Windows 10 Team has always made sure that anyone can use the operating system. It is the reason why Accessibility is built into the core, and with every update, it has brought new features and fixes. Windows 10 2004 Accessibility has rolled out updates for text cursor, magnifier, screen reader, browsing, and Outlook.
New Accessibility Features in Windows 10 2004 and Windows 11
Here is the list of all the new features in Windows 11/10 when it comes to Accessibility. Those with special needs will be able to read more, know more, and understand a lot more compared to the previous version.
- Customize the size and color of the text cursor
- Magnifier reading reduces strain and fatigue.
- Screen reader improvements
Make sure to update to Windows 10 v2020 to experience the change.
1] Text cursor improvements
You can now easily find text cursor by making it more comprehensive and an indicator. It comes as feedback from consumers who were finding it difficult to find because it was too thin and did not contrast enough with text. It applies to apps and parts of Windows 10, but not to browsers like Chrome. You can also change cursor pointer size, select custom colors, which will make it easy to find the mouse pointer and the cursor.
On similar lines, you can choose magnifier to follow the text cursor in the center of the display by default, so that users can find the text cursor in an expected location.
2] Magnifier reading reduces strain and fatigue
Magnifier now has Play, Pause, Next sentence, Previous sentence, and Read from here controls. It will help to make it easy to ave text read aloud to reduce the strain of reading. Those who need to work and read through text all day will find it useful. It works with Edge, Chrome, and Firefox browsers as well as other Windows applications like Microsoft office.
It will highlight each word that is spoken and will scroll content into view if it is not currently displayed. It is also compatible with Dark mode settings, making g it easy to use and see text.
Related: Full List of Windows 10 Accessibility Features
3] Screen reader improvements
A lot of improvements with the Screen Reader or the Narrator. Microsoft has made sure it works equally well with the browsers and not limited to Windows and its Apps. If you need to browse through pages, you can find out all details such as links, etc. first hand.
Narrator
- Reduced unnatural pauses and processing complete sentences. It is to aid in proper pronunciation.
- Use of tones instead of works when you switch between modes
- Option to change the level of detail that the Narrator speaks about text
- Control to hear fewer words for collective actions.
- Improved support for announcing capital words and letters. It can handle initial, mixed, and all-cap words.
Smarter browsing
- The Narrator will automatically start reading web pages from the top of the page.
- Page summary on demand can help figure out landmarks, links, and headings (Narrator key + S to hear).
- Get a list of the most popular links generated by Bing to make it easier to get to where you want to go.
- Narrator + Ctrl + D to hear the title of the linked page before pressing the link.
- Works with popular browsers
Outlook mail
- Automatically start reading content when you open a message
- Automatically enable scan mode
- Recognize and ignore layout tables to make it easier to navigate and read message content.
- Improved Outlook responsiveness
These improvements are based on users’ feedback, and we are so glad that they have been implemented. It assures Microsoft Teams dedication for the users, and now those with special needs will have a better experience.
I believe you will find the list of Windows 10 Accessibility v2004 useful.
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