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Documentation

ZoomText

Introduction

ZoomText is a combination screen magnifier and screen reader which allows users to see and hear everything that appears on the computer's screen. ZoomText features flexible magnification up to sixteen times the normal view, eight zoom windows, all-color-smoothing to increase clarity of viewing at increased magnification levels, enhanced screen colors to reduce eye strain and improve clarity,visual pointers and cursors to enhance the visibility of the mouse pointer and text cursor, and a Desktop finder to help locate programs and documents. Its screen reader function automatically speaks menus, dialogs, and status bars. It is able to read web pages, documents, and email. A typing echo enables each key or word to be read as it is typed. ZoomText is available on Assistive Technology stations in Capen first floor Cybrary (two computers), Lockwood second floor Cybrary, Lockwood Library second floor, Health Sciences Library first floor in Abbott Hall, 128 Clement Residence Hall, Baldy 206, and Capen 201.

Using ZoomText

1. Log into an Assistive Technology computer that has ZoomText installed by entering your UBITName and Password.
2. Click start, select All Programs, ZoomText8.1, then ZoomText8.1. Your view of the Desktop is automatically magnified once ZoomText starts.
   
   
3. The ZoomText User Interface window will appear automatically. It contains all the tools available in ZoomText. The ZoomText User Interface window can be minimized when not in use. To minimize, press the minimize symbol in the ZoomText window or press Esc while the interface is active.
   
   

• The ZoomText button is a toggle that turns ZoomText on and off without exiting the program.
  
  

• Access Magnifier and Reader functions that are available under their respective tabs by clicking each tab.
  
  

Magnifier Options

The Power option sets the magnification level from 1x to 16x. To increase magnification, click the up arrow adjacent to the Power option, or press ALT and the + (plus) key on the keyboard's keypad. To reduce magnification, click the down-arrow adjacent to the Power box, or press ALT and the - (minus) key on the keyboard's keypad. You can also set Magnification by selecting Magnifier, Power, then the desired magnification level.

Enhancements

It is possible to enhance colors to provide better screen contrast, enhance or enlarge the appearance of the pointer, enhance the cursor, or enhance text by smoothing the edges of magnified text.

1. Select Magnifier, then either Color Enhancements, Pointer Enhancements, Cursor Enhancements, or Text Enhancements.
2. Select the desired options, then click OK.

Zoom Window Display Options

Zoom Windows can be displayed in several Type options. The Type option can be set to Full, Overlay, Lens, Line, or Docked. Full displays a view that fills the screen. Overlay can be moved around the screen. Lens works like a magnifying glass, and enlarges what falls beneath the mouse pointer. Line magnifies a single line on the screen. Docked magnifies half the screen, while presenting the other half in an unmagnified display. You can choose which portion of the screen is magnified and which is regular size. The Type option can also be selected by pressing Ctrl Shift z until the desired option is enabled, or by selecting Magnifier, then Zoom Window. Choose the Window Type and click OK.

Freeze Windows

Freeze Windows allow you to view a window or part of a window in one location while viewing and editing information in another. The Freeze Window sits on the top layer, allowing you to scroll, while the active screen acts normally beneath it.

1. To create a Freeze Window, set the Zoom Window to Full. From the toolbar, select Freeze, then New, or, from the menu, select Actions, then Freeze Tool.
   
   
2. Use the mouse to move the desired area into view.
   
   
3. Click and drag to select the area to freeze. When satisfied with the portion of the screen you want frozen, right-click. You can now scroll freely around the screen while keeping the frozen text in place.
   
    

To enable or disable the Freeze tool, press Ctrl Shift f. To exit the Freeze tool, press Esc.

View Mode

View Mode lets you zoom in on a selected area. Magnification turns off when View Mode is activated.

1. Select Actions, then View Mode, or press Ctrl Shift v.
2. Move the view locator to the desired location.
   
   
3. Click to zoom in the new location.

4. To zoom back out or select another area to view, press Ctrl Shift v again.

Screen Reading Options

The Reader tab contains options to have text spoken rather than magnified. The Speech button is a toggle that turns the spoken text on or off. To adjust the speed at which the text is read, increase or decrease the number in the Rate field. Typing echoes back typed input. Mouse echo reads the text beneath the mouse pointer. Verbosity adjusts the amount that is read at a given time. AppReader provides continuous reading. DocReader also provides continuous reading, but in a special environment where the text is reformatted for easier viewing. SpeakIt allows the computer to read aloud text that is selected with the mouse.

Enabling Speech

To enable speech, select Actions, then Enable Speech (or Disable Speech). Alternately, simultaneously press Alt Shift s.

If you want to terminate speech of known text, press the Ctrl key. If you want to adjust the rate at which the text is read, adjust the speech rate in the Rate pull-down menu. Setting the speech rate does not affect AppReader and DocReader, which have their own settings.

AppReader

AppReader reads documents, web pages, or email messages.

1. Open the file, web page, or email message you want to read.
2. Select AppRdr from the Reader toolbar. You can also select it by selecting Actions, then Start AppReader or by pressing Alt Shift a.  
   
   
3. Automatic reading can be stopped or started by pressing Enter or by clicking the mouse.
4. To exit AppReader, press Esc or right-click the mouse.

DocReader

DocReader reads documents, web pages, and email, but in its own special environment rather than in the application itself. Text is displayed in a teleprompter format.

1. Open the file, web page, or email message you want to read.
2. Select DocRdr from the Reader toolbar. You can also select it by selecting Actions, then Start DocReader or by pressing Alt Shift d.  
3. To start or stop reading, click Play/Pause or press Enter.
   
   
4. To exit DocReader, press Esc or right-click the mouse.

SpeakIt

SpeakIt reads selected areas by clicking or dragging the mouse. Text in images cannot be spoken.

1. Select SpeakIt from the Reader toolbar. You can also start it by selecting Actions, then SpeakIt Tool or by pressing Alt Shift i.
2. To speak a single word, click on it. To speak several words or an entire block of text, click and select it with the mouse. Release the mouse button and the text will be spoken.
3. To exit SpeakIt, right-click or press Esc.

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