How to use On-Screen Keyboard

On-Screen Keyboard is a Windows tool that functions as virtual keyboards that works exactly the same as the physical one but without having to press in keys, instead the user only need to use the mouse to point at the key he wants to press on the graphical interface provided to see the output on the application he is using.

To use the On-Screen Keyboard follow those steps:

Step 1: open start menu and search “On-screen keyboard” and click on the result

Step 2: make sure the tool is working by visually observing the result; the tool must appear like in the picture below

Step 3: test the tool functionality by typing text or performing a windows shortcut (as example I opened Microsoft word and typed a sentence using the “On screen keyboard”)

Example of the tool’s benefits:

Julia suffered from a concussion which affected her movement abilities especially the use of her fingers so she is constantly struggling when using her computer with typing on the keyboard, she can’t move her fingers quickly nor locate the keys she needs to press, now typing has become much easier for her since she got introduced to “On-Screen Keyboard” which allowed her to use only the mouse to interact with the system.

(important: this is just a functional example and the event included is not actual)

How to use Windows Narrator

This handy tool outputs a sound on headphones, speakers or any sound device installed on the computer of text reading chosen by the user; it includes text on screen, dialog boxes, menus and buttons.

To use the Narrator tool follow those steps:

Step 1: go to start Menu and search “Narrator” and click on the result

Step 2: Narrator window will be opened in the down right side of the screen and run automatically with its default settings

To change setting you can check and uncheck any option you see on the window, you can also change the voice settings by clicking on “Voice Settings” or get help by clicking on “Quick Help” or quit the tool choosing “Exit”

Example of the tool’s benefits:

Steve had an accident at work made him lose his sight 2 years ago, with already a large set of IT skills he needed only a tool to help him overcome his disability and interact with computers without having to visualize graphic output, Narrator tool helped by providing vocal notifications of all his actions on the computer.

(important: this is just a functional example and the event included is not actual)

BIOS Settings Tutorial: How to change the booting device sequence

note: i do not own this video, content belongs to Youtube channel owner

How to enable Speech Recognition on your Windows Vista PC

Speech recognition is a tool that allows the user to fully control his computer using only his voice without having to press or type or click on anything. To set up Speech recognition tool here are the steps you can follow:

Step 1: go to start menu and search “Speech recognition” then click on the result “Windows Speech Recognition”

Step 2: a window like the one showed below will appear, click on “Next”

Step 3: the next window will ask you to choose your microphone type, choose yours and press “Next” (my Microphone is built into my Laptop)

Step 4: the next window will ask you to set up your microphone providing you with tips about the proper setting, follow the instructions then click “Next”

Step 5: the set up will ask you to record your voice saying a sentence suggested by the set up window and then click on “Next”

 Step 6: make sure the set up was correct (Windows is going to confirm that, see picture below), then click “Next”

 Step 7: Microsoft is going to ask for your help to improve their services by allowing them to review documents, you can choose to Enable or Disable documents review (I have picked not Disable documents review), then click “Next”

 Step 8: you can choose to print references sheet or not, then click “Next”

 Step 9: if you want to speech recognition to run every time you start your computer check “Run Speech Recognition at startup”, if you don’t want to uncheck it, then click “Next”

 Step 10: a window will appear informing you that you have successfully set up Speech recognition and you can start controlling your computer by your voice, Windows will also suggest you learn how to use the tool by taking tutorials, if you want to take them click “Start Tutorial” and if you don’t want to choose “Cancel”

Step 11: make sure the tool is working, see if the tool window appears like the one in the picture below

Example of the tool’s benefits:

Ann lost her arms after a traffic accident, she can’t use a mouse or a keyboard anymore, Speech Recognition helped her control her computer independently and effectively.

(important: this is just a functional example and the event included is not actual)