The screens of this wizard ask you to describe the nature of your disability, and make changes to your Windows settings automatically, using (for example) the other Accessibility programs described here.

Magnifier is a floating window that shows a horizontal slice of your screen displaying an enlarged version of whatever your cursor touches as you move it around. Using its Settings control panel shown in Figure 9-1, you can specify how much magnification you get and which area of the screen gets magnified, among other parameters.

Figure 9-1. Open Magnifier by choosing Start→Programs→Accessories→Accessibility→Magnifier. Top right: Don't forget that you can drag the large magnified window around to a more convenient spot on the screen, and even resize it by dragging the lower-right corner. Top left: Use the Magnifier Settings panel to choose more high-contrast colors, if you like. Bottom: The On-Screen Keyboard, meanwhile, may be just the ticket if your keyboard keys (or your hands) aren't fully functional.

If you're having trouble typing, keep the On-Screen Keyboard program in mind. It lets you type just by clicking the mouse (Figure 9-1), which you may find useful in a pinch.

Narrator is a speech-synthesis program. (It's not in the Accessibility folder by default; you can get to it only by opening the Utility Manager, described next). Whenever it's running, you hear a middle-aged man's voice, bearing only a faint trace of Scandinavian accent, read aloud any text that's on the screen, such as dialog boxes, error messages, window titles, text you type, and menus you open. It works in most Windows 2000 programs (including Internet Explorer, WordPad, and the programs in the Control Panel), but may not operate in other applications.

If you find Narrator helpful, don't miss its Options screen (which may be hidden squarely behind the welcome screen), where you can set Narrator up to read what you type and to start up minimized. By clicking the Voice button, you can even change the voice's speed, volume, and pitch.

This program, whose functions are available only if you've been given administrator privileges (see Section 17.3), lets you control the other three Accessibility programs described here (Magnifier, Narrator, On-Screen Keyboard). Its most important option is the "Start automatically when Windows starts" checkbox, which can make life a lot easier for a disabled person.