Accessibility Options on My Computer

When researching available resources for students with disabilities, I began by looking for apps and programs that offer support.  However, I failed to look at my own computer.  As I took a closer look, there are quite a few built in accessibility options and I was only familiar with a few.

Narrator 

By turning on the Narrator option, I was able to choose the voice, pitch, and speed of the Narrator.  Choosing which sounds would be spoken and how the cursor and keyboard would function were also options.  As I continued typing with the Narrator enabled, each keystroke was read aloud as I typed and words were read after the space bar was used.  When toggling back and forth between documents, each document was introduced as I began to work.  As I clicked on other icons on my desktop, they were also read aloud.  The Narrator function would be beneficial for learners with visual impairment.

Magnifier 

After selecting the Magnifier a box appeared allowing me to adjust the magnification of my screen.  When working, this box minimized to a small magnifying glass icon on my screen.  At this point another available option was to invert the colors on my screen and allow the magnification to follow the cursor.  Once again, this feature would benefit a learner with low vision.

High Contrast 

Four options of contrasting colors were available, each with different color options.  These options also included changing the hyperlink color as well as background and text.  Learners with low vision or color blindness would benefit from this feature.

Keyboard 

For learners with lack of dexterity or movement, Keyboard offered four options.  First, the keyboard could be projected on the screen.  This would allow users to use a mouse or joystick to access the keyboard.  Second, sticky keys could be enabled for use with keyboard short cuts, allowing users to push one button at a time rather than simultaneously.   The third option is to enable a tone when toggle keys like shift, cap lock, and number lock are used.  Finally, the filter option would ignore when keys were stroked lightly or if keys were repeated.

Mouse 

Both the size and the color of the pointer could be controlled with this function.  I was surprised to find another feature.  The numeric keypad could be designated to control the mouse.  To turn this function on and off, the number lock could be used and the speed of the control could also be adjusted.

Other 

This final option allowed for four other various functions to be enabled.  The background can be turned off, turning it completely black.  Animations can also be turned off.  The thickness of the cursor can be adjusted here to improve visibility.  On screen notifications can be set to appear from 5 seconds to 5 minutes.

Before taking the time to explore the options on my computer, I knew they existed, but not in any depth.  I now have a much better understanding of each function and how it could support a student in my class.  This has encouraged me to take the time to find all the features of accessibility that our students have available on the Chromebooks we use at school.  Robler and Doering (2013) point out, “As technology continues to evolve, it holds great potential for the flexible instructional support necessary for meeting the evolving learning needs of students with disabilities.”  However, we must be aware of the technology that exists.

Resources

Roblyer, M.D., & Doering, Aaron H. (2013) Integrating educational technology into teaching (6th edition). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.