Are you struggling with some of the features on your computer? Did you know there are many ways to customise it to suit your needs? Siobhan Long, manager of Enable Ireland’s national assistive technology training service, has these tips.

“It’s really about making your computer work for you instead of you trying to adjust to it yourself,” says the assistive technology specialist.

“The features to do this are in our computers already, but most people just aren’t aware of them. These free, in-built computer features can make a big difference because they make the computer easier to use.”

That’s why the three major platforms – Microsoft, Apple Mac and Android (smartphone and tablet computer) – have spent money on providing built-in features that enable us to adapt our computers to suit our needs, she says.

“They provide varying degrees of free built-in accessibility features, so there’s no extra buying, downloading or installing.

They recognise how important it is that we can tailor our computers to suit our needs and it’s not just people with a disability that can benefit.

Microsoft did research a few years ago that found that six out of every 10 people would benefit from using these free features to some degree, but most people just don’t know they’re there.

“I’m in my late 40s and I find I’m increasingly having to tweak lots of things because of my vision changing, for example.”

“With a little bit of study or a little help from a techie friend, we could all easily switch on these features that will help us if our sight, hearing or dexterity are not what they used to be. Those with dyslexia could also find some of the features beneficial.”

So what sort of problems can a person come up against?

“Some people may have difficulty seeing the cursor on the screen or arthritis might mean that their dexterity isn’t the same as it used to be, so they are struggling a bit with the keyboard,” says Siobhan.

“At another level, they might find that they are struggling to see things on the screen and they need to look at some kind of magnification solution – again, there is one built-in.”

EASE OF ACCESS

If you click on control panel on your Microsoft computer, you’ll see something called ease of access.

“Ease of access provides a treasure trove of features that can make the computer easier to use for people with visual or physical difficulties,” says Siobhan.

“One of the most useful features you can switch on is sticky keys.

“There’s no more having to press SHIFT and another letter at the same time to get a capital. With sticky keys turned on, you can press the keys in succession rather than holding them down together.

Likewise, with CONTROL-ALT-DELETE, people with dexterity problems find it almost impossible to hold the keys down at the same time. Sticky keys means you can press the keys one at a time, after one another.”

“Another nice example of what you can do is increasing the default size of the cursor on screen. Again, the standard size of the cursor is quite small and it’s white in colour, so if someone is in the middle of a Word document or an Excel spreadsheet they can find it hard to locate the cursor. Simply by increasing the size of the cursor on the screen (and/or changing it to black), it can be much easier to see, allowing you to get through work quicker.

“If using the mouse itself is difficult, you can also turn your number pad into a mouse by turning on what’s called mouse keys.”

DYSLEXIA

Changing colour schemes on screen can be useful too, particularly if dyslexia makes reading difficult for you.

“A lot of people would struggle with black font on a white background (the default),” says Siobhan.

“A white background tends to be difficult for many people with dyslexia because the glare is irritating, but you can set your computer to a preferred high contrast colour scheme. You could choose a white font on a black background, or a blue font on a yellow background, or vice versa. You can try out different combinations until you find one that makes reading the screen easier for you.

“Don’t be limited by what you think is a default and can’t be changed. It can.”

Windows will also suggest features that can help you, Siobhan says.

“Just click on ‘get recommendations’ to make your computer easier to use. It asks you a series of questions about your vision, hearing and dexterity and it sets up the features to suit your needs then.

“This is a big help because it can be intimidating if you’re not very familiar with computers.

“There are also videos on the Microsoft website that give you short tutorials on how to use all the various features.”

See www.microsoft.com/enable/ and www.microsoft.com/enable/aging/tips.aspx.

But what if you are suffering from eyestrain or have dyslexia and would prefer if the text on screen was read out loud to you, even occasionally?

Ease of access also has a built-in narrator, Siobhan says.

“It’s there if you need it. You just have to turn it on. You might only want to listen to text for a while to get a short break from reading, but it’s all about having choice.”

For those with deteriorating vision, there is a tool called the magnifier.

“You can have it set so that it magnifies the entire screen or it can magnify in what they call lens mode, where only the part of the screen you choose will be magnified.”

SPEECH RECOGNITION

There is a free built-in speech recognition software available on both Windows and Apple Mac.

“There is also a bought version – Dragon Naturally Speaking – and this is better if you use the speech recognition software regularly, as it’s a higher-grade package. But for a lot of people, the free one is more than adequate.

“The beauty of voice recognition is that you can control the computer entirely by using your voice. It’s a total replacement of the keyboard and mouse.”

Enable Ireland staff, for example, work with people with very severe levels of spinal injury, Siobhan adds.

“They can now totally control their computers using their voices. It’s a really strong feature that gives people independence.”

Apple Mac also has assistive technology features built-in as standard (www.apple.com/ie/accessibility/). The features are similar to those on Microsoft.

Voiceover is an Apple feature for those who are blind and Siri is a built-in voice recognition feature on iPhones and iPads.

Siobhan suggests checking out the features on your computer and studying the tutorials available.

“If you can’t do it yourself, your first port of call is a friend or neighbour who is good with computers.

“A second port of call might be the VEC or community computer training centre, although trainers may not be familiar with the built-in features.

“The IT person who fixes your computer might also be able to help you choose the best features for your needs.”

For Android devices such as smartphones and tablets, writing on the face of your phone can be difficult as it may be too small to see or use. The good news is that you can get a simplified interface.

Apps such as www.biglauncher.com (€8) and www.phonotto.com (free) and for older people www.edly.eu/software/eldy-tablet (free) are great aids.

If you have sight problems, the magnify feature can turn your phone into a magnifying glass, while the Walky Talky app speaks walking directions to you. CL

Nadine Lattimore is from Baldoyle, Co Dublin, and was registered blind 10 years ago in 2003 after her sight deteriorated dramatically.

“I was newly thrust into the world of assistive technology,” she says.

“The first thing that was very useful to me was a small talking clock. It told me the time when I touched a button.”

Nadine now uses JAWS (Jobs Access With Speech) – screen reader technology that can speak aloud and tell you what’s on screen.

“I was able to get my ECDL qualification because of that. I then did a level 5 course in VEC and got distinctions in all modules. My interest in assistive technology kept growing from there.

“For me, assistive technology is freeing, it gives me the freedom to access the world at a level on par with my peers who don’t have a vision impairment.

“It makes things even, gives me accessibility – that’s key for someone with a vision impairment.”

Nadine now does some consultancy work in relation to assistive technology, along with studying for an honours degree in Applied Social Studies (Disability).

“I’m studying how to give people with a disability more independence and more autonomy in their own lives.”

With the confidence built up as a result of being able to use assistive technology and participate in life fully again, Nadine also took up sport, a lifelong love, and has represented Ireland in athletics, shot put and discus throwing since 2010.

More info

For more information about assistive technology in general, visit www.enableireland.ie.