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The information in this article applies to:
Microsoft is committed to making its products and services easier for everyone to use. This document provides an overview of how you can customize your operating system to make your computer more accessible, and includes links to files that provide more details. You also can get more information at the Microsoft Accessibility and Disabilities Web site at:
http://www.microsoft.com/enable/
Topics in this document include:
There are many ways you can customize your operating system to make your computer more accessible:
The specific features available, and whether they are built-in or must be obtained separately, depend on which operating system you are using.
For full documentation on the accessibility features available in the operating system you are using, download the appropriate files listed below. Accessibility features also are documented in the Microsoft Windows 95 Resource Kit, Windows 98 Resource Kit, and the Microsoft Windows NT Resource Kit.
A Step by Step guide for customizing Windows 98 and Windows Millennium Edition (Me) can be found at the following Microsoft Web site:
http://www.microsoft.com/enable/training/default.htm.
You can download files to help you customize Windows 95, Windows for Workgroups 3.1, Windows 3.1, Windows 3.0, Windows NT 3.5, and Windows NT 4.0. To download any of these files, select the appropriate link in the "Downloading Any of the Files Listed Above" section below.
The topics in this document include:
The topics in this document include:
The document included in this file provides information about Windows NT 3.1 and 3.5. The file also includes Access Pack for Microsoft Windows NT, which provides features for people who have difficulty using a keyboard or mouse, or who are deaf or hard-of-hearing.
Topics in the document include:
This document provides information about Windows 3.1 and 3.11. Topics include:
This document provides information about Microsoft Windows for Workgroups, versions 3.1 and 3.11. Topics include:
The topics in this document include:
Access Pack for Microsoft Windows is add-on software for Windows 3.0 and 3.1. Developed by the Trace R&D Center at the University of Wisconsin at Madison, it provides additional features for people who have difficulty using a keyboard or mouse, or who are deaf or hard-of-hearing.
Access Pack features are built into Windows 95 and later and Windows NT 4.0 and later.Dvorak keyboard layouts make the most frequently typed characters on a keyboard more accessible to people who have difficulty using the standard "QWERTY" layout. There are three Dvorak layouts: one for two-handed users, one for people who type only with their left hand, and one for people who type only with their right hand. The left- or right-hand keyboard layouts can also be useful for people who type with a wand. You do not need to modify your hardware keyboard to use these layouts.
These layouts can be used with the following operating systems:
All three layouts are already included with Windows NT 3.51 and higher and Windows 98.
The following files are available for download from the Microsoft Download Center:
Download Cst_nt3x.exe now
Download Cst_nt4.exe now
Download Cst_w30.exe now
Download Cst_w3x.exe now
Download Cst_w95.exe now
Download Cst_wg3x.exe now
For additional information about how to download Microsoft Support files, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
Q119591 How to Obtain Microsoft Support Files from Online Services
Q119591 - Alternative Source
In addition to the standard forms of documentation, many Microsoft products are available in other formats to make them more accessible.
Many of the documents are also available as online Help, online user's guides, or on a CD that comes with the package. If you have difficulty reading or handling printed documentation, you can obtain many Microsoft publications from Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic, Inc. Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic distributes these documents to registered, eligible members of their distribution service, either on audio cassettes or on floppy disks. The Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic collection contains more than 80,000 titles, including Microsoft product documentation and books from Microsoft Press.
For information about eligibility and availability of Microsoft product documentation and books from Microsoft Press, contact Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic at the following address or phone numbers:
Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic, Inc.
20 Roszel Road
Princeton, NJ 08540
Phone: (609) 452-0606
Fax: (609) 987-8116
WWW: http://www.rfbd.org/
You also can download many of these books from the Microsoft Accessibility and Disabilities Web site at http://www.microsoft.com/enable.
A wide variety of hardware and software products are available to make personal computers easier to use for people with disabilities. Among the different types of products available for the MS-DOS, Windows, and Windows NT operating systems are:
For more information about accessibility utilities, see the next section.
In addition to the features and resources already described in this document, other products, services, and resources for people with disabilities are available from Microsoft and other organizations.
Microsoft:
Microsoft provides a catalog of accessibility aids that can be used with the Windows and Windows NT operating systems. You can obtain this catalog from our Web site or by phone:
Microsoft Sales Information Center
One Microsoft Way
Redmond, WA 98052-6393
WWW: http://microsoft.com/enable/
Voice telephone: (800) 426-9400
Text telephone: (800) 892-5234
Macintosh Disability Solutions:
For more information on products and services for the Macintosh for people with disabilities, contact:
Apple Worldwide Disability Solutions Group
WWW: http://www.apple.com/disability/
Voice telephone: (800) 600-7808
Text telephone: (800) 755-0601
Trace R&D Center:
The Trace R&D Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison publishes a database of more than 18,000 products and other information for people with disabilities. The database is available on their site on the World Wide Web. The Trace R&D Center also publishes a book, titled Trace ResourceBook, that provides descriptions and photographs of about 2,000 products. To obtain these materials, contact:
Trace R&D Center
University of Wisconsin
S-151 Waisman Center
1500 Highland Avenue
Madison, WI 53705-2280
WWW: http://trace.wisc.edu/
Fax: (608) 262-8848
Assistive Technology Programs and Trained Evaluators:
Computers and other assistive devices can help persons with disabilities to overcome a variety of barriers. For general information and recommendations on how computers can help you with your specific needs, you should consult a trained evaluator. For information about locating programs or services in your area that may be able to help you, please contact:
National Information System
University of South Carolina
Columbia, SC 29208
Voice/text telephone: (803) 777-1782
Fax: (803) 777-9557