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Best Practice Guide – Tips and Tricks forAccessibility PractitionersAbout these guidesWe understand that while there can be common aspects, organisations work in different ways and what works for one might not fit so well with another. These guides are written as an example of what best practice might look like in your organisation, but it may be that you have to adjust what is recommended to accommodate your particular circumstances.

Similarly, the guides do not include detailed technical information as this would tie them to a specific technology or set of circumstances. Instead the guides convey important principles and approaches that can be applied in any industry and using any technology. Where appropriate the guides reference other sites and resources which contain more technical detail at the time of publication/last review.

Introduction This document has been produced by a number of disability practitioners working in and for large UK organisations, who have come together within Business Disability Forum’s Technology Taskforce to share experience and develop best practice.

This document contains some tips and tricks that other practitioners and assessors might find useful – its purpose is simply to share what we have learned and it may be of particular interest to anyone new to this field. It does not in any way seek to replace a proper assessment process and it does not guarantee that these solutions work for all users. It mainly focuses on solutions that are easy to implement and are low cost or free.

Our intention is to grow this document over time. If you have any feedback on it, or have any tips or tricks that you think might be worth including in it, we would welcome your comments. Please contact us at [email protected].

Authors: Sean Smith OBE, HMRC.

Editors: Lucy Ruck and Bela Gor, Business Disability Forum.

Best practice guide: Tips and Tricks for Accessibility Practitioners | Version 7.0 | March 2017

mailto:[email protected]

Contents

1. Preventing technology barriers affecting disabled users 32. Visual impairment 83. Mobility and dexterity impairment 114. Dyslexia and other cognitive impairments 135. Hearing impairments 166. Speech and language impairments 187. Technology Refresh 19Appendix A – Further sources of information and resources 20Appendix B – Recommended further best practice guides 21Appendix C – Glossary 22Appendix D – Common keyboard shortcuts in Windows 26


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1. Preventing technology barriers affecting disabled usersThe tips and tricks in this section are all about allowing access to features that can improve use of technology.

Accessibility features built into devices‘Devices’ in this context mean computers (desktops, laptops and notebooks – Windows, Mac, Linux and Chrome PCs) plus mobile devices (iPhones, Blackberries, smartphones, tablets etc.). Manufacturers all seem to understand that there is no ‘one size fits all’ approach to their products and hence they build in ‘accessibility features’. These might include options to change colours and font types displayed, the size of text and icons etc., short cut keys and screen magnification. They might also include personalised settings in products such as MS Office e.g. setting background colours in Word and Outlook, or use of Word’s Autocorrect feature. Links to the built-in accessibility features on the most commonly used computer and portable device operating systems can be found below:

Windows XP, 7, 8, 10: Accessibility Wizard (Start > All Programs > Accessories > Accessibility) for XP or the Ease of Access Centre (Start > Control Panel > Ease of Access http://windows.microsoft.com/en-gb/windows/support and https://www.microsoft.com/enable

Mac OS X Open System: Preferences (> Security & Privacy) > Accessibility https://www.apple.com/uk/accessibility/osx

Linux: using Gnome desktop universal access menu from the top bar but requires more technical knowledge. Notes available at https://help.gnome.org/users/gnome-help/stable/a11y.html.en

Google Chrome OS: Settings > Advanced Options > Accessibility. https://support.google.com/chromebook/answer/177893?hl=en-GB

iPhone and iPad iOS: Settings > General >Accessibility https://www.apple.com/uk/accessibility/ios

Android: Settings > Accessibility https://support.google.com/accessibility/android Windows Mobile, 8/8.1 and 10: Settings > Ease of Access

http://www.windowsphone.com/en-gb/how-to/wp8/settings-and-personalization/accessibility-on-my-phone

Further information about individual mobile phone and tablet hardware and app accessibility is available through http://www.gari.info, the Mobile Manufacturers’ forum

Accessibility features built into devices – availability and persistenceSome organisations take a line that they want all the hardware they use to conform to a common look and feel. Others, for reasons of security, lock down devices so that users cannot change options. Our experience is that organisations are best served if these ‘accessibility features’ can be excluded from any such restriction and can remain available to users should they need them. These features are not aimed just at those with significant levels of impairment e.g. those who would meet the definition of ‘disabled’ as set out in the Equality Act. They may also be of value in time to potentially any user in and organisation including those with temporary or intermittent conditions and those with those who would


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http://www.gari.info/



https://support.google.com/accessibility/android

https://www.apple.com/uk/accessibility/ios

https://support.google.com/chromebook/answer/177893?hl=en-GB

https://help.gnome.org/users/gnome-help/stable/a11y.html.en

https://help.gnome.org/users/gnome-help/stable/a11y.html.en

https://www.apple.com/uk/accessibility/osx

https://www.microsoft.com/enable

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-gb/windows/support

not consider themselves to be ‘disabled’ yet might have some long term, low level issues e.g. poor eyesight.

Some organisations allow staff access to these features but their infrastructures do not allow options they choose to be saved. In short, they may have to reset them each time they restart their devices or each time they log in. For users who use these features, this can be a barrier and hence where possible we would recommend that infrastructures are designed to allow such selected options to persist.

Accessibility features built into devices – awareness Many staff and managers are not aware that such facilities exist. Of those that do, some may be wary of using them – some organisations make it clear to their staff that they should not attempt to change any settings on their devices. To counter this, organisations might:

Make it clear through communications (intranet, written guidance, news articles etc.) that these features are available to those who need to use them or think that they might benefit from doing so;

Make “champions” in the business aware in order to promote the use of these features;

Provide guidance to staff on how to use them and (e.g. in the case of magnification) how to both turn this on and off;

Ensure that their IT helpdesks are aware of these accessibility settings and agree support and caveats. On the one hand it may help IT support if staff can do this themselves rather than calling the helpdesk but, on the other hand, they may incur more work if they get calls from staff who have ended up with a set of options that don’t want but do not know how to return to their original settings;

Set out caveats e.g. requiring all staff who use these features to record any settings before they change them, so they know what to change back to if the new settings are not suitable;

Have staff available who understand not only what accessibility features are available on the devices used within their organisations but also who understand the range of devices available, and any processes and restrictions their organisations use in relation to supplying them to colleagues. The advice of such staff can be highly valued by assessors, managers and colleagues alike.

Voice Over the Internet Protocol (VOIP) Switching to VOIP networks can disadvantage some disabled staff e.g. if no VOIP enabled phones with large buttons or hearing aid support is available, if staff with visual impairment have to check a small screen on the phone in order to know if their device is still connected to the VOIP network or to work through a menu on the phone in order to log in. Analogue phones can be attached to VOIP networks using appropriate adaptors. This would potentially open up a range of options to disabled staff though it may mean that they lose some VOIP features such as the ability to log in to their number from phones on other desks or in other buildings.


