Information in this document, including URL and other Internet website references, is subject to change without notice. The most current help documentation for this product can always be found at http://help.samobile.net
Before we explore what System Access can do for you, let's first take a look at a few concepts you'll need to understand in order to use System Access effectively.
Please note that starting System Access should automatically close any other screen reader which is currently running. However, in cases where this doesn't happen automatically, you will have two voices talking at once. For this reason, we strongly recommend that you first unload any currently running screen reader before starting System Access. Please consult your screen reader's documentation regarding this step.
If you have installed System Access on your computer, you may start it by pressing CTRL+Alt+S. This is done by holding down the Control Key, the Alt key, and pressing the letter S simultaneously. When these keys are pressed, you will hear a sound, hereafter refered to as the working sound, indicating that the program is loading. System Access will begin talking within seconds. Once System Access is loaded, you'll have full access to the Windows applications installed on your system.
While System Access reads most of the pertinent information on your screen automatically, and standard Windows navigation keys can be used within your applications, there are also hot keys for System Access itself which can be used to gain access to specific information, such as date and time, a list of links on a webpage, and much more.
Most of System Access's commands are performed by holding down a key, referred to as the Modifier Key, in conjunction with another key. The System Access Modifier Key can be one of four keys, including the Insert Key, often located near the Home Key on the keyboard, the Caps-lock Key, the 0 Key on the numpad, or the Scroll-lock Key. For your convenience, all these modifier keys are active and you may choose the one which seems most comfortable at any given time. For example, you may find it easiest to use the Caps-lock Key in conjunction with the letter F to bring up the System Access menu, but you may prefer using the NumPad 0 Key in conjunction with F11 to bring up a list of items in the System Tray.
Here are just a few keystrokes and their descriptions to get you started. See a full list of keyboard commands in the Keyboard Command Quick Reference
Modifier+F: Brings up the System Access menu, where you may adjust preferences, view or modify account settings, and launch other Serotek services.
Modifier+F12: Speaks the current time and date.
Modifier+F11: Brings up a list of items in the System Tray.
Modifier+Down Arrow: Reads from your current position to the bottom of the document or window. Modifier+Up Arrow: Reads the current line. Press twice quickly to spell the current line. Modifier+F7: Brings up a list of links on the current webpage.
Modifier+F4: Unloads System Access.
The System Access menu allows you to customize your preferences to make System Access look and sound the way you like. From this menu, you can also view or modify your account settings, purchase other Serotek products and services, view text and audio help files, and much more. In this section, we will provide a brief overview of some of these options. We'll also provide a reference to sections in the Help file that cover these items in greater detail.
To open the System Access menu, press Modifier+F. The first option in this menu will change depending on the Serotek products and services you have. For example, if you have a subscription to SAMNet, which is thoroughly discussed in the SAMNet Help file, you'll see an option to connect to the System Access Mobile Network. Otherwise, the Preferences option may be the first item within the System Access menu. You may use your Up Arrow and Down Arrow to move through the items in the menu, and when you've found the option you want, simply press Enter to open the menu item.
Note that as you move through the menu items, you may pause on any item to hear the shortcut key associated with that item. For example, if you're focused on the Preferences option within the menu, you'll hear the word "Preferences", followed by a short pause, and then the letter P. By learning which key is associated with an option in the menu, you may quickly jump to that option rather than using your arrow keys to navigate to it. For instance, you may press Modifier+F to bring up the System Access menu, and then press the letter P to be taken to the "Preferences" Section.
In order to use System Access to perform tasks with your computer productively and effectively, you'll want to make sure that System Access sounds, looks, and feels comfortable to you. The System Access Preferences page allows you to customize the behavior of System Access to best fit your needs. Before we explore the items on this page and discover what they do, let's briefly discuss a few types of controls you're likely to encounter, not only in System Access dialogs, but in other Windows applications as well.
If you are already familiar with controls such as checkboxes and drop-down lists, you may skip directly to the "General Preferences" section to begin learning about customizing System Access. While we won't explore every type of control that can be found in a dialog box, we'll briefly discuss a few of them and how to interact with them.
A control which can be toggled on or off. Press the Spacebar to toggle the state of the checkbox. When the box is checked, the behavior associated with the checkbox is enabled, and when the box is unchecked, the behavior is disabled.
This control contains several options, only one of which may be selected at any given time. When a drop-down list is closed, you'll only be able to see the option that is currently selected. To open a drop-down list and see what it contains, press Alt+Down Arrow. Next, navigate the options in the list with Up or Down Arrow Keys. When you're focused on the one you want, press Enter and the list will be closed.
