. Other browsers also allow you to change the fonts, font size and style. In Spry Mosaic: 1. Choose [Alt] + O for Options from the menu bar. 2. Choose C for Configuration. You'll see the Configuration Menu. 3. Choose F for Fonts. 4. Next, you'll see a dialog box. Choose [Alt] + F for Change Fonts. 5. Make your choice from the standard Windows Font dialog. Press Enter or click on Ok. You can choose specific fonts for each text element in the drop down list box at the upper left. 6. At the main dialog click on OK. Then, reload your page to see the changes take effect. Note: This is one of those rare situations in a Windows program in which the keyboard alternative to the mouse is not readily available! On this dialog, the OK button is not necessarily the "default" button so simply pressing Enter will not save the changes and exit the dialog. The OK button does not have an underlined letter so you cannot simply hit a letter or an [Alt] + letter. You can tab around the dialog until the OK button gets the focus and becomes the default. Then hit Enter. The mouse is the easiest here if you can use it. End of Windows 3.1 Tips for Users with Low Vision I hope these tips have been helpful to you. If you have any questions please post them to my attention in the Disabilities forum so that other forum members might benefit as well. Thank you and Happy Computing! About the Author Elizabeth Hamilton has low vision and is the Coordinator of services to patrons with print disabilities at the University Libraries at the University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA. She trains patrons to use the Internet and the Library's other online resources. Take a look at her disability-related home page. (See below.) CIS: 73733,2600 Internet: elizabeth.hamilton@uc.edu http://ucunix.san.uc.edu/~hamilte (Disability-related home page