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Enlarging the Windows 95 desktop.

Hints and tips for improving screen visibility.

Screen visibility is of crucial importance to partially sighted users. The computer display can be modified in various ways to improve this. The colour and contrast of the desktop, for example, may be changed to suit the eye condition of the user. Another means - for some - is magnification. This can mean enlarging the whole desktop or perhaps certain key areas. Finally, attention needs to be paid to the mouse pointer since some adjustment is usually needed to make it more easily visible.

Windows 95 supports alterations the display and for certain partially sighted users this may prove adequate for them to work comfortably. This article provides hints and tips on how to do this.

Contents.

• Changing desktop schemes.
• The high contrast display option..
• Magnification.
• Re-sizing system fonts.
• Enlarging desktop icons.

Colour and contrast

The colour and contrast of a screen display are of key importance in determining whether a user can read the screen or not. Windows supports colour changes in several ways. One of the most significant of these is by allowing the user to re-define the colour of the desktop elements, i.e. title bar, menu, icons etc. Another way of changing the contrast is to use a special high contrast option accessible by 'hot' key.

Modifying the desktop scheme.

The 'standard' Windows colour scheme can easily be changed to suit an individual's needs. Windows provides a range of custom desktop schemes with different colours and font sizes. These can be selected from a list.

To change a desktop colour scheme.
	Right click your mouse button on the Windows 95 desktop. From the pop-up menu choose Properties. The Display Properties dialogue box will appear. Click on the Appearances tab; Select the drop down Scheme box; Choose the scheme you want.

High contrast display option.

Some users are comfortable working in a 'standard' desktop colour scheme but encounter legibility problems with specific activities, e.g. when trying to read the small text of a dialogue box. In such a case the user can press a 'hot' key combination and reset the display to a high contrast mode. If the same key combination is pressed again, the display returns to its regular desktop scheme.

To enable the high contrast feature. Go to the Windows 95 Control Panel; Double click the Accessibility Options.
	Then select: The display tab and the high contrast box will appear; Use High Contrast option; Settings button; The options wanted from the High Contrast box.

Magnification.

Magnifying the desktop - or part of it - can be helpful to some users and there are many commercially available programs to help with this. However, Windows 95 has some in-built enlargement features which are worth looking at.

Changing the desktop scheme (see above) is one way of magnifying the whole desktop - although it has to be said that Windows offers only a partial solution since the enlargement is limited. For example, some menus run off the bottom of the screen making certain options unobtainable. Again, the text in some dialogue boxes does not always enlarge predictably making them difficult or impossible to read.

There is an option to enlarge the Windows system font - this can be very effective. It is also possible to enlarge desktop icons making it easier for the user to identify different icons and read the text captions. Finally, in some cases the toolbar buttons can be enlarged.

Re-sizing system fonts.

Some users only require minimum enlargement but they do have difficulties reading some menus and dialogue boxes. Windows 95 gives control over the system fonts and the effects of increased letter size can be dramatic in terms of improved legibility. There is however an annoying side effect. Some dialogue boxes become so magnified that they do not fit on the screen.

Here is how to modify the system fonts.
First bring up the Display Properties dialogue box (see above); Then select: Settings tab; Font Size drop down box; Other option. The Custom Font Size box will appear. Enter a value in the scale fonts box. Increasing the value to 150%, for example, will result in some greatly improved menu text. Experimentation is needed until it's right for the user.

Enlarging the desktop icons.

The Display Properties dialogue (see above) can be used to resize the desktop icons and text to make them more legible.