This control allows you to type in information. When you've finished entering information, you may press the Tab Key to move to the next control, or Shift+Tab to move to the previous control.
A button performs one specific action when pressed. For instance, an OK button confirms that you understand a message, or that other controls in the dialog box are set the way you want them. To press a button, press the Spacebar. Note that the Enter Key will also press a button, but the Enter Key either presses the currently selected button, or it presses the default button if none is selected. For this reason, it is probably safest to press the Spacebar rather than Enter on a button you wish to choose.
When opening the Preferences dialog from the System Access Menu, you'll be focused on the first item in the list, which is General Preferences. You may choose this option by pressing the Enter Key on your keyboard. Now, you'll be presented with a set of options to customize how System Access behaves. You may move through these options with the Tab and Shift+Tab Keys on your keyboard. Note that the Tab Key will move to the next option in the dialog box, while the Shift+Tab keystroke will move backward through the dialog box. When you have customized options in a particular dialog, you may tab to the OK button and press the Spacebar. If you'd like to leave a dialog without saving any of your changes, press the Escape Key, or tab to the Cancel Button and press the Spacebar.
Key Echo determines if System Access speaks each key on the keyboard as you type it. If this checkbox is checked, System Access will speak each keystroke as you press it. Leave this box unchecked if you don't want System Access to echo each keystroke.
This option determines whether System Access echos each word as you type it. If checked, System Access will speak the word you've just typed whenever you press the Spacebar or use a punctuation mark.
This drop-down list provides several choices for how System Access handles the announcement of links on webpages. Note that the option you choose in this list only applies when System Access begins reading the page automatically, or when you have used the "say all" command. When navigating a webpage with your arrow keys or Tab and Shift+Tab Keys, the word "link" will be used to denote items that are links.
sometimes, additional information is available about items on the screen. For example, when inside a drop-down list, there is information about how many items are contained in that list. We refer to this type of information as an optional message, and you can customize how System Access handles such messages. They can be read in an alternate voice, the default voice, or not at all.
This option determines how System Access behaves when it encounters buttons on toolbars which have additional information. The other options in the General Preferences Dialog will be discussed in detail in the help files pertaining to SAMNet.
The next option on the preferences page allows you to select the speech synthesizer that you want System Access to use, and to customize how that synthesizer sounds. The default synthesizer, or engine, is DECtalk, but you can select another speech engine that you have installed on your computer. For a complete list of voices that may be purchased for use with System Access, including Eloquence, Neospeech, RealSpeak, and Ivona voices, please choose the My Account option from the System Access menu and follow the link to purchase Serotek products and services. In addition to the speech engines you may purchase directly from Serotek, you may also use speech engines that are already installed on your computer. To see a list of speech engines that are installed, choose the SAPI5 or SAPI4 engine, then tab to the Voices Option to view the list of voices available for that engine.
The Voice menu option allows you to change the voice that your synthesizer uses. For instance, if you've chosen Neospeech as your default engine, you may then select Paul, Kate, or Julie as your default voice.
The Speaking Rate option determines how slow or fast your computer will speak. Use the Faster and Slower buttons by pressing the Spacebar on them, until you find the rate of speech that works for you. also, use the Higher and Lower buttons to raise and lower the pitch until the voice sounds the way you want it.
The Punctuation option specifies how much punctuation you hear. This varies depending on the voice you are using. Therefore, you will need to play with this setting a bit until you find what best meets your individual needs. For the remaining options in this dialog, you need only tab to the option to hear its function.
These preferences allow you to control how System Access built-in magnification behaves. You may use the Larger and Smaller buttons to increase or decrease magnification of the screen. The print can be magnified from 1.25X to 6X in increments of .25X.
In this dialog, you may select the translation table that you prefer, and you may decide whether speech is enabled with System Access when you have a Braille display connected. For more information about using Braille with System Access, and to see a list of supported displays, please read the section "Braille with System Access".
Other preferences for System Access and SAMNet will be explored in later sections of this, and the SAMNet, help files.
When you're ready to close the System Access Preferences page, simply tab to the Close link and press Enter, or press Escape from the main System Access Preferences page.
If you need to explore the keyboard without your keystrokes having any effect, turn on System Access Keyboard Help Mode by pressing Modifier+H. While this mode is on, each key you press will be announced, and if you type a System Access hotkey, (a combination of two or more keys pressed together), System Access will describe what the hotkey does. There are a few exceptions to this: Control+Alt+Delete is handled by Windows itself, so when you press this keystroke, you won't hear a description of what it does. Rather, Windows will handle the keystroke. The other keystrokes which do not have spoken descriptions when pressed are Modifier+H and the escape key. These keys allow you to exit keyboard help mode. Also, hardware-specific keys, such as those used to modify or access settings of a notebook computer, will either not speak at all, or may speak inaccurately.
