In the GNOME desktop, features for aiding users with impairments are configured from the Accessibility panel.

When the Accessibility panel initially appears, it includes the following options to display different types of accessibility settings:

• Seeing

• Hearing

• Typing

• Pointing and Clicking

• Zoom

An overview of the accessibility settings each of the preceding options displays is provided in the following list:

• Seeing

  Selecting this option displays accessibility features for users with visual impairments. The settings you can enable and customize include the following:

  Screen Reader

  Reads aloud screen content to supplement visual reading. For details, see Customizing the Screen Reader.

  High Contrast

  Adjusts the color contrast of windows and buttons on-screen so they're more or less vivid.

  On/Off Shapes

  Sets whether to use shapes to indicate state in addition to or instead of color.

  Animation Effects

  Toggles whether to use animation effects throughout the interface.

  Note:

  Turning off animation effects can result in more sudden visual transitions when UI elements change. This might have a negative impact on some visual sensitivities.

  Large Text

  Enlarges the font so that it's more readable.

  Cursor Size

  Increases and decreases the mouse cursor size.

  Sound Keys

  Beeps when the Num Lock or Caps Lock key is turned on or off.

  Always Show Scrollbars

  Sets the scrollbars to always be visible.

• Hearing

  Selecting this option displays accessibility features to aid users with hearing impairments. This includes the Visual Alerts setting that can be enabled to provide an onscreen flash when an alert sound occurs. Available options for defining the Flash Area include Entire Window and Entire Screen.

• Typing

  Selecting this option displays accessibility features for users with mobility impairments. The settings you can enable and customize include the following:

  Screen Keyboard

  Enables desktop navigation and application use without a physical keyboard.

  Text Cursor settings

  The Text Cursor settings include Cursor Blinking and Blink Speed. Enabling the Cursor Blinking setting causes the cursor to blink in text fields and Blink Speed setting can be used to control the blink frequency.

  Typing Assist settings

  The Typing Assist settings group includes the following settings for keyboard keys:

  • Repeat Keys

  • Sticky Keys

  • Slow Keys

  • Bounce Keys

  For more information on these settings, see Customizing Typing Assist.

• Pointing & Clicking

  Selecting this option displays accessibility features to aid users with motor impairments that make using a mouse or any pointing device difficult. The settings you can enable and customize include the following:

  Mouse Keys

  Enabling this setting lets you control the mouse pointer by using the numeric keypad on your keyboard.

  Locate Pointer

  Enables you to find the position of the mouse pointer on the screen by pressing the left control key.

  Activate Windows on Hover

  Enables you to place the mouse pointer over a window to activate it.

  Double-Click Delay

  Enables you to control how quickly you need to press the mouse button a second time to complete a double-click.

  Click Assist Settings

  The Click Assist settings group includes the following settings for the mouse:

  • Simulated Secondary Click

    Enables you to perform a secondary click (usually the right mouse button) by holding down the primary button for a length of time and then releasing it. The length of time for which you need to hold the primary button down before releasing it can be adjusted through the Acceptance Delay setting.

  • Hover Click

    Enables you to perform a mouse click by hovering the mouse pointer over the item to be clicked. The mouse does not have to be kept perfectly still while hovering the pointer as some movement is allowed. You can adjust the Motion Threshold setting to change the amount a mouse pointer can move and still be considered to be hovering.

  For more information on using these settings, see Customizing Click Assist.

• Zoom

  Selecting this option displays features for configuring different types of zoomed views, for example:

  • A zoomed view that uses the entire screen.

  • A zoomed square "magnifying lens" view that follows the mouse pointer.

  The zoomed views can be further enhanced by adjusting color and contrast settings and crosshair lines for the mouse pointer.

  Examples of settings include Desktop Zoom, Magnification Factor, Magnification View, Brightness, and Contrast.

  For a more complete list of settings and information on how to use them to configure zoomed views, see Customizing Zoom