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Information Technology (IT) securityIT accessibility solutions may increase security risks for organisations e.g. a magnified or large screen used near a window where members of the public may pass by. Similarly IT security solutions may cause issues for disabled users e.g. encryption software initiated at boot up before accessibility features become active.

Organisations should aim to find compromises that both protect the business and staff (disabled staff should not be left as a ‘weak link’ in security protection and hence potentially be targeted), and yet are accessible to disabled users. For some roles, this might not always be possible, but in many cases common sense solutions can be found e.g. by applying non-standard but equally effective countermeasures and by taking steps to reduce risks (e.g. clearing material on Dictaphones at the earliest opportunity, using headphones where text to voice products are used). As a general rule, staff and managers should work together to agree steps, and neighbouring colleagues should be involved as required.

Hot-desking/desk sharingOrganisations are increasingly using flexible working arrangements including desk sharing arrangements.

For some disabled staff, the solutions they use may be desk or device specific and hence they will find desk sharing difficult or impossible e.g. where an assistive technology product is loaded onto a specific PC. In this situation, managers might need to make it clear that such staff should not be expected to desk share. The IT helpdesk also needs to be aware that moving such users to a different machine (if problems exist with their own device) may not be possible.

In addition, decisions might need to be made about whether other staff can use these personalised desks whilst the designated user is away. It might be difficult for visiting staff if the user has a specialist mouse or keyboard or the machine boots up with screen reading software. If visiting staff are able to access specialist products on the device and change settings, issues may arise for the disabled user when they return. If such desks are to be used by others, making some guidelines available may help e.g. if a chair is adjusted, could it be returned to its original settings by the visiting colleague?

However, to help those disabled staff that can hot desk it may be appropriate to leave USB extension cables permanently connected and situated at the front of desktop computers so that it is easier to connect peripherals such as ergonomic mice or keyboards or even specialist software on a pen drive. Front-facing USB connectors or those at the back of machines and additional plugs need to be easy to reach.

Environment – lightingLighting levels can make a significant difference to a range of users. Additional desk lights e.g. providing downward pointing spotlight pools of light can be useful. Glare from overhead lighting can sometimes be managed by moving a monitor. Glare from windows, the sun etc. can sometimes be managed with blinds. Anti-glare screens were popular for old style CRT (cathode ray tube) monitors. Flat panel screens are usually designed with anti-glare properties and anti-glare screens can now be hard to source.


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Environment – noiseNoise can be a particular issue for those with hearing impairments, especially where telephony is concerned, but it can also impact on other disabled staff e.g. Dragon users, or dyslexic users where distraction and loss of concentration can be issues. Location in an office can mitigate this (e.g. away from lift lobbies, meeting areas, corridors), as can soft furnishings and sound insulation e.g. baffle boards. It is important to consult the user as sometimes there can be a trade-off between noise and isolation for instance some disabled members of staff may not wish to be moved away from colleagues as this may mean working apart from a team. It can be a matter of personal preference and may be best dealt with between the individual and their line manager.

Sound-insulated headphones, or headphones with an in-built graphic equaliser might be useful for dyslexic users – to prevent disruption caused by surrounding noise. Similarly headphones which play background music quietly or white noise might also help, or might be useful for users with tinnitus.

Telephony and/or speech/voice recognition users should use noise-cancelling microphones (as opposed to the ‘voice tube’ type). These actually have two microphones on a boom – one pointing towards the mouth and one away. Any noise picked up by both equally should be coming from the surrounding environment and so is cancelled out by the headphone electronics. This leaves what the user says sounding clearer to the person they are talking to and can also help if speech recognition software is being used.

Headset styles vary with some users finding the over the head style (Alice band style) difficult or impossible to wear. Many types of headphone now come with alternative fittings e.g. behind the head or over the ear. In addition, gooseneck or necklace style headsets can be worn around the neck or desk-mounted microphones can be used – these tend not to be noise-cancelling though as they only have a single microphone.

Wireless headsets can also be preferable to some users e.g. those who find the wired types very restrictive to their movements.

Finally, dual-purpose headsets are becoming increasingly popular. These have the ability to switch between being used with a desk phone, a mobile phone and a PC (e.g. for users of screenreaders (e.g. JAWS, NVDA), speech recognition (e.g. Dragon NaturallySpeaking) and text-to-speech (e.g. TextHelp Read and Gold). Some have small or stiff buttons, which may be difficult for use by users with dexterity issues and it is important to remember access to connectors (USB, wireless and Bluetooth).

Environment – wirelessSome buildings are prone to wireless interference e.g. those near radio masts, major waterways (radar from shipping), or those with desks near electrical lighting or power circuits. These can sometimes interfere with PC sound cards, Bluetooth etc. If this is a possibility for a particular disabled user, it might worth trying wired devices e.g. keyboards, desk phones.

BreaksThe nature of office work has changed considerably over the past ten or more years. With less paper, there is less movement to retrieve folders from cupboards etc. and re-file them later. For many users, their working day is dominated by long periods sitting in front of a


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computer or other portable device. This can cause problems from an ergonomic point of view and eventually lead to health issues.

Similarly, with limited variation, such long periods of concentration can be mentally wearing. This is especially true of users of products such as screenreaders and speech recognition applications where users need to focus on what their device is saying to them, or on what they are dictating into their device. It is hard to join in with general office banter or discussion in these circumstances. Users can become tired quite easily.

In both cases, short breaks periodically during the working day can help significantly. There is plenty of ergonomic guidance on this e.g. http://www.hse.gov.uk/office. In addition, there are products on the market that can measure both elapsed time and intensity of device use, reminding users when they should take breaks as appropriate.

PassportsDisabled users often find a change of manager or change of role traumatic, particularly if they find themselves in a position of not just having to explain their situation to a new manager but also having to justify any reasonable adjustments agreed. A method of resolving this is for organisations to use an agreed Passport template and process whereby reasonable adjustments and other relevant information (e.g. particular barriers) are recorded and agreed by both the user and a manager. Confidential medical information need not be included. Passports would be updated whenever there is a periodic review or appraisal process undertaken. The purpose is that the document can be used with incoming managers – they can read what has previously been agreed by the organisation and avoid the need for the user to repeat any adjustment processes (that does not rule out the possibility of subsequent discussions or adaptations that need to be made due any personal or employment changes).

PsychologyAs a general rule, disabled people often have good days and bad days, good mornings and bad afternoons etc. A uniform level is unusual. An impact of this can be stress related to work targets. Whereas over the course of a week or month for example a user might overall meet their targets, they may fail over shorter time periods e.g. hourly or daily. Avoiding these can sometimes make a significant difference.