What follows is an overview of some tips for navigating Windows, and some keyboard shortcuts to make your life easier.
The Start Menu displays links or shortcuts to every program that is installed on your computer. To open the Start Menu from anywhere, press the Windows Key. On most keyboards, the Windows Key is on the bottom row, second from the left. On older keyboards that do not have a Windows Key, you can use Control+Escape to open the Start Menu. The order of programs will be different on every computer. The most-used programs are displayed first. Because some programs may be hidden, in Windows XP, press "P" to jump to the All Programs menu. IN Windows 7 and Vista, press the Windows Key, press Up Arrow once, and press Enter when you reach the All Programs submenu. To exit the Start Menu, press the Escape Key located in the upper left corner of the keyboard.
The Windows Desktop contains links to many programs. You can also create shortcuts to programs or directories you use. Return to the Desktop at any time by either pressing Windows Key+D or Windows Key+M. When on the Desktop, you can use your arrow keys to move between items. You can also press the first letter to jump to that item. For example, press S until your computer says "System Access." Press S again and you will hear "System Access Mobile Network." To open a program or document, simply press Enter.
The System Tray shows programs running in the background, such as Windows Live Messenger or an anti-virus program. To access the System Tray, press Modifier+F11. Remember, the Modifier Key can either be the Caps-Lock, Scroll-Lock, or either of the Insert Keys. Move between items with Up Arrow or Down Arrow Keys, or press the first letter, like W for Windows Live Messenger. Once you've selected an item in the System Tray, press Tab to move through options to single left-click, double left-click or right-click, and press Spacebar to activate the appropriate button. Note your command will be issued and the dialog will close.
The taskbar is an area across the bottom of your screen, to the right of the start button. It contains icons representing all open programs on your computer. In Windows 7 and above, it also contains programs that you may access frequently, such as Internet Explorer, Windows Explorer, and Windows Media Player. You can access the taskbar either by tabbing to it from the desktop, or by pressing Windows+T. System Access will call it "Running applications toolbar", but it really is the taskbar. You can access the programs in the taskbar either by moving to them with the left and right arrows, or by pressing the first letter of the application's name. Once you've reached the application you want, you can press enter to start using it.
Help balloons are pop-ups with messages about applications or the system's status. You will hear a popping sound that indicates that a help balloon has appeared, followed by the message. Press Modifier+B to click the message, read more information, or access settings.
To get help press F1. Use the Up and Down Arrow Keys to choose a specific category. Use the Right Arrow Key to expand categories and see the topics within, and Left Arrow to collapse. Once on the item of interest, press F6 to read the topic. When finished, press F6 to return to the list of help topics. When this is done, press Escape to exit help.
To rename a file, folder, Desktop shortcut, or drive, press F2 and type in the new name.
To search for files and folders, press F3. You can search for specific filenames, or file types like *.txt.
To close and exit most programs, press Alt+F4.
To move between open programs, press Alt+Tab. To move in reverse order, press Alt+Shift+Tab.
To copy one or more items to the clipboard, press Control+C. To paste one or more items from the clipboard to a new location, press Control+V. To cut an item, i.e., remove it from one place, and put in another; first highlight the item or items and press Control+X, then go to the new location where you want the files or block of text, and press Control+V. To select all items, press Control+A. Then use the copy command with Control+C if making a second copy, or use the cut command with Control+X if moving items from one location to another. Don't forget to finish by pressing Control+V to paste.
Two important things to remember are: 1. Contents in the clipboard are overwritten every time you press either Control+C or Control+X. therefore, you can not keep adding items to the clipboard. 2. Clipboard contents are erased every time the computer is restarted.
To highlight multiple items for cutting, copying and pasting, use the Shift Key in conjunction with the Arrow Keys. Another important lifesaver is the Undo command, accomplished by pressing Control+Z.
Control+Left Arrow moves the insertion point to the beginning of the previous word Control+Right Arrow moves the insertion point to the beginning of the next word Control+Up Arrow moves the insertion point to the beginning of the previous paragraph Control+Down Arrow moves the insertion point to the beginning of the next paragraph Control+Shift with any of the Arrow Keys Highlights a block of text Shift with any of the Arrow Keys Selects more than one item in a window or on the Desktop, or select text in a document.
