Accessibility Features

Accessibility features are options in the user interface that remove barriers for users with disabilities, so they can use a computer independently instead of relying on someone else. They are provided by the operating system, so once switched on in the settings they keep working in every program you open.

Feature	What it does	Barrier it removes
Screen reader	Reads the screen aloud, including text, menu names and button labels	A user who cannot see the display can still hear what is on it
Magnification	Enlarges part of the screen	Small text and tiny controls become usable for someone with low vision
High-contrast display	Uses strongly different colours, such as pale letters on a dark background	Text and controls stand out instead of blurring into the background
Larger text	Increases the size of text and icons across the interface	Content can be read comfortably without leaning in close
Voice control	Lets the user give commands by speaking them	A user who cannot easily click or type can still control the computer

No single feature suits every user. Someone with low vision might magnify a spreadsheet of numbers but switch on a screen reader for a long article, so the features are designed to be combined.

A user with limited hand movement

Daniel can move his head but finds clicking accurately and typing very hard. With voice control turned on he says the name of the program he wants and it opens, then he dictates a paragraph of his geography homework, saying "full stop" where one is needed. The computer has not become any easier to click; instead the barrier has been removed, and Daniel can work at the same pace as the class without waiting for an adult to type for him.

These options are not only for people with a long-term condition. A pupil who has left their glasses at home can magnify a diagram until it is big enough to copy, and the settings can be turned off again just as easily.

A user with limited hand movement

Practise this