Accessibility Benefits

Microsoft products are designed to make computers easier to use for everyone, including people with disabilities. In recent years, products have been further enhanced based on feedback from users who have disabilities, organizations representing those users, workers in the rehabilitation field, and software developers who create products for the accessibility market.

Internet Explorer offers many features that can benefit users with disabilities. These features enable users to perform the following tasks:

• Control how Web pages are displayed - Users can customize the colors of background, text, and links based on their preferences. By installing their own style sheets, users can control font styles and sizes for Web pages. Users can create style sheets that make headings larger or highlight italicized text with a different color. These Web-page preferences also apply to content within the Windows Explorer and Internet Explorer Help windows.
• Work better with screen readers and other accessibility aids - Internet Explorer 5 uses the HTML 4.0 standard, which enables Web-page designers to specify additional information on Web pages, such as the name of an image or control, for use by screen readers. Users can also turn off smooth scrolling and other effects that can confuse screen readers. In addition, the Dynamic HTML Object Model in Internet Explorer enables developers to create other accessibility aids for users with disabilities.
• Reduce the amount of typing required - With the AutoComplete feature turned on, Internet Explorer resolves partially typed URLs based on a cached history of sites that the user has visited. This feature makes it easier for users to type long or repetitive URLs. Explorer bars for Search, History, and Favorites also make it easier for users to find the items they need.
• Perform tasks easily by customizing the desktop layout - When Windows Desktop Update is installed, users can further customize their desktop, Start menu, and taskbar. They can choose from a range of desktop toolbars, or create their own. By clicking Favorites on the Start menu, users can quickly access preferred sites. Also, the Address bar enables users to enter URLs directly from the Windows desktop, without having to open the browser first.
• Get better feedback - Two sound events in Control Panel, Start Navigation and Complete Navigation, signal when a Web page begins loading and when the page finishes loading. These sounds can be helpful to users who are blind or have low vision. Users can also set the appearance of links to show when they are activated or hovered over with a mouse.
• Use a mouse with greater ease - When Windows Desktop Update is installed, users can choose to single-click rather than double-click the mouse to initiate common computer operations, such as opening folders. Also, users can put the most commonly used commands and shortcuts on desktop toolbars so that they can be accessed with a single mouse click.
• Communicate with Internet conferencing - The Internet conferencing features of Microsoft NetMeeting can improve accessibility for users with disabilities. NetMeeting users can employ real-time, multipoint communication, which enables them to collaborate and share information with two or more conference participants at the same time.
• Navigate with the keyboard - Using their keyboards, users can navigate through Web pages, panes, links, toolbars, and other controls. Keyboard shortcuts also make it easy for users to work with Favorites, use the Address bar, and perform editing functions, such as cut and paste.
• Replace images with textual descriptions - Users with disabilities might want to turn off the display of pictures in Internet Explorer and read the textual description of the image instead.
• Turn off animation, pictures, videos, and sounds - Users who are blind or have low vision might want to turn off animation, pictures, videos, and sounds to improve computer performance. Sounds can interfere with screen readers that read text aloud. Users with cognitive disabilities or users who are sensitive to motion or sound might also want to disable these functions.
• Use the High Contrast option - High contrast enables users to choose a simple color scheme and omit images that make text difficult for them to read.