During my life I have had a number of times when I was able to help someone with some challenge they were facing through my understanding of technology. The most rewarding times doing this where when I could help someone overcome a disability through a new understanding of technology. With the release of Windows 7 the Accessibility features of the Windows platform continue to get stronger.

The first thing I can recommend is the Ease of Use wizard that is accessible by hitting Windows Key (typically at the bottom left of the keyboard containing the windows symbol) plus (at the same time) the U key. This will open the “Ease of Access Center” where in the middle of the window you will see a light bulb with the text “Not sure where to start?” After that text is a link that will start the interview wizard. It will ask you questions about your needs and hopefully enable some of the features I will talk about in this article.

For those of us with that have a hard time reading the small text on computer screens there is a magnifier that can be turned on or always run on your computer. It takes a region of the screen and magnifies the area to make it easier to view. Also adjusting the resolution settings in your monitor may help to make things easier to read.

If reading the screen for long periods is tiresome or impossible there is a Narrator function that will read what is on the screen to you. This function comes with some challenges because it will not read word documents and some windows are so busy that you might not want to listen to all the description of buttons etc. I have found this sometimes to be cumbersome; if it is truly necessary for lots of use you may want to look at Nuance’s Dragon Naturally Speaking Preferred edition which has an expanded reading capability.

One of the options of Ease of Use wizard will enable the On Screen Keyboard if you desire. You can also enable an On Screen Keyboard if it is easier for you to type using the pointer device instead of the keyboard. Enabling the onscreen keyboard also turns on predictive text with Windows 7 in a similar fashion to many modern cell phones. This feature can greatly reduce typing time. Also it has features to allow for typing by using a single key or clicker that I have seen used to great effectiveness in hospitals for people with limited mobility.

In addition to built-in software features there are numerous 3rd party programs or external devices that can help the disabled. A trackball instead of a traditional mouse, or larger monitor can sometimes really add to someone’s quality of life and should be considered when purchasing a computer for someone with special needs. If you would like me to write on some of the other features please comment on this article at Times-Standard.com. Consult a healthcare professional if you have any healthcare related questions, but if they need any assistance addressing questions about technology there are many computer services available through the Redwood Technology Consortium membership list to help (including me). Just visit www.redwoodtech.org.

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Robert Beckerdite is senior engineer and owner of Beckerdite Consulting, which provides local technology services focused on technology, legal and healthcare business sectors in Humboldt County. Robert is a member of the Redwood Technology Consortium.

Copyright 2010, Eureka Times-Standard Newspaper. The print version of this article first appeared in the 7/15/10 edition of the Times-Standard.