Accessibility tools
Increase the text size
- Resizing text via the web browser
- Setting your computer to display larger fonts (PC)
- Using the zoom options (MAC)
- Screen resolution
- Demos & Tutorials
Resizing text via the web browser
- Internet Explorer: View > Text size > Larger - Smaller
- Firefox: View > Text Size > Increase or Decrease
- Opera: File > Preferences > Fonts > Minimum font size (pixels) OR View > Zoom
- Safari: View > Make text bigger – Make text smaller
Alternatively, scroll with the wheel of your mouse whilst holding down the control key.
Setting your computer to display larger fonts (PC)
By default, computers display fonts at the normal size of 100%. You can custom this setting by increasing the percentage from 125% to 500%.
Go to: Start > Control Panel > Display > Appearance > Font Size > change it to large or extra large
Using the zoom options (MAC OS X)
To enlarge screen data without changing the screen resolution you can use simple keyboard shortcuts to zoom in and out, select the following keys to operate this function:
option apple star (turns zoom function on)option apple + (zooms in)option apple - (zooms out)
below shows the Mac OS X zoom shortcut keyboard symbols:
Screen resolution
There are several ways you can enlarge the data viewed on your computer, but the first thing you should check is the screen resolution of your monitor. Your monitor will have a recommended screen resolution size, but maybe the settings have been altered or alternatively, you could alter the settings to best suit your visual requirements. Below is a list of common screen size options, your monitor may not display all these options, but take into consideration the higher the resolution, the smaller the screen data will appear.
| PC screen resolutions: | MAC screen resolutions: |
| 640 by 480 pixels 800 by 600 pixels 1024 by 768 pixels 1152 by 864 pixels | 800 by 600 pixels 1024 by 768 pixels 1280 by 820 pixels 1600 by 1024 pixels |
Popular screen resolutions used are 800x600 pixels and 1024x768 pixels. In some cases where visual disability is challenging 640x480 pixels is used.
Demos & Tutorials
You can adjust the appearance and behaviour of PC to enhance accessibility for specific vision, hearing, mobility, cognitive, and seizure-related needs. More comprehensive information about the latest accessibility features is available from Microsoft and Apple. Some features are also explained by video.
Apple Mac OS
• Apple Accessibility
• Accessibility Mac OS X
Windows XP
• Windows XP Accessibility Resources
• Video Demos of Accessibility in Windows XP
Windows Vista
• Accessibility in Windows Vista
• Video Demos of Accessibility in Windows Vista