It is also true that many assistive technology users either never quite meet the productivity targets of their colleagues, or at least take longer to learn new roles (such as learning a new system (like everyone else), plus having to learn how to use it with their tools e.g. a screenreader or speech recognition). To mitigate this, some organisations allow their disabled staff longer to deal with change and/or aim to help them with continuity of work. Beyond this, many accept overall lower levels of productivity up to a certain extent.

Care needs to be taken here. Sometimes in this situation, despite these arrangements by the organisation, the disabled member of staff feels they are letting themselves, their colleagues or their organisation down. Sometimes it is purely their perception. There may be times when colleagues are aggrieved that such arrangements have been allowed. In these situations, some users might feel unable to start learning to use their reasonable adjustments and persevere without them – risking making their situations worse. Managers may need to watch for this possibility and intervene where appropriate. If the user feels their relationship with their immediate manager is a problem, organisations may


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http://www.hse.gov.uk/office

allow users to approach more senior managers for advice. Awareness training for colleagues and managers can also be very helpful, as can simply inviting the user to demonstrate their adjustments e.g. at team meetings.

Finally, isolation can be an issue. This may be direct for instance where a user is moved to a different location e.g. where light or noise levels are better. It may be indirect; some disabled users do not like the fact that their specialist equipment draws attention to their disability. Some may not want to raise their issues e.g. dyslexic users who do not want their managers to know that they are dyslexic for fear – imagined or otherwise – that it might affect their career development. Again these are management issues. They can be addressed by organisations making it clear that they support an open and honest environment, and by providing awareness training and events for staff and managers.

2. Visual impairmentThe tips and tricks in this section are all about allowing access to features that can improve use of technology.

Large screens or multiple screensA larger screen might be a quick and effective way of resolving the issues of small type and images for some people with certain types of visual impairment. They can help when trying to compare two documents or working with several windows open as can the use of two screens.

Care should be taken not to extend this too far however - larger TV-style monitors for example are designed to be viewed at a distance. When seen up close, images can appear blurry. Moreover in no cases should this solution replace the need for an appropriate assessment.

Screen resolutionAn alternative approach might be to reduce screen resolution found under Settings in most devices. Text, images, icons etc. will then appear larger on screen. The downside to this change is that some windows might increase beyond the physical size of the monitor, and users may need to scroll left and right, up and down. This can be time-consuming and hence reduce productivity. Rows can be particularly hard to follow e.g. a table of contents where the user has to scroll right in order to see the page number. It can be easy for users to lose track of the row they are following.

Font, icon and cursor sizes etc.Devices like PCs, tablets, smartphones and Kindles often have a range of features available to help users change individual elements of items on the screen e.g. using accessibility features to change the size of the fonts, the size and appearance of mouse pointers, the size of borders around windows, the text associated with icons etc. These can be very useful and simple enough for any user. As mentioned above, it is good practice for anyone experimenting with these features to record their starting values before amending them. That way they can restore their system to its original position should the amended settings not suit them.


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Colour contrastColour can be just as important to visually impaired users as size, and for some more important. The most extreme contrast is black and white, but this does not work for all users. In fact, there is no one set of colour combinations that is more appropriate than others – it is an individual choice. Most devices a set of predefined colour schemes e.g. high contrast mode but each element can be changed individually in the most commonly used operating systems such as Windows and Mac.

Where users do not want to amend all the colour settings on their devices (e.g. those used by Microsoft Word), the use of the accessibility features built into many browsers such as Chrome, Firefox and Edge or Internet Explorer can be useful. These applications allow users to access the internet, use intranet and other network based services. Users may find it helpful to select their own foreground and background colours, though many web sites and systems have more layers than just these two. In those circumstances, some sites and systems might take their colour selections from style sheets. Organisations may provide personalised style sheets to disabled users in this situation, or even provide them with a style sheet generator so that they can create their own. They can then use the settings in their browser to tell the system to use their specific style sheet or to override the default one. An example of a style sheet changer can be found on the British Dyslexia Association website using the Accessibility menu http://www.bdadyslexia.org.uk/.

Magnification and narratorsMost desktop PCs and many portable devices provide magnifiers and narrators (called text-to-speech or screenreaders) as part of their built in accessibility options. Once again these features are usually found in the settings and offer support for enlarging items and/or reading content. On portable devices they can even replace the need for additional software although not all will support all activities and especially where some downloaded documents or websites may be inaccessible and scanning with optical character recognition (OCR) may still be needed.

It is important to be aware that if you are using a touchscreen device when you launch the screen reading application, changes will occur requiring different gestures to access other parts of system. Do read all the instructions before changing the settings as otherwise you may find yourself locked into a device that is reading out everything aloud! Zoom or excessive magnification can also leave you struggling to find the exit button so make sure you know the shortcut keys or gestures to avoid these situations.

More advanced solutionsFor users with higher levels of visual impairment, the above approaches may be insufficient. This is now into the territory of specialist assessment and largely beyond the scope of this document. Moreover the solutions here are products on the market, which may be more sophisticated than those already mentioned, some may also be expensive but not all – for example NVDA is a free, open source, portable screenreader and Window Eyes is available free of charge for any user who has a licensed copy of Microsoft Office.

For completeness, this section sets out the three broad classes of such products:

Magnifiers/colour changers: These are the entry level products that do what they say i.e. they provide tools for magnifying the user’s screen in different modes e.g. a


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http://www.bdadyslexia.org.uk/

magnified version of part of the screen locked to the top of the monitor, a magnified section acting like a magnifying glass and tied to the cursor. They also provide options for the user to change the colours seen on the screen.

Narrators: Also known as screenreaders or text-to-speech. A screenreader reads aloud all it encounters including the type of object the text relates to e.g. links, tables, radio buttons. A text-to-speech application tends to just read the content of the window without menus, tags etc. and tends to be used by someone with good vision, but there are applications that cross the boundary between a screenreader and a text-to-speech application. The user might listen via headphones and it should be appreciated how hard work it is to constantly listen and pick out key points in documents and web pages when using a screenreader. Shortcut keys might be provided to allow the user to jump between specific types of objects to speed navigation e.g. next link, next paragraph. These tools might also include magnifier/colour change facilities as described above, and are usually provided to users with intermediate levels of visual impairment.

JAWS: This is a Windows OS product from Freedom Scientific – Job Access With Speech – may be provided for users with the highest levels of visual impairment. It assumes its users will have little or no functional sight and therefore provides screen reading only i.e. no magnifier or colour change function. It also comes with a ‘scripting’ facility (as do some narrator tools) that allows JAWS to be integrated closely with corporate systems. This might allow accessibility issues with those systems to be overcome, as well as automating mechanical issues e.g. retrieving standard information from a set of corporate systems in a single action. This facility is important because it might convert systems that would otherwise be hard or impossible to use into usable systems i.e. not merely accessible, but with high levels of productivity for visually impaired users. It might however need quite some investment in staff time to help individuals develop the skills needed to write such scripts.

