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Accessibility, zoom and comfortable use

Make text bigger, raise contrast, enlarge the pointer, use sticky keys, an on-screen keyboard and captions, and set up your desk and habits so long sessions stay comfortable.

25 minbeginnerUbuntu/LinuxWindowsPractical task needs a laptop or desktop

Marking a lesson as read does not prove you can do it. Skills count as demonstrated when you pass the quiz (not yet) and complete the practical tasks (not yet).

By the end of this lesson you will be able to

  • Make text and the pointer larger and raise contrast on your own computer.
  • Explain what a screen reader, sticky keys and an on-screen keyboard are for.
  • Find the accessibility settings on Ubuntu and on Windows.
  • Set up your seat, screen and breaks to reduce strain.

Computers are made to be adjusted. If text is too small, the screen glares, the pointer is hard to find or typing with two hands is tiring, there are built-in settings that fix it, and they are not only for people with a disability. Everyone benefits from comfortable settings, and good habits protect your eyes, neck and wrists. This lesson shows what exists and where to find it.

What accessibility means

Accessibility means making a computer usable by as many people as possible, whatever their eyesight, hearing, movement or preference. Both Ubuntu and Windows include accessibility tools as part of the system, free of charge. They are in Settings, and several can be turned on with a keyboard shortcut.

Diagram

Common difficulties and the built-in tool that helps with each.

Seeing
  • Larger text
  • High contrast
  • Bigger pointer
  • Magnifier and zoom
  • Screen reader

Easier to read

Hearing
  • Captions on video
  • Visual alerts instead of sounds
  • Mono audio option

Easier to follow

Typing
  • Sticky keys
  • On-screen keyboard
  • Slower key repeat

Easier to type

Pointing
  • Large pointer
  • Longer double-click delay
  • Pointer speed

Easier to click

Common difficulties and the built-in tool that helps with each.
Read this figure as text

Four columns matching seeing, hearing, typing and pointing difficulties to built-in tools.

Seeing: larger text, high contrast, bigger pointer, a screen magnifier and a screen reader that speaks what is on the screen. Hearing: captions and visual alerts that flash instead of beeping. Typing: sticky keys that let you press shortcut keys one at a time, an on-screen keyboard you click, and slower key repeat. Pointing: a bigger pointer, a longer double-click delay, and keyboard control of the pointer.

Seeing: size, contrast, zoom and the pointer

There are several different ways to make things bigger, and they do different jobs. Text size enlarges the writing only. Display scale enlarges everything on the screen, including buttons. Zoom or a screen magnifier temporarily enlarges the part of the screen you are looking at. High contrast changes colours so that text stands out sharply from the background. Pointer size makes the arrow easier to find.

Simulated interface: not a real screenshot

A simulated Ubuntu Accessibility settings page, with numbered areas.

Settings
Network
Displays
Keyboard
Mouse and Touchpad
Accessibility

Seeing

High Contrast, Large Text, Cursor Size, Zoom, Screen Reader

Typing

Pointing and Clicking

  1. Marker 1: Open Accessibility
  2. Marker 2: Text and zoom options
  3. Marker 3: Pointer and click options
A simulated Ubuntu Accessibility settings page, with numbered areas.
Read this figure as text

A simulated settings window with a sidebar and a list of accessibility options such as large text, zoom and cursor size.

A simulated Settings window with a sidebar listing Network, Displays, Keyboard, Mouse and Touchpad and Accessibility, with Accessibility highlighted (marker 1). The main area has a heading Seeing and lists High Contrast, Large Text, Cursor Size and Zoom (marker 2). Below are lines for Typing and Pointing and Clicking (marker 3). The labels match the real Ubuntu 24.04 page in spirit but this is a simulation, not a screenshot, and the arrangement can differ between releases.

Where to find the seeing settings

Menu names are for Ubuntu 24.04 and Windows 11. Both open from Settings.

Ubuntu

  1. Step 1: Open Accessibility

    Open Activities, type Settings, press Enter and choose Accessibility in the left list.

    You should see: Sections for Seeing, Hearing, Typing and Pointing & Clicking appear.

