Windows 10 is also suitable for the visually impaired. Microsoft has built several accessibility options in its operating system that keep screen texts legible, such as larger letters and different color settings. What’s possible in Windows 10 for the visually impaired?
People with disabilities also like to use the computer and the internet. It makes them independent and less dependent on others. Microsoft has made the accessibility of its products a spearhead of development. As a result, there are more and more useful helpers in Windows 10.
They are also worth a try if your vision is in tip-top shape, so let’s look further.
Enlarge Windows 10 text
Open the Windows settings via Start, Settings and click on Accessibility. Here you will find settings for working with high contrast, the font size, you can activate the magnifying glass and the narrator. These are all useful functions that people without disabilities only appreciate when they get to know them better.
If you are now sitting at the computer with reading glasses and you still cannot see it properly, then enlarge the text in Windows via Display, Make text bigger. At first only the sample text is enlarged, but that changes after clicking To apply. If you would rather see everything bigger, you can also do that via Make everything bigger.
Activate Magnifier
You switch the magnifying glass on via Windows key + plus sign and off again via Windows key + Esc. Bee Settings, Magnifier you will find a number of configuration options for this tool.
With the magnifying glass turned on, you can toggle between the different usage methods by pressing Ctrl + Alt + M, such as a lens that moves with the mouse, enlarging the entire screen or using a fixed part of the screen to display the magnification.
Also handy: via Ctrl + Alt + I you can invert the colors in the magnifying glass, which often makes the readability and visibility of the options even better.
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Color filters for (among others) color blind people
If it is difficult to see what is on the screen because of the colors used, you can apply a color filter. A color filter changes the color palette and changes the distinction between the different colors.
To activate the color filter, select at Color filters the option Enable color filters. The default filter is that of grayscale, so all color disappears from the screen. But you can also enable one of the other filters, such as Inverted, Inverted shades of gray or one of the color filters specific for color blindness: Red Green and Blue-yellow.
If you simply want to enable or disable the color filter, activate the option Enable or disable filter with Allow shortcut. If this option is activated, you can use Windows key + Ctrl + C to switch between a color filter or not.
Hear and speak
If it remains difficult to read properly, you can also have Windows read to you. For this there is the Narrator, which in Windows 10 also reads neatly in Dutch. Through Narrator, Turn on Narrator activate Narrator or use Windows key + Ctrl + Enter.
The Narrator can be controlled by using the Capslock + arrow key left or right to scroll through the screen elements. The selected screen part is read aloud. When a document or web page is open, the Narrator reads its title first and then reads the text.
When you are entering text, it will be read aloud. So for every letter you type you will be told which letter it is and whether it is a capital letter, for example. This takes some practice, but can be a useful help with visual problems.
Via the options at the Settings you can adjust the speaking speed, but also pitch and volume. In addition, there are Change what you hear when reading and editing and Change what you hear when you type options to hear more or less details.
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