It should be noted It should that there are other Windows screenreaders such as Supernova from Dolphin Computer Access and Window Eyes from GW Micro that also work across networks and can be scripted. Apple Mac have VoiceOver built into its system and Gnome runs the Orca screenreader. Smartphones and tablets use built in screenreaders.

Transition and variabilitySome users might have a condition that is deteriorating over time. Others might have a condition that varies over the course of a day, week etc. and most users will need to use their assistive technologies across several devices. In these cases, users will benefit from being provided with different versions of the products above – for example JAWS, NVDA and a built-in screenreader that works across portable devices. Users may switch between these applications when on the move or at times when they need additional support, or over a period as they learn to use a more complex application such as JAWS. There can be compatibility issues with these products i.e. technical issues simply by having two screenreaders installed on one PC. It is worth checking with their technical support. However not all combinations suffer from this and having both products installed is not an issue, as long as the user does not try to run both together.


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Smartphones, tablets etc.As has been mentioned many devices now have facilities built into them including:

The ability to change font sizes, types and colour schemes; For devices with touchscreens, the ability to magnify the display using gestures; Screenreading and/or text-to-speech functionality; Voice dictation products that allow both commands to be given by voice (e.g. ‘send

text message to …’) and dictation (e.g. for the texts themselves to be dictated); Maps.

In addition, organisations such as the RNIB sell phones designed for visually-impaired users e.g. phones with larger than average displays and keypads.

3. Mobility and dexterity impairmentThe tips and tricks in this section could apply to any technology users who find the usual keyboard and/or mouse does not suit their needs or those who find their tables, desks or chairs uncomfortable including users who may have Arthritis, repetitive strain injury (RSI), carpal tunnel syndrome etc.

Tables, desks and chairsAlways ensure that tables, desks and chairs are suitable for the user. Sitting for long hours is not helpful in terms of developing stresses and strains and can impact on productivity. Sit/stand options can be very helpful for everyone as well as breaks from screen use. Wheelchair users need to have tables that adjust to the height of their chair, monitors may need to be on raisers or adjustable arms so they can be moved up and down as well as towards the user.

Chairs need to offer good support and also have adjustable settings so that positions can be easily changed. Footrests and other ergonomic accessories can be very helpful and a full assessment is wise in order to provide suitable working conditions.

More information is available e.g. Health and Safety Executive – Working with Computers http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/computers.htm.

Specialist keyboards and miceErgonomic and specialist keyboards and mice form a major type of reasonable adjustment for anyone with mobility or dexterity difficulties. There is a wide variety of products available on the market. It is important to get an appropriate assessment to make sure that a mouse and or keyboard provided to a user meets their specific needs. Providing the wrong type can make a user’s condition worse.

It may be that the user finds such a device difficult or awkward to use at first – they may need to use the device for a while to get used to it and some of the shapes and sizes are very different when compared to the usual keyboard or mouse. Some users may need keyboard and/or mice pads with support for the wrist and /or arm rests.


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http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/computers.htm

Multiple miceStaff who use ergonomic mice can experience tiredness and physical stress from continued use of their particular mouse. Where appropriate, provide the user with two varieties of mice connected to the PC through a switch – during the course of a day, the user can then alternate between them as required.

Dual screensMany modern PCs allow second monitors to be added, often by providing two VDU outputs through its onboard graphics card (e.g. by providing both a VGA output port and an HDMI output port). When a second monitor is added, the second one can be set up in extended desktop mode. To do this use the settings or display menu. Extended desktop mode allows two monitors to act as one virtual screen e.g. open windows can be dragged across to the second monitor.

For disabled users, the value of this is that they can have two windows displayed concurrently e.g. two corporate systems, two documents during editing, email plus a working window. Some corporate tasks will require the user to work with more than one window. Switching repeatedly between windows can involve much use of a mouse. Having two permanently open windows can reduce this.

Keyboard shortcutsBefore mice were developed, interactions with a PC were conducted through a keyboard. To help users work faster, keyboard shortcuts were introduced. These are still used though many users may be unaware of them. For anyone who has issues using a mouse, they can be useful. This is also true for anyone using a speech/voice control product such as Dragon, where keyboard commands can be dictated e.g. ‘Press Alt’.

Some examples are given in Appendix D but generally lists for them can be found by searching the help facilities of products (e.g. Outlook, Word) for keyboard shortcuts. Moreover many of these commands are universal i.e. consistent from product to product e.g. on a Windows device the F1 key will bring up system help, Ctrl + P to start printing. Apple has similar controls using the Apple key instead of the Ctrl key.

Sticky Keys and Filter KeysSticky Keys are useful for anyone with manual dexterity issues, specifically issues with holding down multiple keys concurrently e.g. Ctrl – Alt – Del. The Sticky Keys feature allows users to press these keys one at a time in sequence and can be found on all Windows, Mac and Gnome operating systems under the accessibility or ease of access options.

Filter Keys are useful for anyone with a tremor for example, where they are likely to accidentally press a key more than once. The Filter Keys feature ignores the second and subsequent pressing a key within a short timescale.

Speech recognitionUsers with a high degree of motor impairment may be recommended speech/voice recognition. These programs are built into the latest Windows and Mac computers but if more specialist help is required Nuance’s Dragon NaturallySpeaking or Dragon Dictate can be requested as a reasonable adjustment. This is a text dictation system where the


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user talks to their PC in a natural voice. It is possible for example to dictate directly into Word and or even navigate by voice around the system. It can be powerful but takes time to learn and may feel a strain when first starting.

Dragon includes a scripting facility, allowing users to write simple macros that integrates Dragon closely with corporate systems. They can be very useful to anyone whose work involves repeated steps e.g. data entry into transactional systems. The idea of ‘scripting’ can be daunting for non-IT staff but this Dragon feature can be easy to use. Organisations may encourage their Dragon users to explore this feature. Moreover these scripts can be easily exported and shared with other Dragon users performing the same duties. Organisations may therefore consider use of a library scripts for their users.

4. Dyslexia and other cognitive impairmentsThe tips and tricks in this section could apply to any users with dyslexia or related conditions. Between 4 and 10% of the UK population is dyslexic. There are a range of types and severities. Similarly there are a range of approaches and aides. Assessment can be difficult/time consuming to arrange. Some dyslexic staff may not need complex solutions.

A simple toolkit approach may be possible to assist with assessment, at least to identify where simple solutions may help even on an interim basis whilst expert assessments are being planned. Examples include adjusting colour contrasts, font types and font sizes and using text-to-speech software. This is not the same as screenreader which may be overly verbose – reading everything on the computer and causing confusion. Normally just the window content needs to be read when the text is highlighted or is under the mouse cursor. Virtual coloured overlays with a hint of colour rather than high contrast may work better than coloured backgrounds for some users.

