Improving the e-KSF for visually impaired users
The e-KSF does not currently support assistive technologies in its current form, however one of our top priorities for the start of next year is to address the user interface and accessibility for visually impaired users (including the use of assistive technologies like screen readers and brail printers). In the mean time there are some tools that can be used as a short term fix by users, these include:
On Windows XP: Users can use the built in screen magnifier to enlarge the text and images on the e-KSF or any other web site:
XP Magnifier is a display utility that makes the computer screen more readable by people who have low vision by creating a separate window that displays a magnified portion of the screen. Magnifier provides a minimum level of functionality for people who have slight visual impairments. Please click here for additional details on the procedure for how to turn on and use Magnifier.
Users can enlarge the text size on screen in a web browser by pressing the CTRL (Control) Key and pressing the ‘+’ sign – this increases the font size in the same window.
There is an other free to use tool that needs installation on the users PC and works quite well: this is the ‘Magical Glass’ free screen magnifier that can be down loaded by clicking here
On the commercial side there are tools like Lunar and iZoom that do the same as the Magical glass but have other add on/benefits as well:
- Click here for additional information on Lunar.
- Click here for additional information on iZoom.
- Click here for additional information on VIrtual magnifying glass - one of our favourite free magnification tools.
The above are interim measures/tools that can be used to make the use of the e-KSF tool easier for our users who are visually impaired, they are not the solution we would rest on though. From our perspective the solution has to be built within the software it self which it shall be for early next year
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