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"I like computers." "What! How do you see what�s on the screen" This is a conversation that always happens when computers are mentioned. There are many ways of getting around your blindness to use a computer. Window 95 users may have noticed the Accessibility Options. I personally hate these because it looks very gory. It�s just a lot of black and white, and I can�t see what�s what. I need the colours to distinguish things. There are other settings though. Currently, my computer is on �Rose Large�. I find that the extra large takes up too much space. This makes all the writing in the dialogue boxes, drop down menus, start menus, icons and title bars all bigger. It doesn�t make the actual applications bigger though. Within applications there are ways of making things bigger. Word for example. Depending on how blind you are, you can make the font size bigger, or use �zoom�. I always put the zoom to 200%. It makes it a hell of a lot easier to see what you are typing. The good thing about the zoom is that it doesn�t effect what gets printed out, so even though it�s big you can see what you are doing. When you print something out, it stays the normal size, so it�s acceptable to hand to teachers. I use Word with the zoom for emails. I just copy and paste them to Word and then read them. Then I type my reply in Word, and then paste it into the new message. It takes a bit longer, but it works. I don�t use the mouse. I use keystrokes. You may have noticed on drop down menus how there can be a key stroke alternative listed in the menu. You can get into the menus using key strokes, in fact you can do everything. I�m not going to explain how to use them or anything. I find it easier, because I can�t use the mouse all that well. It�s much quicker too. There are software programs designed for blind people to use computers. There are speech synthesis programs and there are screen enlargement programs. I just use an enlargement programme. The totally blind people who use the speech synthesizers have to use key strokes because there�s no way they could see where the mouse was going. These programs are very useful. They just sit in the background, and you can do whatever you like, and you are able to read or hear the information displayed on the screen. Return to Independent Living Return to Dogs, Canes and Talking Microwaves main page Go to Association for the Blind of WA |