General strategies Use keyboard shortcuts – this may help if using the mouse is difficult; Avoid glaring light or light reflections on the screen and dim black text on white if

that causes reading difficulties; When typing or using typed material:

o Select a sans serif font such as Arial, Comic Sans or Tahoma.o Use text not less than 12pt and check if extra spacing between letters helps. o Use wider line spacing such as 1.5 o Use left justified text and clear headings to enhance readability.o Make minimal use of upper case letters.o Make minimal use of underlining.o Use style sheet headings and bold to highlight important points;

Avoid using a whiteboard, white paper and slide backgrounds if glare is an issue. Experiment with colour – change overlay/background/text colours on desktop and

portable devices over time as one colour may not always work

Use colours to organise things as much as possible – highlight key information in a different colour, colour-code folder chapters, sections etc. (but check that anyone you are


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producing material for is not colour blind and check that black and white prints are readable).

Difficulties with writing, producing diagrams, posters etc. Where possible, phone rather than write; Consider the presentation:

o Be clear about what it is you want to say, use short simple sentences.o Use summaries and/or bullet points.o Exclude irrelevant text so information isn’t too busy;

As you write, hold a squishy ball in the opposite hand with which you write – this may help you focus on task at hand by keeping the other side of the brain occupied;

Use technology rather than handwriting; Use a spell checker and grammar checkers (if you can cope with them); Use AutoCorrect in Word to pick up regular spelling mistakes; Use AutoText in Word for blocks of text that you use regularly; Use the dictionary/thesaurus feature to support spelling and word finding difficulties; Don’t forget to proof read using a text-to-speech program – possibly with a voice

you don’t like as then you will hear the errors; Never send anything without leaving a gap in time and/or printing the text out to re-

read and re-check.

Reading difficulties Use text-to-speech with headphones – choose a pleasant voice and make sure the

speed suits the type of text being read, add pauses if necessary; Use the text highlighting may come with the text-to-speech program as you read

across and down the screen – make sure the colours suit your needs; Use colour overlays or backgrounds with chosen fonts and line spacing.

Office interactions Ask for memos to be placed on your voicemail, rather than being sent in written

form; Ask to be given verbal instructions rather than written ones; Get the information through drawings, diagrams and flow charts; Ask instructions to be repeated back to ensure understanding; If necessary double check what has been read with someone.

Time and work planning Enter appointments, meetings, deadlines etc. in network calendar or diary that is

linked to all your devices; Use alarm and reminder systems that provide sound alerts as well as showing a

written message on screen;


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Use an alarm in your watch or mobile phone if you have not got a linked diary or calendar;

Think about using mind maps or diagrams and drawings for planning rather than lists;

Keep project plans always in the line of sight so that work packages or items that have to be completed in set times are marked off as they come to an end or highlighted when time is running out.

ManagementExamples of steps that the manager can take which may require no funding or permission:

Make sure the individual’s workplace is quiet and away from distractions; Discuss material with the jobholder – give summaries and/or key points; Where necessary support proof reading of work with agreement of the individual; Encourage the jobholder to take notes using methods that suit their needs; Back up multiple instructions in writing or with diagrams; Demonstrate and supervise tasks/project until confidence is gained; Allow a colleague to take notes or a buddy to help as needed; Give clear, concise and direct instructions – do not hint or make assumptions that

you have been understood; Pause after asking a question – the jobholder may need extra time to absorb what

has been said or concentrate on changing the words into pictures, arrive at an answer, change back to words and then to speak – it is comparable to a foreign language;

Encourage use of daily calendar or electronic schedulers and alarm features on Jobholders calendar;

Remind jobholder of important deadlines and review priorities regularly; Hang a wall planner that visually highlights daily, monthly appointments, deadlines,

tasks, projects etc. Allow plenty of time for the jobholder to:

o Read written instructions;o Complete training courses including work related essential qualifications

(and/or other adjustments);o Complete projects, reports, tasks etc.;o Check the work with appreciation of what has been achieved.

Specialist tools

There are a number of specialist tools on the market designed for users with dyslexia and related difficulties. These include products such as Texthelp’s Read and Write Gold and Claro Software’s ClaroRead and ScreenRuler. They provide features such as:

Screen masking – a software equivalent to hanging a coloured transparency over the screen;


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Text-to-speech with text highlighting, spell checking with additional dictionaries, scanning and optical character recognition so paper documents can be read aloud and word prediction for slow typists;

Topic specific dictionaries - useful for anyone who has difficulty spelling words that are related to a particular profession such as medicine;

Speech recognition already discussed using built-in options.

There are many free programs but none offer all the above features, most are simply text-to-speech programs such as Balabolka.

In addition, given that many dyslexic users find diagrams easier to use than linear text both for taking notes and for producing reports, mind mapping tools may be of use. Examples include:

MindManager; MindGenius; Spark-Space; Inspiration; Xmind (free).

Some of these tools have sister products that for example convert mind maps into written reports.

5. Hearing impairmentsThe tips and tricks in this section could apply to any users with some degree of hearing loss and/or speech difficulties. For this group of users, telephony can be an issue as can technologies that just use sound alerts or require speech input. Face-to-face meetings, voice over the internet systems that do not allow for visual contact or text chat and the use of video instructions where captions are not available may also cause problems.

Hearing impairments vary enormously and specialist assessments will be needed unless the individual is sure of their needs:

Users with low-level hearing loss may benefit from the use of phones with amplification, or devices that provide amplification to headsets e.g. the Plantronics Vista;

Users with higher degree of hearing loss may need hearing aids. Many hearing aids support hearing loops (aka telecoil or T loop). There are a range of products on the market that connect handsets and mobile phones to hearing aids via T loop. In addition there are a number that allow such connection via Bluetooth. Some hearing impaired users benefit from having both facilities working concurrently, to maximise the signal being delivered to their hearing aids;

Some users with higher degrees of hearing loss may use hearing aids that do not support T loop. Within this group, there are models that use specialist devices e.g. streamers to connect the hearing aid to telephony. In these cases, advice from a specialist (e.g. the audiologist concerned) may be needed;

In addition to the above, some of these devices can be used with products outside of telephony. Some for example can connect to televisions, hi-fi, MP3 players etc.