System Access supports many commonly used applications. The descriptions and terms used in this section may be a bit confusing at first glance, however, we encourage you to keep a copy of the application- specific System Access hotkeys nearby when first exploring many of these popular programs. You can find these helpful lists of hotkeys in the Keyboard Command Quick Reference
System Access makes exploring the Internet easy and accessible. One way to start is by first accessing Internet Explorer, which can be started in a number of ways. These steps will help you find the way to Internet Explorer in all the various editions of Microsoft Windows. Find and press the Windows Logo Key, which is generally located at the bottom left of your keyboard. Pressing this key will bring up the Windows Start Menu. System Access will tell you where it is focused within the Start Menu. Use the Arrow Keys, generally on the right side of the keyboard, to move through the choices until you find the All Programs option. Selecting this option, by pressing Enter, will open up a list of programs that are installed on your computer. Again, by using the Arrow Keys, move through the list until you hear the option for Internet Explorer. Once there, hit the Enter key to start this program. Now you are ready to surf the internet.
Websites can be reached by typing an address into the address bar. Press the F6 key, or hold the ALT and the D keys at the same time, to get n the address bar. Type in the website's address and press the Enter Key. System Access will start to read the information on the website selected.
Exploring and navigating each webpage requires you to use a few hotkeys.
You can press Tab and Shift+Tab to move through the links on a given page, move up and down line by line with the Arrow Keys, or move by paragraph with Control+Up Arrow and Control+Down Arrow. Pressing the letter H will let you jump to each heading on a webpage, if it has any, and holding the Shift key with the letter H will cause you to move backwards through the headings on that same page. If you are browsing a webpage with many links, you can put these links in a convenient list by pressing Modifier+F7. Then you can choose a link using the Arrow Keys or the first letter of the name of a particular link, and press Enter to activate it.
Several webpages display their contents in tables, and System Access has various commands for navigating this data. For example, you can press Control+Alt+Left Arrow and Control+Alt+Right Arrow to move by column. Likewise, you can use Control+Alt+Up Arrow and Control+Alt+Down Arrow to move by row. Press Modifier+R to read the contents of the current row and Modifier+C to read the heading of the current column. These commands are especially useful when filling out a complex form such as an invoice.
Some webpages try to open advertisements using what are called "pop-ups." These are pages that spring up to block the page that you are reading. Windows will play a sound to let you know that a pop-up has been blocked. To access the pop-up just press Alt+N, followed by the Spacebar. You have the option of temporarily allowing pop-ups, or always allowing pop-ups on a given site.
When you are browsing the Internet, from time to time, you may hear a chime sound, along with a voice whispering C-SAW. This helpful sound lets you know that members of our community have scanned this website and made sure that all the links and graphics are accessible. C-SAW, or Community Supported Accessible Web, is an exclusive feature found only in System Access, and we hope it makes reading the web easier.
links and buttons on a web page which haven't been given user-friendly names by the web designer can be labeled for easier usability. Read more about CSAW
If you are setting up email in Windows XP, or Windows Mail in Windows Vista, System Access can automatically read all of the relevant information and prompts in the Email Setup Wizard.
Simply press Tab to move through the fields, and press Space to activate the Next button after completing each step described within the Setup Wizard. Some Internet providers may use their own software to configure your email settings. If this is the case, you may need to consult with your provider for some technical aspects of setting up your email for the first time.
Once you are set up and receiving email, simply use the Up and Down Arrows to move through the list of messages. System Access will read all of the available information about each message, such as its sender, subject, and date. If a message is unread, has high priority, or has an attachment, System Access will indicate these attributes as well.
You can jump to the inbox by pressing Control+Shift+I. From here, you can also check the status bar by pressing Modifier+Page Down. The status bar will indicate how many messages you have in the current folder, how many are unread, and whether you're working offline. Once you've found a message of interest, press Enter to open and read it.
Note that Outlook Express, and Windows Mail in Vista, displays email messages as webpages. This means that you can get a list of links, tab through the links, and use webpage navigation commands. System Access also lets you jump to the list of attachments, if any, by pressing Modifier+A. Select the attachment you want and press Enter to open it. Alternatively, you can open a pop-up menu for the attachment by pressing the Applications key. From here, you can open, print, or save the attachment.
To reply to the message, press Control+R; to forward it, press Control+F. It may be helpful to read the Outlook Express or Windows Mail Help sections built into Windows. Just press Alt+H to open the Help menu, then choose Contents and Index. Find the topic that you want, and press F6 to read it. When you are done, press F6 again to move back to the index of topics.
