Laptops For Dummies, 6th Edition
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If you have visual challenges, you can customize Windows to fit your needs. You can set up Windows to use higher screen contrast to make things easier to see, read descriptions to you rather than make you read text, and more. Here’s how:

  1. Choose Start→Control Panel.

    The Control Panel appears.

  2. Click the Optimize Visual Display link under the Ease of Access tools.

    The Make the Computer Easier to See dialog box appears.

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  3. Select the check boxes for the features you want to use:

    Some features to consider:

    • High Contrast: Turn on higher contrast when you press left Alt+left shift+Print Screen Is Pressed. High contrast is a color scheme that makes your screen easier to read. You can also choose to have a warning message display when you turn this setting on or have a sound play when it’s turned off or on.

    • Hear Text and Descriptions Read Aloud: You can turn on a Narrator feature that will read on-screen text or an Audio Description feature to describe what’s happening in video programs.

    • Make Things on the Screen Larger: If you click Turn on Magnifier, you have two cursors on-screen. One cursor appears in the Magnifier window where everything is shown enlarged, and one appears in whatever is showing on your computer (for example, your desktop or an open application). You can maneuver either cursor to work in your document. (They’re both active, so it does take some getting used to.)

    • Make Things On the Screen Easier to See: Here’s where you make settings that adjust on-screen contrast to make things easier to see, enlarge the size of the blinking mouse cursor and get rid of distracting animations and backgrounds.

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  4. When you finish making settings, click OK to apply them and then click Close.

    The dialog box closes.

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