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Many come in the form of a transmitter part that connects to the phone and a separate receiver section carried by the user. The two communicate using a radio frequency like DECT, meaning that there is no physical connection between the two parts, allowing the user to move freely within a limited distance from the receiver. In these cases, the transmitter part might include a microphone enabling the product to be used in face-to-face meetings, classroom situations etc. The receiver part often includes a T loop generator in the form of a wire worn round the neck like a necklace. One advantage of this is that it means the user does not have to wear a headset. Hearing aid users often find headsets uncomfortable as they tend to press the users hearing aid into the side of the head which can be painful;

Following the above, some users find headsets generally difficult to wear and they may interfere with the user hearing aid. it is important to check whether a cable or wireless version works best;

Headset amplifiers provide more than amplification. Sudden loud noises or prolonged high volume levels can obviously cause harm (often referred to as acoustic shock). Devices like the Vista limit these volume levels and hence provide acoustic protection, though this might not be as loud as hearing impaired users might want. Such acoustic protection is obviously important in the workplace. It relates to headset specifically rather than handsets, given that a handset can be dropped immediately if there is a loud noise where as a headset has to be physically removed from the head – acoustic shock can occur in the time this takes;

Many types of headsets come with padded cushions for comfort. Often these are small and made of foam and, in most cases, suffice. However many manufacturers also provide alternatives e.g. leatherette for those who need extra comfort or have a latex allergy, an oversized ear cushions for additional blocking of extraneous sound;

Some devices (e.g. again the Vista) also ‘clean’ the sound and provide some degree of tone control. Tone can be just as important to hearing impaired users as colour contrast is to visually impaired users;

Some individuals with hearing impairments find lip reading useful. Where this cannot take place face-to-face, live video streaming through technologies such as Skype may help with text message back up. It is important to also acknowledge when human support is required such as signers and transcriptions of meetings.

IT helpdesks and similarMany organisations provide services like an IT Helpdesk for staff or customers, with telephony being set as the means of access and hence causing accessibility issues for speech and hearing impaired users. It is recommended that an alternate method e.g. e-mail is put in place for such users.


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6. Speech and language impairmentsThere are a wide range of speech and language impairments that are impacted on when working in an office environment. These range from stammering to aphasia where aspects of comprehension and expression may be affected after a stroke or the need to use Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC). These difficulties do not necessary prevent individuals with other skills and abilities carrying out certain types of work. Technology can be a boon with many of the tip and tricks being the same as those offered in Section 5.

In addition it can help to:

Use all the text-to-speech technologies as a way of reading out text to an audience; Use dictionaries and thesaurus software for word finding difficulties and as a way to

find words to replace the ones you know are hard to say; Use email, forums, text chat and messaging instead of telephony; Take time to compose sentences prior to delivery in particular if AAC is used with

symbols or text; Make use of word prediction, auto text and word expansion programs etc.


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7. Technology RefreshWhen undertaking an infrastructure refresh or restructuring (e.g. moving to thin client), accessibility issues can easily be overlooked. Plan in advance. Ensure users can revert if problems arise (e.g. retain some old devices and ensure they can continue to connect to back end systems. Use opportunity to show staff that their individual needs are important.

Six things to think about when changing technology1. Hardware that does not need a driver to be installed – Check the connection

types e.g. does the new system provide enough USB ports, are the devices available in USB format? Wireless and/or Bluetooth?

2. Hardware that does need a driver to be installed – As above plus will this driver work with the new operating system? If not, is there a version that does?

3. Operating System Options:o Can the mouse, keyboard, VDU etc. still be tuned/configured/calibrated?o Can background colours, font size etc. be changed?o Are these features accessible by users (or an administrator – if so, what is

the procedure for gaining access to them)?o Do users know that they are available and do they know how to use them?o Once selected, do options persist or are they reset centrally?

4. Application Software Options:o Do concurrent systems work together, and with adaptive tools /assistive

technologies provided (e.g. is there sufficient memory)? o Are the accessibility features (background colours, font size etc.) in these

applications still available?o Are these features accessible by users (or an administrator – if so, what’s the

procedure for gaining access to them)?o Do users know that they are available and do they know how to use them?o Once selected, do options persist or are they reset centrally?

5. Low Functionality Adaptive Software (e.g. Text-to-speech):o Do these products work with the new operating system, hardware,

applications etc.?o Are new versions needed and, if so, do users know how to use them, do they

have the same features etc.?o What is the migration plan?

6. High Functionality Adaptive Software (e.g. JAWS, Dragon):o Do these products work with the new operating system, hardware,

applications etc.?o Are new versions needed and, if so, do users know how to use them, do they

have the same features etc.?o What is the migration plan?


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Appendix A – Further sources of information and resources Disabled Living Foundation – http://www.dlf.org.uk Ask SARA for choosing equipment: http://asksara.dlf.org.uk AssistIreland – more advice and products: http://www.assistireland.ie/eng TechMatrix – to compare software types: http://techmatrix.org/ EmpTech – free and open source software as well as products:

http://www.emptech.info Global Accessibility Reporting Initiative (GARI) – mobile technology comparisons for

accessibility: http://www.gari.info Tiresias – related to visual impairment: http://ww.tiresias.org RNIB – supporting people with sight loss: http://www.rnib.org.uk British Computer Association of the Blind: https://www.bcab.org.uk Action on Hearing Loss (formerly RNID): http://www.actiononhearingloss.org.uk Marathon list of links to accessibility web design references compiled by University

of Minnesota Duluth: bit.ly/HgQbJ2 Cultural Shifts and Enterprise Accessibility by Denis Boudreau (2013):

buff.ly/17WQAuK Easychirp for Twitter – making twitter accessible: http://www.easychirp.com


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http://www.easychirp.com/

http://t.co/FI0Ek1v6Lf

http://t.co/ypcOPHL8Xg

http://www.actiononhearingloss.org.uk/

https://www.bcab.org.uk/

http://www.rnib.org.uk/

http://ww.tiresias.org/

http://www.gari.info/

http://www.emptech.info/

http://techmatrix.org/

http://www.assistireland.ie/eng/

http://asksara.dlf.org.uk/

http://www.dlf.org.uk/

Appendix B – Recommended further best practice guides European Social Fund: Good practice in helping disabled people back to work:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/helping-disabled-people-back-to-work-esf-good-practice-guide

Access to Work – government guidance: https://www.gov.uk/access-to-work Equality Act 2010 guidance: https://www.gov.uk/definition-of-disability-under-

equality-act-2010 Recruitment and disabled people: https://www.gov.uk/recruitment-disabled-people Health and safety in relation to the law and disability:

http://www.hse.gov.uk/disability/law.htm Reasonable adjustments for disabled workers: https://www.gov.uk/reasonable-

adjustments-for-disabled-workers Dealing with discrimination: Equality and Human Rights Commission:

http://www.equalityhumanrights.com/private-and-public-sector-guidance/employing-people/dealing-discrimination

Expenses and benefits – items for disabled employees: https://www.gov.uk/expenses-benefits-items-for-disabled-employees

How to make services that everyone can use – Government accessibility guide for online materials, assistive technologies and user testing: https://www.gov.uk/service-manual/user-centred-design/accessibility