As in Outlook Express and Windows Mail, Microsoft Office's Outlook's setup wizard works in a similar manner with System Access. Each step within the Outlook Setup Wizard can be read by tabbing through your available options. Some Internet providers may use their own software to configure your email settings. If this is the case, you may need to consult with your provider for some technical aspects of setting up your email for the first time.
To read a message, just press the Enter key, and the message will open, placing you on the top line. You can read continuously with Modifier+Down Arrow, or review the message a line at a time with the Down Arrow key. If the message has attachments, you can put them in a list by pressing Modifier+A. You can reply to messages with Control+R, and forward messages with Control+F. System Access also works with the contacts folder for emailing contacts directly, or adding a contact either from a message, or manually.
System Access provides complete functionality to Microsoft Word documents, reading tables, forms, font information, headers and footers, footnotes, etc. System Access provides a user-friendly way of giving you information about the document that you are in, as well as other information of interest, without needing to check or uncheck selections in a complex set of dialog boxes (as is common in some screen readers). System Access will work in the various Word wizards, such as the Letter wizard etc.
Microsoft Word can be very complicated to use at times. However, here are some basic commands to get you started.
When typing in a document, you can read from your current position to the end of the document by pressing Modifier+Down Arrow. You can have System Access say the current word by pressing Modifier+the 5 Key on the Number Pad. Modifier+Up Arrow will read the current line. Skip to the next paragraph by pressing Control+Down Arrow, while Control+Up Arrow will read the previous paragraph.
For more advanced reading commands, like those for tables or editing a document, refer to the Keyboard Command Quick Reference.
Once you open an Excel worksheet, just use the standard cursor movement and reading keys to read and edit its contents. For example, the Arrow Keys move you from one cell to the next adjacent cell. System Access also provides hotkeys for reading parts of the worksheet. Please refer to the Keyboard Command Quick Reference
System Access fully supports PowerPoint slide creation, viewing, and editing. For example, you can read a PowerPoint presentation by opening the slideshow window by pressing F5. System Access will begin reading the contents of slides automatically. You can also use standard cursor movement commands to examine a slide more closely. Use the following keys to navigate within the slideshow:
Page Up moves you to the previous slide. Page Down or Spacebar moves you to the next slide. You will be notified when you reach the end of the presentation. Escape closes the slideshow window.
System Access supports various panes such as the thumbnail, notes, and the normal slide editing pane. Also dialog boxes such as the insert new slide, setup show, record narration, animation scheme, and slide transition etc. are supported.
We strongly encourage you to take advantage of Microsoft's help. This can be accessed by pressing the F1 key. Be sure to search for keyboard commands. You can find keyboard commands for just about anything that you need to get done in PowerPoint, and System Access will talk you through the entire process.
System Access lets you use the command prompt, sometimes referred to as the console. System Access will work within the console window in its regular windowed mode, or in the full-screen mode. As the console displays text, System Access announces it automatically. (Note: Automatic speech output is not supported under 16-bit applications, such as older DOS games, or the old Command.com.)
There are also several commands to review the contents of the console. Num-Lock must be enabled to use the NumPad commands. For more details, please refer to the Keyboard Command Quick Reference.
System Access works with Skype, an Internet voice communication service that allows you to talk with other Skype users at no charge. Skype is a program that you can download from the Internet and install on your computer. Visit Skype.com to learn more about this service. Note that for Windows 8 users, we recommend downloading the desktop version of Skype rather than using the modern app which comes preinstalled. This will provide the best experience with System Access.
You will need to configure your microphone and speakers before you can use Skype. Follow the program's prompts to accomplish this first before attempting a call. You may want to explore Skype's menus after you have your microphone working correctly. To adjust various options press Alt+T for Tools, followed by O for Options. You will need to add your friends to your Skype contact list before you can call anyone. Invite them to join your list or ask them to call you after you have set up the program.
As you move through your contacts with the Arrow Keys, System Access announces various attributes of each contact, such as name, country, and local time. To call the contact, press Enter. This only works if the double-click a contact to call checkbox under Tools/Options General Settings is checked. It is not checked by default. If you want more options that pertain to a contact, just press the Application Key. A menu will pop up that allows you to call the contact, chat with the contact, send a file, send a voicemail, etc. Press Alt+1 to see a list of your contacts, Alt+2 to se a list of recent call and message activity, and Alt+3 to see the history of conversations.
Virtual Mouse is a method which allows you to explore what is being displayed on the screen in -the programs you use, and allows you to customize the way that graphics are labeled.
