Microsoft designed the Windows 11 operating system to support productivity and creativity with a focus on ease of use for everyone, as the Windows 11 version includes some updates and new features that facilitate the work of people of determination in particular, and take into account the problem of poor vision, hearing impairment or motor disabilities by providing features that facilitate the use of the computer, and help in accomplishing multiple tasks in the computer efficiently.
Below we will explain the most prominent features available in Windows 11 to facilitate the work of people of determination:
1- Live captions:
This feature is ideal for people who are deaf or hard of hearing, as it allows transcription of spoken content from any audio source, whether it is a recorded or live audio clip, automatically so that you can see the conversation in the form of written text, and this feature also works without an internet connection, so it can be used at any time.
You can also switch where captions are displayed either to the top or bottom of the screen. To turn on Live Captions, do one of the following:
- First method: click the buttons (Windows, Ctrl and L).
- The second method: Click the Start button, then All apps, then Accessibility, then Live captions.
- Third method: Go to Settings, click on the Accessibility option, then Captions, then turn on the Live captions feature.
2- Narrator feature:
Narrator lets you listen to audio that reads everything on your computer screen, help you browse the web, read email, and work in documents. If the person is blind or has low vision, they can use Narrator to perform those tasks easily. Although Narrator isn't new, some improvements have been added with the release of Windows 11.
Similar to the Read Aloud feature in Edge, Narrator in Windows 11 now reads more accurately with support for braille screens connected via USB.
Turning on the Narrator feature at any time will start the computer to read everything that appears in the screen automatically, and to control how you want the Narrator feature to work, you can go to its settings by clicking the button (Windows, Ctrl, N) and from there you can install different human voices to read everything that is in the screen, and other settings.
If you set American English as the default language on your computer, there will be three installable sounds to choose from: Aria, Jenny, and Guy, and these sounds sound more natural than before. The feature detects that languages are automatically changed to switch between them.
To turn Narrator on or off, follow these steps:
- Click the button (Windows, Ctrl and Enter) together to launch them.
- Click the same keys again to turn them off.
3- Voice access:
Voice access is a new feature in Windows 11 that enables everyone, even people with mobility impairments, to control the computer using only voice, at any time, even without an Internet connection. For example, you can open and move between apps, browse the web, and read email using specific voice commands.
To use the Voice access feature, you must know a large number of voice commands that are used to control your computer. Microsoft provides a special list of voice commands associated with the Voice access feature to train Windows 11 computer users on how to use them to perform multiple tasks in the computer, but if you need to fully control your computer using voice commands, you will need a relatively long time to learn all the voice commands.
Although Voice access can be used with third-party apps, you'll notice that it works better with Microsoft apps, for example: Voice access can be used more seamlessly in Edge than in other browsers.
4- Eye control feature:
People who have speech or hearing problems or can't use their hands to control their keyboard or mouse can navigate apps and files with their eyes using Eye control in Windows 11. With an eye tracking device.
You'll need to connect and set up your eye-tracking device to get started with Eye control, and Microsoft provides a guide that explains the complete setup steps.
5- High contrast mode:
Text with low contrast with background color, such as blue links with a black background, is not easy to read for people with low vision, while highly contrasting colors can help read text on a computer screen faster and easier.
You can adjust the color contrast in Windows 11 by choosing the appropriate (Contrast themes), and to do this, follow these steps:
- Go to Settings, then choose Accessibility.
- Click on the Contrast themes option, and choose an appropriate theme.
- Click the Apply button and wait for Windows to change the colors on the computer screen.
