Vista includes different features that make it easier for people with vision impairments to use the operating system. One of these features is the Magnifier. You can use this feature to enlarge the screen so it is easier to read. The Magnifier works by enlarging a portion of the screen as it is being displayed. The feature is intended for those users who have slight vision problems.

You can open the Magnifier by clicking Start, typing Magnifier and pressing Enter. You will notice that as you move your mouse around your desktop, a portion of the screen is magnified. From the Magnified Settings dialog box, you can control the Magnification level. You can also configure tracking settings such as if you want the magnifier to follow your mouse cursor, follow your keyboard strokes, and follow your text editing.

Speech Recognition
Speech recognition allows you to dictate your text into various programs such as Microsoft Word leaving you a little more hands-free. You can open menu items, toolbars, dialog boxes, and have text typed in using your own voice. In other words, your computer is literally at your command.

The first time you use Speech Recognition, Vista will walk you through the process of setting up your microphone and provides a speech tutorial that helps you get started using speech recognition. To launch the tutorial, click Start, Control Panel, Ease of Access then Speech Recognition. Select the Take Speech Tutorial option.

You can also train your computer to better understand you and improve speech recognition accuracy. The more your computer knows about your particular style of speaking and the sounds in your environment, the more accurate it will be. Using the Voice Training Wizard, Vista will collect voice samples from you so that it can adjust to your particular speaking style.

[awsbullet:windows+vista+ultimate]