Sometimes, you just might want to get an overview of how an application is visually laid out. Virtual Mouse can help you do that by using your keyboard. When Virtual Mouse is active, you cannot edit text in a document or access the menu bar via the Alt Key, or the shortcut keys such as alt+F. Virtual Mouse takes over your keyboard for the purpose of navigating and manipulating the window with the mouse cursor.
Virtual Mouse is most valuable when an application's controls, such as list boxes, check boxes, buttons, or icons, cannot be accessed just by tabbing or arrowing around the window. When you encounter this in an application, just press Modifier+M. You will hear a sound and you may also hear a change in voice, depending on your synthesizer. Now you can use your Up and Down Arrow Keys to move through the controls in the window. Whenever you're ready to leave the Virtual Mouse Mode, you may press Modifier+M again, or simply press Escape to return to normal operation.
Note that as you are using the Up and Down Arrow Keys, you will hear only the first object on each line. To move left or right through the objects on a line, press Alt+Left Arrow or Alt+Right Arrow. If you want to hear the object that you are on, press Modifier+Up Arrow, which is the Say Line command or, in this case, the Say Object command.
Tab and Shift +Tab move you to the next and previous clickable object respectively, regardless of what that object is. To jump to the top of the window, press Control+Home. To jump to the bottom of the window, press Control+End. When you want to activate an object, press either the Enter Key or the Spacebar. When pressing Enter or Spacebar on an object, you are simulating a left mouse click. If you need to right-click instead, press Shift+Enter or Shift+Spacebar on the object.
You can also get a list of all clickable objects in the window by pressing Modifier+F7. This is useful if you don't want to tab or arrow around the window. After you've chosen an object from the list using the up and down arrows or the object's first letter, you can tab to the mouse function that you want to perform on that object. For example, if you wanted to right-click something from this list, just tab to Right-Click and press Spacebar to activate that button.
If an application, such as Internet Explorer, has a toolbar, you can use Modifier+F8 to get a list of the toolbar buttons. Then you simply arrow down through the list of toolbar buttons and press the Enter Key when you hear the button that you want to activate. Note that this command also works when Virtual Mouse isn't active.
If you find that a particular graphic is not labeled correctly or isn't labeled at all, you can label it by pressing Alt+L. Then, just type in what you want to call the graphic and press Tab. You'll then come to a checkbox, which you can check if System Access should treat the graphic as a clickable button. Then press Tab again, and press Space to label the graphic. If you want to have System Access try to auto-label the graphics in a window, just press Alt+A. When you are done labeling your graphics, taking care to ensure for accuracy, you can submit these labels to the Serotek community by pressing Alt+S. In this way, everyone can benefit from your work, and the program you've just labeled will be more accessible for everyone. To be eligible to submit your work, you will first need to have passed a short, simple test, found at http://csawtest.samobile.net.
Using this test, we'll verify that you have the knowledge necessary to label buttons and other elements correctly. Once you've passed this test, you will be able to submit program packs as we've discussed here, and you can also label webpages. Read the cSAW help.
Note: this section does not apply to those using free System Access to Go accounts.
System Access has two remote access options: Remote Control, and Remote Training and Support. Remote Control allows you to control your home computer from another location. Remote Training and Support allows you, with permission, to access another person's computer, to either train the person, or fix the person's computer remotely. Please note that if you wish to use this feature, you must be subscribed to the System Access Mobile Network, (SAMNet.). However, the person you're connecting to need not be subscribed to this service, though they do need to be licensed for at least one Serotek product or service.
Both computers must have Internet access, and serotek software must be installed, but not necessarily running on both machines. Both computers must be running supported versions of Microsoft Windows. This includes XP, Vista, Windows 7, Server 2003 and Server 2008. Voice Over Internet Protocol technology, also known as VOIP, allows you to talk to the person while you are connected. Whether you want to simply tell them what you are doing to their machine, talk them through resolving their own issues, or to train them on changing settings or learning to use software, the options are unequaled by any other remote access technology.
When running System Access from a USB drive, or secondary machine, you can have complete control of your home computer and run any applications you want remotely. You do not have to be running System Access on the home computer; you can even run a compatible third-party screen reader if you prefer.
The default setting for enabling remote control is "off." You must turn it on to enable remote access. From your home computer, go to the System Access Mobile Network Preferences section, select: "Manage My HomeServer", and follow the "Remote Control Preferences" link, allowing you to enable remote control,+other related preferences. If you are running a firewall or router, you do not need to open any ports to access your home computer over the Internet. However, if you're running a firewall on your home computer and wish to access it from another computer on the same local area network, you will need to open port 4663 in your home computer's firewall.
