Basic Principles

You should follow these basic principles when designing an accessible application:

Provide a flexible, customizable user interface for your application that can accommodate the user's needs and preferences. For example, you should allow the user to choose font sizes, reduce visual complexity, and customize the arrangement of menus.
Make your application's behavior consistent with other Windows-based applications and with system standards. For example, you should support Control Panel settings for colors and sizes and use standard keyboard behavior.
Support the user's choice of output methods through the use of sound and visuals and of visual text and graphics. You should combine these output methods redundantly or allow the user to choose his or her preferred output method.
Support the user's choice of input methods by providing keyboard access to all features and by providing access to common tasks using simple mouse operations.
Use programming techniques and user-interface elements that are compatible with accessibility aids, such as blind access, screen magnification, and voice input utilities.