How to use the
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How to use the
Accessiblity Features on your Computer
by Justin Pot, staff writer at Zapier, based in Hillsboro, Oregon. Zapier is an automation tool for small businesses
. Zoom in on anything. Speed up your computer. Talk instead of type
You know those dips in curbs at crosswalks? Those exist because of decades of advocacy by accessibility advocates, but today they benefit anyone who pushes a stroller or just enjoys not tripping. This universal benefit is called the curb cut effect, and it’ s not only for sidewalks.
Maybe, if you’ re American, you’ ve turned on closed captions on your TV to understand British accents— those captions are also the direct result of disability advocacy. Texting, arguably, evolved from telecommunications devices for the deaf. Features initially designed for accessibility end up improving life for everyone, which in turn makes those features stick. It’ s a virtuous cycle that, at its best, helps everyone.
The accessibility features on your computer are similar: they were designed with particular needs in mind, but they benefit everyone. And they’ re worth exploring. I’ ve written about how you can catch typos by making your computer read to you. There are so many more similar tricks, if you’ re willing to dig.