The System Access HomeServer is designed with security in mind, so there is no need to worry about someone breaking into your home computer through this feature. All communication between remote machines and the home computer is strongly encrypted using Secure Socket Layer, (SSL), the same technology used by leading online stores and banks, ensuring your activities stay private.
To access your home computer remotely, open the System Access Menu, with Modifier+F, and choose Remote Control Another Computer. If you have not connected to SAMNet during this session, you will need to log in when prompted. Simply enter your account number and your pin in the usual way. Next, you will be asked which of your machines you want to remotely access; in this case, choose Primary Machine. If you have a secondary machine which is currently online, you can also choose Secondary Machine to control it remotely.
Next, you are presented with options for this remote session, such as whether visual output is enabled. If you don't need visual output, you can check the Disable Visual Output for This Session checkbox to turn it off and save some bandwidth. After setting these options, activate the Start Session button, and after a short delay, you will be connected to your home computer.
At this point, you can use your home computer as if you were sitting in front of it. One special hotkey is active at this time: Shift+Modifier+Escape opens the System Access Remote Control menu. You can close the remote session, toggle visual output, or minimize the remote session, allowing you to use your local computer without disconnecting.
Remote Training and Support allows you to connect to someone's computer to perform repairs or to train them. Likewise, you can allow someone you trust to work on your computer or teach you how to better use your machine. With this power comes responsibility. Never allow anyone you do not fully trust to access your computer. Just because someone wants to do this, it does not mean they possess the proper knowledge of your problem or the good intentions to do what you ask. Treat your computer like you would the doors of your home.
With that said, No one can access your computer without your consent. You must always accept their request by pressing Control+Shift+Y." Even when you do give your permission, you can end the Remote Training and Support session at any time. You always maintain control over your computer. You can watch what is being done, and the remote party can watch what you are doing as long as he or she is connected.
You and a partner can trade places and flip the session back and forth. For example, if a trainer has connected to your computer to teach you a common Windows application, then wants to show you an application that isn't available on your computer, the trainer can flip the session and connect you to his or her computer. When finished letting you see their software, the trainer can flip the session again and get back on your computer. Note: only the trainer, or person requesting access, can flip the session to give you control of their computer.
To begin a Remote Training and Support session, open the System Access menu by pressing Modifier+F and choose Remote Control Another Computer. If you have not connected to SAMNet, you will first be asked to log in. Enter your account number and pin. Next, you will be asked which machine you want to remotely access; in this case, choose "Another User's Computer."
You will then be prompted for the username or account number of the remote user; enter whichever credentials they supply. Disable visual output if you do not need to see their screen to save bandwidth. To enable voice conversations if both of you have microphones connected, just check the Start a Voice Conversation checkbox. Then in the Voice Conversation Audio Quality drop-down box, select the option that most closely matches your Internet speed. Then press the Request Remote Control button.
If the remote user doesn't respond, you can cancel the request by pressing the Cancel button. If the remote user accepts your request, System Access will notify you, and within a few seconds, you'll be connected to the remote computer. Once connected, System Access will say "Remote Session." If you receive a Remote Training and Support request, press Control+Shift+Y to accept it or Control+Shift+N to reject it.
If you accept the request, you will be notified when the remote user is connected to your computer. You will also be notified when the remote user has disconnected. At any time during the session, you can press "Modifier+Shift+Escape" for options. If you are the person remotely accessing a computer, you can toggle visual output, minimize the session (to temporarily return to your local computer without ending the session), or close the session. If your computer is being remotely accessed, you can force the remote user to disconnect. If you initiated the Remote Training and Support session, the menu that appears will include the option to flip the session, allowing you to reverse roles. Remember, only the person who initiated the session can flip it, but either person can end the session.
Differences Between the Two Forms of Remote Access
Though these two forms of remote access have much in common, they also differ in a few important ways. First, when using Remote Training and Support, the person sitting at the computer to which you want to connect must allow the connection. This is not needed when using Remote Control to access one of your own computers.
Second, when using Remote Control to access your own computer, speech output from System Access and SAMNet is disabled on the remote computer for the duration of the remote session. This is because you're accessing your own computer, so there's no one sitting at the computer who needs to hear what's happening. However, when using Remote Training and Support, speech output is enabled at both ends, since people at both ends need to hear what's happening.
