How to make your computer more accessible



How to make your computer more accessible

Losing your sight doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the benefits of using a computer, both at work and at home. There are a number of products available to help you use a computer if you are blind or partially sighted.

This factsheet will tell you about the main ways to make your computer more accessible and what products or programmes you might need to use. It is divided between solutions which involve using software (programs on your computer), hardware (pieces of equipment which connect to your computer) and other products.

There are no hard-and-fast rules about how you must use these different ways of improving the accessibility of your computer. You can use different assistive technologies at the same time and for different tasks depending on what you find is right for you.

One thing we do recommend above all other things is to try before you buy, so that you know what software or products suit your needs best. Your local society for blind and partially sighted people may have computers or equipment set up for you to try or classes to learn new software. For software, you may also be able to ask for or download free trial versions of the programs before you commit to buying or downloading the full version.

Using software

There are three main types of software to help make your computer more accessible:

• screen magnification software

• screen reading software

• or a combination of the two.

Screen magnification

Screen magnification software makes things on your computer screen appear bigger, and so might be useful for you if you have some level of useful vision. Magnification can range from two times to 60 times, and you can magnify the whole screen or only part of it. You can also split your screen, so the top half of your screen shows a magnified version of an area of the unmagnified bottom half.

Screen magnification software usually includes tools to adjust the contrast or colour schemes of what you see. You can adjust the contrast and colour to suit your preferences and to make on-screen text easier to see. Often you can also change the colour of your cursor to make it easier to pick out on a patterned background, and set up keyboard shortcuts for the cursor to flash or be centred on the screen when you press a sequence of keys.

Popular screen magnification programs include ZoomText (for Mac and Windows), MAGic and SuperNova (both available for Windows only), and they vary in price depending on the number of features they contain. SuperNova and a particular version of ZoomText (ZoomText Magnifier Reader) also include screen readers.

There are also a number of free, basic screen magnification programs you can download from the internet, such as Desktop Zoom () and Virtual Magnifying Glass ().

Screen reading

Screen readers are programs which allow you to use a computer with no vision. They read out information displayed on screen, and you can set them up to automatically read out different amounts of information depending on what you are doing on your computer. When using a screen reader, you will normally navigate round your computer using only the keyboard.

Screen readers use a synthesised computer voice to read out information on screen. Whilst it might seem strange at first to listen to an artificial voice, most people find they get used to it after a while. The more sophisticated screen readers use increasingly natural voices, for example Alex, who voices Apple’s VoiceOver on Mac OS X, even incorporates natural pauses to catch his breath.

If you’re not happy with the voices that come with your software, you may be able to download and install other voices, such as those available from .

Popular screen readers include JAWS, SuperNova and Windows Eyes (all available for Windows only). However, they can be quite expensive to purchase, and you often have to pay more to upgrade to the latest version when it comes out every couple of years.

Fortunately there are a number of more basic screen readers available to download for free. Thunder and NVDA are two very popular free screen readers for Windows, and may well meet all your needs at home without you having to purchase additional software. Also, if you purchase a new copy of Microsoft Office, you can now receive a copy of Windows Eyes for free. Visit for more information on how to redeem this offer if you have recently purchased Microsoft Office.

Another alternative to a more conventional screenreader is Dolphin Guide. As well as reading out what your screen displays, it also simplifies the way content and programmes on your computer are organised and accessed, providing simple lists and menus to open programmes and documents. This screenreader can be especially helpful for people who are new to computers.

Accessibility software ‘straight out the box’

Depending on the computer you buy, it may come with pre-loaded accessibility features for you to use straight away and you therefore might not need to buy any additional software.

If you have a relatively recent Windows computer, it probably has Microsoft Narrator installed. This is a very basic screen reader which, although unlikely to replace a separate, fully featured screen reader, can help you get started in setting up your computer or accessing some programs.

If you have an Apple computer running OS X, you will have a fully-functional screen reader called VoiceOver already installed. To turn on VoiceOver you can press Command and F5, or enable it through System Preferences. Similarly, Mac OS X also comes with a built-in screen magnifier called Zoom. Holding the Command key and scrolling with your mouse or on the trackpad will magnify the screen.

Using hardware

If you have no useful vision and can read braille, then you can make your computer accessible using a braille display.

A braille display plugs into your computer and usually sits on your desk below your keyboard. It is made up of a number of refreshable braille cells which reproduce what is displayed on screen, so you can read the information on-screen in braille. The braille display can be configured to display different levels of information depending on what is on screen. Usually they will display what immediately follows your on-screen cursor.

Braille displays vary in size, and come in models which display 16 cells, 32 cells, 40 cells or 80 cells. You can navigate through the text you are reading using little buttons adjoining each cell. If you press the button, you will move the cursor to that cell, and you can then use the keyboard to type in text.

Other products

If you have difficulty seeing keys on the keyboard, replacing it with a large print keyboard or using a set of large print stickers to stick over your existing keyboard keys might help.

To help you locate the power button on your machine or monitor, or certain keys on your keyboard, you can also buy tactile markers to guide your fingers. Popular tactile markers include bump-ons, loc dots and touch dots, all of which are available through the RNIB shop.

Adjusting the lighting and using task lighting around your computer can also help you to see the keyboard and what is on the screen. Lighting next to or directly above your screen can cause glare on the screen and make things difficult to see.

Further support

RNIB offers a number of services to help you get started with your computer. Our volunteer-led Technology Support Squad can offer you advice over the phone or at home, and help you to set up your new computer or peripherals like a printer or scanner. They can also help install any accessibility software you have bought. Contact our Volunteering Team on 01733 375 084 or email technologysquad@.uk.

Our Accessible Technology Sales team can help with any questions or problems you are having with products you have bought from RNIB or more general advice about what accessible technology might suit your needs. Call them on 0845 900 0015 or email ict@.uk.

We also have a number of other publications available to help you access technology, including our “Getting started” factsheets with introductions to eBooks, mobile phones and tablets. Our Technology leaflet, which is part of our Confident Living series of leaflets, provides more information on the range of technology available to help you maintain your independence if you have lost your sight. Call our Helpline on 0303 123 9999 to get your copy.

A number of the products and software mentioned in this factsheet are available through our shop. Visit shop..uk to buy them online or call our Helpline on 0303 123 9999.

If you want to make your computer at work more accessible, you and your employer could be entitled to help under the Government’s Access to Work scheme. Call our Helpline on 0303 123 9999 to speak to one of our advisers about this scheme and other options for you in the workplace.

Useful contacts

Below is a list of some of the national distributors of the programs and products mentioned in this factsheet.

Sight & Sound Technology (distributor of ZoomText Magnifier and Magnifier/Reader, JAWS and MAGic)

Welton House North Wing 

Summerhouse Road 

Moulton Park 

Northampton 

NN3 6WD

t: 0845 634 7979 

sightandsound.co.uk

Dolphin (developer of SuperNova screen reader and Guide)

Dolphin Computer Access Ltd.

Technology House

Blackpole Estate West

Worcester

WR3 8TJ

t: 01905 754 577

info@



NV Access (developer of NVDA, which is only available as a download from their website)

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| | |

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admin@



CIC (developer of Thunder)

CIC

7 The Rookery

Orton Wistow

Peterborough

PE2 6YT

t: 01733 234441



RNIB Information Resource Team

Last updated: June 2014

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