Visual Accessibility in Windows 10

Overview

Information about visual accessibility features in Windows 10 "Easy of Access" settings menu

Table of Contents

• Changing What You See on the Display
• Cursor and Pointer Size
• Adjust Your Mouse
• Additional Mouse Options
• Color Filters
• High Contrast

Accessibility Options

Changing What You See on the Display

Windows allows you to adjust your display in multiple ways including:

• Making text larger
  • You can enlarge the text used for the notification panel, and for text used for icons, by dragging the slider from smaller to larger
• Make everything larger
  • You can make desktop icons and items on the taskbar larger (from 100% to 125%)
• Make everything brighter or dimmer
  • Change the brightness of the display
• Show Notifications for longer
  • Change from default 5 seconds to 7, 15, or 30 seconds, 1 minute, or 5 minutes

Cursor and Pointer Size

Windows allows you to adjust the cursor including:

• Make the cursor easier to see when typing
  • Slide the indicator to choose the thickness of the I beam
• Change the pointer size and color
  • You can choose from three pointer sizes and three colors to make it easier to see
• Change the touch feedback
  • If using touchscreens you can make the touchpoints larger and darker so they are easier to see

Adjust your Mouse

Adjustments to mouse settings can be made through the Device Settings then Mouse menu including:

• Select the primary button

  • Swap your primary mouse button for left handed use

• Roll mouse wheel to scroll

  • Change from rolling multiple lines at a time to scrolling one screen at a time

  • Choose how may lines to scroll at a time by sliding the indicator left to right

  • You can also scroll inactive windows when you hover over them

Additional mouse options

Selecting "Additional Mouse Options" brings up the Mouse Properties dialog box with settings for:

• Buttons tab

  • You can also switch the primary and secondary mouse buttons

  • You can adjust the double-click speed to slower or faster

  • You can turn on Click Lock, enabling you to highlight or drag without holding down the mouse button
    

• Pointers tab

  • Allows you to change the pointer scheme

  • Allows you to enable a pointer shadow
    

• Pointer Options Tab

  • Motion

    • You can adjust the pointer speed

    • Enhance pointer precision

  • Snap To

    • Automatically move pointer to the default button in a dialog box

  • Visibility

    • Display pointer trails

    • Hide the pointer while typing

    • Show the location of the pointer when you press the CTRL key
      

• Wheel Tab

  • Vertical Scrolling

    • Adjust the number of lines to scroll per wheel notch

    • Alternatively, scroll one screen at a time

  • Horizontal Scrolling

    • Set the number of characters to scroll when you tilt the mouse wheel
      

Color Filters

Color filters can make photos and colors easier to see, as well as allow screen elements to be seen more successfully. To choose to allow, select the Windows key (⊞ ) + Ctrl + C to toggle the filter on or off.

There are three color filters

• Inverted – Reverse colors on the display
• Grayscale (default)
• Grayscale Inverted

There are also colorblind filters to make the nine colors on the color wheel more distinct

• Red-green (green weak, deuteranopia)
• Red-green (red weak, protanopia)
• Blue-yellow (tritanopia)

High Contrast

High contrast makes text and apps easier to see by using more distinct colors. To turn on high contrast, select left Alt + left shift + Print Screen to toggle it on or off

High Contrast schemes:

• High Contrast #1

• High Contrast #2

• High Contrast Black (default)

• High Contrast White

Customize the colors for:

• Text
• Hyperlinks
• Disabled text
• Button text
• Background

Key Words: Accessible, accessibility, Microsoft accessibility, visual accessibility