***Note***This is not a definitive guide for this topic. It is, however a basic list of guidelines that I follow when setting up Windows computers for blind students. In some cases I use only some of these guidelines - it all depends on the needs of the students and their preference. Some of the points listed are generally good practice when setting up laptops/PCs for any user. This thread is not about setting up any other applications, except maybe the ones built into Windows.
Please feel free to add any extra ideas, suggestions or indeed queries to the thread. -
- clear the desktop of all unnecessary icons. I tend to make a desktop folder with 'desktop' icon called 'links'
and drag-n-drop them all there just in case a student decides they want them on the desktop
- Wherever possible, shorten the names of short-cuts i.e. 'Microsoft Office Word 2007' only needs to be called 'Word'
or 'OpenOffice.org Writer' should be 'Writer'. This is to speed up browsing for the user when they are scrolling through menu items/links.
-Take good care when setting up the
Start menu as most blind users rely on the Start menu much in the same way that
many others rely on icons scattered across the screen. I tend to use the 'classic' Start menu for most users as it is easier to navigate in one column than two. I also set the 'recently used applications' to '0' and keep the links 'pinned' down to the essential most used applications.
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