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Is Your Workflow Suffering? Discover These Must-Try Windows Accessibility Features!
Windows offers several built-in tools designed to make work easier and help you stay productive. These tools don’t just help people with disabilities—they’re valuable for anyone who wants to work faster and with fewer mistakes. Four features stand out for making everyday computer tasks more comfortable.
Improve the Cursor and Mouse
- Makes the pointer easier to see by changing its color, size, or adding effects.
- To use: Go to Settings > Accessibility > Mouse and touch.
- Add a shadow or trail to the pointer if you keep losing it.
- Turn on the mouse indicator with the Ctrl key to highlight its spot.
- In the Text Cursor section, change the blinking line to make it thicker and easier to spot.
- Activate the Text cursor indicator to make your place in a document more obvious, which is helpful in long texts.
Why it helps: Locating the cursor quickly means you spend less time searching, so you finish tasks faster and with less frustration.
Live Captions
- Shows spoken words as captions for any audio, not just YouTube videos.
- To turn on: Go to Settings > Accessibility > Captions, then toggle Live captions.
- Can help people who are hard of hearing or anyone who misses some of the dialog in videos or virtual meetings.
- Adjust how captions look—change font, color, background, and position.
- Drag the captions box anywhere on your screen for comfort.
Why it helps: Live captions make sure you never miss information, whether you’re watching a video, attending an online meeting, or listening to a podcast. It also creates a more inclusive environment.
Scrollbars on All Apps
- Lets you see scrollbars in every app at all times—useful for navigation.
- To enable: Go to Settings > Accessibility > Visual effects and turn on Always show scrollbars.
- Prevents time wasted hunting for hidden scrollbars.
- Especially useful in apps like File Explorer or any window where content goes off-screen.
Why it helps: This feature saves time and makes it easier to move quickly through lots of information, improving your workflow if you work with documents and folders all day.
Voice Dictation
- Converts your speech to text in almost any text field on your computer.
- Start dictation: Press Win + H and select the mic. Begin speaking.
- You can use it in Word, email, browsers, or other programs with text entry.
- Useful for jotting down notes, writing emails, and reducing typing time.
- Includes helpful settings for punctuation and auto-launching when needed.
Why it helps: Voice dictation reduces typing strain, helps create written content faster, and allows hands-free work—useful for anyone, especially if you type a lot or have hand discomfort.
Other Tips for Using Accessibility Features
- Test each tool and see which ones best fit your habits.
- Explore the Accessibility settings for more options.
- Adjust them as your needs change over time.
- Making small tweaks can lead to big improvements in day-to-day comfort and efficiency.
Many people think accessibility features are only for those with special needs, but these tools can give everyone a smoother experience. Don’t underestimate how much faster and easier work can be with a few changes. Try these features and see how much your workflow improves—sometimes a small adjustment can make a big positive difference, especially if you use your computer all day.