AbilityNet's Advice and Information Services – technology and disability: http://www.abilitynet.org.uk/advice-information

Shaw Trust Accessibility Services – supporting employees and employers: http://www.shaw-trust.org.uk/businesses/accessibility-services

BBC’s Mobile Accessibility Standards and Guidelines v1.0: http://www.bbc.co.uk/guidelines/futuremedia/accessibility/mobile_access.shtml


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http://www.bbc.co.uk/guidelines/futuremedia/accessibility/mobile_access.shtml

http://www.shaw-trust.org.uk/businesses/accessibility-services/

http://www.abilitynet.org.uk/advice-information

https://www.gov.uk/service-manual/user-centred-design/accessibility

https://www.gov.uk/expenses-benefits-items-for-disabled-employees



https://www.gov.uk/reasonable-adjustments-for-disabled-workers

https://www.gov.uk/reasonable-adjustments-for-disabled-workers

http://www.hse.gov.uk/disability/law.htm

https://www.gov.uk/recruitment-disabled-people

https://www.gov.uk/definition-of-disability-under-equality-act-2010

https://www.gov.uk/definition-of-disability-under-equality-act-2010

https://www.gov.uk/access-to-work



Appendix C – GlossaryAccessible: In the case of a facility, readily usable by a particular individual; in the case of a program or activity, presented or provided in such a way that a particular individual can participate, with or without auxiliary aid(s); in the case of electronic resources, accessible with or without assistive computer technology.

Access barriers: Any obstruction that prevents people with disabilities from using standard facilities, equipment and resources.

Accessible web design: Creating web pages according to universal design principles to eliminate or reduce barriers, including those that affect people with disabilities.

Accommodation: An adjustment to make a program, facility, or resource accessible to a person with a disability.

Adaptive technology: Hardware or software products that provide access to a computer that is otherwise inaccessible to an individual with a disability.

ALT attribute: HTML code that works in combination with graphical tags to provide alternative text for graphical elements.

Alternative keyboard: A keyboard that is different from a standard computer keyboard in its size or layout of keys.

Applet/app: program that runs from within another application.

Assistive technology: any product or service designed to enable independence for disabled and older people (King's Fund consultation, 2001).

Braille: System of embossed characters formed by using a Braille cell, a combination of six dots consisting of two vertical columns of three dots each. Each simple Braille character is formed by one or more of these dots and occupies a full cell or space. Some Braille may use eight dots.

Browser: Software designed to access and display information available on the web. Browsers may be graphical or text-based. Text-only browsers cannot display images, sound clips, video and plug-in features that graphical browsers can. Talking browsers are also available for use by people who have difficulty reading text due to a learning disability or visual impairment.

Captioned film or videos: Transcription of the verbal portion of films or videos displayed to make them accessible to people who are deaf.

Captioning: Text that is included with video presentations or broadcasts that enable people with hearing impairments to have access to the audio portion of the material.

Closed Circuit TV (CCTV) Magnifier: Camera used to magnify books or other materials to a monitor or television.

Communication device: Hardware that allows a person who has difficulty using their voice clearly to use words or symbols for communication. May range in complexity from a simple picture board to complex electronic devices that allow personalized, unique construction of ideas.


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Disability: You’re disabled under the Equality Act 2010 if you have a physical or mental impairment that has a ‘substantial’ and ‘long-term’ negative effect on your ability to do normal daily activities.

Dyslexia: In October 2007, the BDA Management Board approved the following definition: “Dyslexia is a specific learning difficulty that mainly affects the development of literacy and language related skills. It is likely to be present at birth and to be life-long in its effects. It is characterised by difficulties with phonological processing, rapid naming, working memory, processing speed, and the automatic development of skills that may not match up to an individual's other cognitive abilities.”

FM sound amplification system: Electronic amplification system consisting of three components: a microphone/transmitter, monaural FM receiver and a combination charger/carrying case. It provides wireless FM broadcast from a speaker to a listener who has a hearing impairment.

Hardware: Physical equipment related to computers.

Hearing impairments: Complete or partial loss of ability to hear caused by a variety of injuries or diseases including congenital defects.

Input: Any method by which information is entered into a computer.

Interpreter: Professional person who assists a deaf person in communicating with hearing people.

Joystick: A device consisting of a lever that allows a pointer to move up, right, left, or down and serves as an alternative to a mouse. It usually includes buttons to enable mouse clicks.

Keyboard emulation: A method of having an alternative device and/or software, such as a switch-based system, serve the role of a keyboard.

Keyguard: A plastic or metal shield that covers a keyboard with holes over the keys. It allows use of a keyboard without undesired activation of surrounding keys.

Minicom or Telecommunications Device for the Deaf (TDD): A device which enables someone who has a speech or hearing impairment to use a telephone when communicating with someone else who has a TDD/TTY. TDD/TTYs can be used with any telephone, and one needs only a basic typing ability to use them.

Mobility impairment: Disability that affects movement ranging from gross motor skills such as walking to fine motor movement involving manipulation of objects by hand.

Mouse emulation: A method of having an alternative device and/or software, such a switch based system, serve the role of a mouse.

Onscreen keyboard: See Virtual keyboard.

Optical character recognition (OCR): Technology system that scans and converts printed materials into electronic text.


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Output: Any method of displaying or presenting electronic information to the user through a computer monitor or other device.

Refreshable Braille Display: Hardware connected to a computer that echoes screen text on a box that has cells consisting of pins that move up and down to create Braille characters.

Repetitive Stress Injury (RSI): A disability that may be chronic or acute and usually is described as pain caused by overuse of extremities, usually hands and wrists.

Scanning input: A switch-based method of controlling a computer. Activations of a switch will, in order, bring up a control panel that upon subsequent switch activations, allow a user to focus in on a desired control or keystroke. Custom scanning layouts can be created for a variety of purposes and programs and may also be used in a communication device.

Screen enlargement: Hardware and/or software that increases the size of characters and text on a computer screen.

Screenreader: Software used to echo text on a computer screen to audio output, often used by people who are blind, with visual impairments, or with learning disabilities.

Screen resolution: Refers to the clarity or sharpness of an image. For computer monitors, this term indicates the number of dots on the screen used to create text and graphics. Higher resolution means more dots, indicating increased sharpness and potentially smaller text.

Sign language: Manual communication commonly used by deaf. The gestures or symbols in sign language are organized in a linguistic way. Each individual gesture is called a sign. Each sign has three distinct parts; the handshape, the position of the hands, and the movement of the hands.

Specific learning difficulty (SpLD): These can affect the way information is learned and processed. They are neurological (rather than psychological), usually run in families and occur independently of intelligence. They can have significant impact on education and learning and on the acquisition of literacy skills. SpLD is an umbrella term used to cover a range of frequently co-occurring difficulties, more commonly: dyslexia, dyspraxia/DCD, dyscalculia, A.D.D/A.D.H.D. SpLDs can also co-occur with difficulties on the autistic spectrum such as Asperger’s Syndrome.