  2. Step 2: Make text larger

    Under Seeing, switch on Large Text. For a finer choice use Displays, then Scale.

    You should see: Text in the system and in most apps grows.

  3. Step 3: Raise contrast and enlarge the pointer

    Under Seeing, switch on High Contrast and choose a Cursor Size.

    You should see: Colours become sharper and the pointer is bigger.

  4. Step 4: Try zoom

    Turn on Zoom in the Seeing section, or press Super+Alt+8, then Super+Alt+= to zoom in and Super+Alt+- to zoom out.

    You should see: The screen magnifies around the pointer.

Screen readers, captions and sound

A screen reader is software that speaks aloud what is on the screen, such as button names and the text you are reading. It is mainly used by people who are blind or have low vision. Ubuntu includes Orca and Windows includes Narrator. You do not need one now, but it is useful to know that they exist and that they can be switched on and off.

Captions are the words of speech shown as text on a video. Many websites and video players have a captions button. Windows 11 also offers system-wide Live captions in its accessibility settings on recent versions. Ubuntu does not have an equivalent built into the desktop, so rely on the captions in the video player or website.

Typing: sticky keys and the on-screen keyboard

Sticky keys let you press shortcut keys one after another instead of together. For Ctrl+C you press Ctrl, let go, then press C. This helps anyone who finds holding two keys difficult, for example with one hand or a sore wrist. An on-screen keyboard is a picture of a keyboard that you click or touch. It also helps if a physical key is broken.

Turn on sticky keys and the on-screen keyboard

Ubuntu

  1. Step 1: Open Typing settings

    In Settings, open Accessibility and then Typing.

    You should see: Typing options appear, including Screen Keyboard and Typing Assist.

  2. Step 2: Switch on the screen keyboard

    Turn on Screen Keyboard.

    You should see: A keyboard appears on screen when you click a text box.

  3. Step 3: Switch on sticky keys

    Open Typing Assist (AccessX) and switch on Sticky Keys.

    You should see: Modifier keys now stay pressed until you tap another key.

Comfortable use: seat, screen and breaks

Ergonomics is arranging your equipment and habits so that your body is not strained. Poor set-up causes aching necks, sore eyes and tired wrists over time, and a few small changes make a large difference. Use the figure as a checklist, then build the eye-rest habit below it.

Diagram

A comfortable set-up compared with a common poor set-up.

Often causes strain
  • Screen below eye level
  • Feet dangling or crossed under you
  • Wrists bent on a hard edge
  • Window glare on the screen
  • Hours without a break

Aches and tired eyes

Comfortable
  • Top of screen at eye level, an arm's length away
  • Feet flat, back supported
  • Forearms level, wrists straight
  • Light from the side
  • A short break every 30 minutes

Less strain

A comfortable set-up compared with a common poor set-up.
Read this figure as text

Two columns comparing a poor working position with a comfortable one.

Poor set-up: laptop flat on a low table with the screen below eye level so the neck bends; feet dangling; wrists bent upward on a hard edge; screen in front of a bright window causing glare; sitting for hours without a break. Comfortable set-up: top of the screen at or just below eye level, roughly an arm's length away; feet flat on the floor; forearms level and wrists straight, with a separate keyboard and mouse if the laptop is raised on a stand or books; light coming from the side; a short break every 30 minutes or so.

Diagram

The 20-20-20 habit for resting your eyes.

20-20-201Work2Look far away3Hold for 20seconds
  1. WorkAbout 20 minutes at the screen
  2. Look far awaySomething about 6 metres (20 feet) away
  3. Hold for 20 secondsBlink normally, relax your face
The 20-20-20 habit for resting your eyes.
Read this figure as text

A cycle of three steps: work for twenty minutes, look at something twenty feet away, hold for twenty seconds.

A repeating cycle. Step 1: work at the screen for about twenty minutes. Step 2: look at something far away, about twenty feet or six metres, such as out of a window. Step 3: hold your gaze there for twenty seconds, blinking normally. Then return to work and repeat. Standing up and stretching every half hour fits in the same cycle.

Common mistakes

  • ✖ Instead of: Making the text huge by turning the screen resolution down.

