Accessibility Built into your System

There are many accessibility options built right into the programming. 

Apple has always provided great accessibility options (explore: Apple's Commitment to Accessibility (which includes their iDevices) and Windows just keeps getting better. (In fact Windows 7 has a speech recognition program built in that is comparable to Dragon Naturally!) Your internet browsers are rich on options as are many of the off the shelf software programs. Get to know what is at your fingertips without an extra charge!

Resources to help you find what you need:

• 4 All - Tech Ease provides help and “how to” tutorials for Accessibility options using Universal Access in Apple’s Mac OS X and Ease of Access in Microsoft Windows
• Accessible Technology Coalition offers a guide entitled, " Free Computer AT Already in Windows Computers"

These 2 options leverage the built-in keyboard and mouse settings, such as repeat rate, pointer speed, and the like. The software determines what settings best match a user's needs, and then activates those settings, with the user's approval:

• Koester Performance Research offers "Pointing Wizard. Just follow the steps in the Pointing Wizard, and it will determine if there are changes to the Windows mouse settings that may make it faster and easier to use the mouse. Works for trackballs, trackpads, and other pointing devices, too! Available for Windows."
• Koester also shares the Keyboard Wizard, "If you or someone you know has physical difficulty with typing, try Keyboard Wizard. Just type a sentence into Keyboard Wizard, and it will determine if there are changes to the Windows keyboard settings that may make typing faster and easier. Available for Windows."

Each system has their own site providing detailed information. 

• Windows 7  
• Office 2010
• Apple Products
• Internet Explorer 9 
• Safari 
• Google
• Firefox 

This blurb by Microsoft will provide you will a little run down as to what things mean and how they work. 

The iPhone 4 has the best accessibility features for on the go. The iDevices are pushing the standard.  It has built in text-to-speech, support for braille displays and much more.A faster processor means that apps run faster enabling apps such as Read2Go and ZoomReader to work better and faster. The faster processor will also open the door to exciting new assistive technology apps. A better camera benefits people using apps such as OCR apps, magnification apps, and money reader apps . The camera helps users to be able to recognize text more accurately and magnify printed text with higher resolution. The latest iDevices run iOS 5 which includes many wonderful accessibility features. Read more to see if it will do what you need it to do.

This world is only going to get better!