Speech impairment: Problems in communication and related areas such as oral motor function, ranging from simple sound substitutions to the inability to understand or use language or use the oral-motor mechanism for functional speech.

Speech input or speech recognition: A method of controlling a computer and creating text by dictation. Speech input software is combined with a microphone.

Switch input: A method of controlling a computer or communication device. It is most often used with Morse code or scanning methods, but may also be used for controlling household appliances and related controls. Switches are available in a nearly endless array of sizes, shapes, and activation methods.


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http://www.bdadyslexia.org.uk/educator/what-are-specific-learning-difficulties#Dyscalculia

http://www.bdadyslexia.org.uk/educator/what-are-specific-learning-difficulties#Dyspraxia%20/DCD

Trackball: A mouse alternative that is basically an upside-down mouse. Useful for some people with mobility impairments because it isolates pointer movement from button clicking.

Universal design: Designing programs, services, tools, and facilities so that they are useable, without modification, by the widest range of users possible, taking into account a variety of abilities and disabilities.

Virtual keyboard: Software used to emulate a keyboard. A picture of a keyboard is displayed on a computer screen and the user points and clicks on the pictures of keys to enter text.

Visual impairments: Complete or partial loss of ability to see, caused by a variety of injuries or diseases including congenital defects. Legal blindness is defined as visual acuity of 20/200 or less in the better eye with correcting lenses, or widest diameter of visual field subtending an angular distance no greater than 20 degrees.

Word prediction: Software that reduces the number of keystrokes needed to type words and sentences. As characters are entered on either a standard, alternative or virtual keyboard, suggested completions of the word that has been started are provided to the user.

This glossary comes thanks to the DO-IT program http://www.washington.edu/doit/glossary-disability-related-terms

Some entries have been adapted to suit a UK audience.

Copyright © 2012, 2008, 2006, 2002, 2000, University of Washington. Permission is granted to copy these materials for educational, non-commercial purposes provided the source is acknowledged.


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http://www.washington.edu/doit/glossary-disability-related-terms

Appendix D – Common keyboard shortcuts in WindowsMany people think that Windows has to be operated with the mouse and that, if you cannot use a mouse, you cannot use Windows. This is not the case. In fact not only can Windows be operated entirely from the keyboard, doing so can often be faster and easier than using the mouse. It is very easy for example to open Windows Explorer by holding down the Windows logo key and pressing E – much quicker than clicking on the Start button, then Programs, then Accessories and finally Windows Explorer. The list below covers some of the most common keyboard shortcuts used in Windows (XP to Windows 10).

Function Shortcut

Copy CTRL + C

Cut CTRL + X

Paste CTRL + V

Undo CTRL + Z

Delete DELETE

Delete selected item permanently SHIFT + DELETE

Copy selected item CTRL while dragging an item

Rename selected item F2

Move the insertion point to the beginning of the next word CTRL + RIGHT ARROW

Move the insertion point to the beginning of the previous word CTRL + LEFT ARROW

Move the insertion point to the beginning of the next paragraph CTRL + DOWN ARROW

Move the insertion point to the beginning of the previous paragraph CTRL + UP ARROW

Highlight a block of text CTRL + SHIFT with any arrow key

Select more than one item in a window or on the desktop, or select text within a document SHIFT with any of the arrow keys


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Function Shortcut

Select all CTRL + A

Search for a file or folder F3

View properties for the selected item ALT + ENTER

Close the active item, or quit the active program ALT + F4

Open the shortcut menu for the active window ALT + SPACEBAR

Close the active document in programs that allow you to have multiple documents open simultaneously

CTRL + F4

Switch between open items ALT + TAB

Cycle through items in the order they were opened ALT + ESC

Function Shortcut

Cycle through screen elements in a window or on the desktop

F6

Display the Address bar list in My Computer or Windows Explorer

F4

Display the shortcut menu for the selected item SHIFT + F10

Display the System menu for the active window ALT + SPACEBAR

Display the Start menu CTRL + ESC

Display the corresponding menu

then

Select a command from an open menu

ALT + Underlined letter in a menu name

(NB In Windows 7 and 8, this is Alt then the letter)

then

Underlined letter in a command name on an open menu

Activate the menu bar in the active program F10

Open the next menu to the right, or open a submenu. RIGHT ARROW

Open the next menu to the left, or close a submenu LEFT ARROW

Refresh the active window F5

View the folder one level up in My Computer or Windows Explorer

BACKSPACE

Cancel the current task Esc

Use these keyboard shortcuts for dialog boxes:

Function Shortcut

Move forward through tabs CTRL + TAB

Move backward through tabs CTRL + SHIFT + TAB


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Move forward through options TAB

Move backward through options SHIFT + TAB

Display the corresponding menu, then select a command from an open menu

ALT + Underlined letter in a menu name, then Underlined letter in a command name on an open menu

Carry out the command for the active option or button

ENTER

Select or clear the check box if the active option is a check box

SPACEBAR

Select a button if the active option is a group of option buttons

Arrow keys

Display Help F1

Display the items in the active list F4

Open a folder one level up if a folder is selected in the Save As or Open dialog box

BACKSPACE


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If you have a Microsoft natural keyboard or any other compatible keyboard that includes the Windows logo key, you can use these keyboard shortcuts:

Function Shortcut

Display or hide the Start menu WIN Key

Show the desktop WIN Key + D

Minimize all windows WIN Key + M

Restore minimized windows WIN Key + Shift + M

Open My Computer WIN Key + E

Search for a file or folder WIN Key + F

Display Windows Help WIN Key + F1

Open the Run dialog box WIN Key + R

Open Utility Manager WIN Key + U

Accessibility keyboard shortcuts:

Function Shortcut

Switch FilterKeys on and off Right SHIFT for eight seconds

Switch High Contrast on and off Left ALT + left SHIFT + PRINT SCREEN

Switch MouseKeys on and off Left ALT + left SHIFT + NUM LOCK

Switch StickyKeys on and off SHIFT five times

Switch ToggleKeys on and off NUM LOCK for five seconds

Open Utility Manager WIN Key + U


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Shortcuts you can use in Windows Explorer:

Function Shortcut

Display the bottom of the active window END

Display the top of the active window HOME

Display all subfolders under the selected folder NUM LOCK + ASTERISK on numeric keypad (*)

Display the contents of the selected folder NUM LOCK + PLUS SIGN on numeric keypad ( + )

Collapse the selected folder NUM LOCK + MINUS SIGN on numeric keypad (-)

Collapse current selection if its expanded, or select parent folder

LEFT ARROW

Display current selection if its collapsed, or select first subfolder

RIGHT ARROW


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