The Windows 8 Developer Preview build 8102 has been tested by Media Access Australia and it’s clear that accessibility has received a major focus in the upcoming operating system.
The On-Screen Keyboard is designed to assist people who use a pointing device such as a mouse, joystick or head-mounted device to type.
Filter keys can help prevent mistyping through a tremor or sudden movement on the keyboard.
The Sticky Keys function allows the command keys such as the SHIFT and ALT keys to be used without having to keep the relevant key held down.
The Mouse Keys function enables the keyboard to be used to move the mouse pointer around instead of a mouse.
The mouse properties allow for the adjustment of the mouse double-click speed, the pointer movement speed, the pointer size, the use of mouse pointer trails and the ClickLock function.
Narrator is a text-to-speech application that allows certain elements in Windows to be read out.
Keys will allow Windows to make audio noises when toggle keys are enabled such as CAPS LOCK.
ShowSounds and SoundSentry both provide visual cues for audio sounds in Windows.
