Accessibility for People with Disabilities

Third-Party Products and Services

Microsoft works with independent manufacturers to produce compatible software and hardware for users with disabilities. One of the purposes of the Active Accessibility feature is to provide infrastructure that aids the operating system and applications in understanding each other for greater compatibility with these important devices. Using Utility Manager, which is a new feature in Windows 2000, vendors are now able to add their products for easier access.

Independent vendors—typically small companies that make specialized assistive devices—help people with disabilities to make better use of the Windows operating system. The following is a partial list of the types of devices and functionality that these independent vendors produce:

Hardware and software tools that modify the behavior of the mouse and keyboard
On-screen keyboards
Programs that let users type by using a mouse or by voice activation
Software that predicts words or phrases so that users can type more quickly and with fewer keystrokes
Closed-captioned programs
Alternative input devices, such as head-pointer, single-switch, eye-gaze, sip-and-puff, and voice-input devices
Programs that enlarge or alter the color of the information on the screen
Synthesized-speech programs or Braille-embossing printers that present the information that is on the screen

"Certified for Windows" Logo

Hardware and software vendors throughout the industry are collaborating to bring about accessible products for all computer users. Microsoft initiated the Certified for Windows program, which now applies to Windows 2000. This program promotes accessible design and includes a set of requirements and a checklist for application developers. A major goal of the program is to ensure quality and consistency in products that work on the Windows 2000 operating system. To qualify for the Certified for Windows logo, an application must be tested by VeriTest for compliance with the Application Specification for Windows 2000.

The specification addresses such requirements as closed captioning in place of relying on sound alone to convey information; visibility of the insertion point indicator (sometimes called the caret); and the ability to control mouse and keyboard and to turn off animations. One goal of this collaborative effort is to ensure quality and consistency in assistive devices for users with disabilities.

For more information about the Certified for Windows program, including application specifications, see the Application Specification Download link on the Web Resources page at http://windows.microsoft.com/windows2000/reskit/webresources.

Important

Most third-party accessibility aids are compatible with specific versions of an operating system. Some add-on utilities can be intrusive in that they depend on file formats and programming interfaces to interpret data accurately to the user. Such dependencies change with each new operating system. Therefore, before you decide to upgrade, it is important to take inventory and perform compatibility testing with the new operating system and the applications you plan to use. For more information about emerging technologies and compatibility, see the Microsoft Accessibility link on the Web Resources page at http://windows.microsoft.com/windows2000/reskit/webresources.

Using SerialKeys for Add-on Hardware and Software

The SerialKeys feature allows you to attach third-party assistive devices to the computer's serial port. For example, you can connect alternative keyboards or augmentative communication devices to the personal computer's serial port. The SerialKeys feature is designed for people who are unable to use standard UI methods. However, SerialKeys also allows an augmentative device to work with the local keyboard and mouse.