    ✔ Do this: Lowering the resolution makes everything blurry. Use text size, display scale or zoom instead, which keep the picture sharp.

  • ✖ Instead of: Turning on a screen reader by accident and not knowing how to stop it.

    ✔ Do this: Learn the off switch first: on Ubuntu use the Screen Reader switch in Accessibility; on Windows press Windows key+Ctrl+Enter to start or stop Narrator.

  • ✖ Instead of: Ignoring pain or tired eyes because the computer 'works fine'.

    ✔ Do this: Discomfort is a signal. Take breaks, adjust the set-up and see a health professional if pain continues.

If something goes wrong

Some programs still look small after I enlarge the text.
Text size changes only some things. Try the display scale setting instead, which enlarges everything, and restart any program that was open while you changed it.
The screen shows odd colours after I turned on a contrast theme.
Return to the accessibility settings and switch the contrast theme or high contrast off. On Windows, the contrast themes page has a Themes drop-down where you can choose None.
My computer started speaking everything aloud.
A screen reader has been switched on. Turn it off in the Accessibility settings (Screen Reader on Ubuntu, Narrator on Windows, shortcut Windows key+Ctrl+Enter).

Key terms

Accessibility
Making devices, documents and websites usable by people with different abilities, such as poor sight, hearing or movement.
Screen reader
Software that reads aloud what is on the screen, helping people who cannot see it well.
Screen magnifier
A feature that enlarges part of the screen so small text and details are easier to see.
High contrast
A display setting that uses strongly different colours, such as light text on a dark background, to make things easier to see.
Sticky keys
An accessibility setting that lets you press shortcut keys one after another instead of holding them all at once.
On-screen keyboard
A picture of a keyboard shown on the screen that you click or tap instead of using physical keys.
Ergonomics
Arranging your seat, screen and keyboard so that using a computer does not strain your body.

Practise it for real

Reading is not the same as being able to do it. Complete these on your own computer, then tick only what you have actually done. These ticks are your own honest record: nothing checks them for you.

Guided exerciseNeeds a laptop or desktop

Set up your screen for comfort

On your own computer, open the accessibility settings. Increase the text size or display scale by one step, enlarge the pointer, and try zoom or the magnifier for a minute. Then turn on sticky keys, press Ctrl and C one after the other to see how they behave, and turn them off if you do not need them. Finally, adjust your seat, screen height and brightness using the comfort checklist.

You have succeeded when:
Independent challenge

Challenge: help someone else find a setting

Imagine a friend says: “I can’t read the writing on my screen and I keep hitting two keys at once.” Without using the lesson, write down (or explain aloud) which two settings you would suggest, where to find each in Ubuntu or Windows, and one habit that would reduce eye strain.

You have succeeded when:

Knowledge check

6 questions. You need 80% to pass. Mistakes here are part of learning, and you can retry as often as you like.

  1. Question 1.You want to read tiny writing in a small part of the screen for a moment, without changing anything permanently. Which tool is best?
  2. Question 2.Match each tool to what it helps with.
  3. Question 3.Accessibility settings are only for people who have a disability.
  4. Question 4.Joseph has an injured left hand and finds it hard to hold Ctrl while pressing C.Which feature should he switch on?
  5. Question 5.Put the 20-20-20 habit in order.
    1. Look at something about 6 metres away
    2. Hold your gaze for 20 seconds
    3. Return to work and repeat
    4. Work for about 20 minutes
  6. Question 6.Which set-up is the most comfortable for long sessions?

Summary

  • Text size, display scale, zoom and high contrast are separate tools for different seeing problems.
  • Screen readers, captions, sticky keys and the on-screen keyboard are built into both systems.
  • Accessibility settings live in Settings under Accessibility on Ubuntu and on Windows.
  • A comfortable set-up and regular breaks, such as 20-20-20, protect your eyes, neck and wrists.

Checklist: can you do these?

Marking a lesson as read does not prove you can do it. Skills count as demonstrated when you pass the quiz (not yet) and complete the practical tasks (not yet).

Related lessons

References and further reading

Official sources for details that can change between versions.

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