When using Remote Training and Support, the person remotely accessing a computer doesn't hear arbitrary audio from the system or from applications running on that computer. Therefore, you can not hear audio from media players, web browsers, or audio recorders, though some Windows sounds will be played. Finally, when using Remote Control to access your own computer, you can't flip the session as you can with Remote Training and Support, since there's no one at your computer to control it.
Note that this section does not apply to those using free System Access to Go accounts. To utilize this functionality, it is necessary to own System Access Mobile, or a System Access license purchased through Accessibility Anywhere. Learn more about System access Mobile by visiting http://www.serotek.com/systemaccess Learn more about Accessibility Anywhere by visiting http://www.serotek.com/accessibilityanywhere
System Access now runs on standard USB drives, as well as on U3 smart drives. You are welcome to use either type of drive, but you may find it helpful to know which type you have. If U3 is not prominently visible on the drive or it’s packaging, chances are that you have a standard USB drive. These devices are often referred to as thumb drives or pen drives, regardless of whether or not they are using U3 technology. One type is not preferable to another, but U3 drives are becoming increasingly harder to find.
You can install System Access Mobile on any U3 smart drive or standard USB drive. Here's how.
First, you'll need to acquire the drive you'd like to use. You can find these drives by shopping at local office supply stores or by searching online. If you are using a U3 drive, we recommend that you install the latest U3 software on the drive
to ensure best performance. You can find the latest U3 software at
< http://u3.sandisk.com>. Download and run the software, and follow the instructions during
software installation to complete setup.
When inserting a drive for the first time, it is best to run System Access from the desktop machine and allow Windows to discover the drive before attempting to install System Access Mobile on the device. Any messages after this step that talk about unsafe removal and loss of data can safely be ignored. Just check the box that says "Don't display this message again" once you have set up your drive.
As mentioned previously, you will only be able to install System Access on your drive if you have a license for System Access Mobile, or you've purchased a license through Accessibility Anywhere, and that license isn't currently in use as a computer installation. Also, please note that you may have only one U3 smart drive or one Standard USB drive in use on the account at any given time.
To set up either your U3 smart drive or your standard USB drive, first run System Access from your desktop installation, or log into your account at http://www.satogo.com. Once System Access is running, go to the System Access menu by pressing Modifier+F. Now, use your arrow keys until you get to Install System Access Mobile on a USB Drive and press the Enter Key. To get to this option more quickly, you may press the letter U from the System Access menu. You will now be asked to insert a USB drive. Once you insert a drive, you will be shown information specific to it, such as the brand and capacity. You'll be asked if you would like to use the existing drive, or insert a different one. If the drive recognized by System Access isn't the one you'd like to use, you may unplug it and insert the drive you do want to use.
Once System Access has detected the correct drive, you can choose to reinstall System Access, or install the software for the first time on a new drive. There are additional installation options, but if you'd just like to install System Access with no add-ons, you may choose the Continue button. Otherwise, you can choose add-ons such as NeoSpeech?, RealSpeak?, and Ivona. Note that these add-ons will only be available to install on your drive if you have purchased them, or are eligible for a trial. If you do not see some items in this list which you have purchased, they will be automatically installed.
Once you have made your selections, you can activate the Continue button. You will be shown the software that you have selected for installation, the size of each software package, and the total size that the software will consume on the drive. Once you choose to install the software, installation will begin. You will hear status messages such as "Preparing to install...," or "Copying files...," as well as a percentage indicator to let you know how the
creation process is going. The entire process will take about 5 to 10 minutes, depending on the components that you select. As soon as your drive is set up, feel free to try it out on any Windows-based computer.
If you get a new or larger capacity drive in the future, you can easily transfer System Access Mobile and your add- ons of choice to the new device. Simply perform the steps above using the new drive, and the System Access license on your previous drive will automatically be deactivated.
The process of running System Access will vary, depending on whether or not you are using a U3 or a standard USB drive, and on the version of Windows you are running. If you are using Windows 7 or later, you will first have to tell Windows to automatically run software from USB drives when they are inserted. This process must be done on each computer on which you want to run System Access, but it only has to be done once on each computer.
You may need to use System Access to perform the following steps. Insert your U3 smart drive in to a Windows computer. When the autoplay screen pops up, press the letter R. This will select the Run Launch U3.exe option. Tab two times, and press the Spacebar to check the Always Do This for Software and Games checkbox, and press the Enter Key. You can now turn off System Access and allow it to launch from the U3 drive. If you get the message that says, "System Access is already running," press Enter to acknowledge the message, then turn off System Access, and reinsert the U3 drive.
Using your U3 smart drive under Windows 7 and above is slightly less straightforward, but still fairly easy to do. Because Microsoft disabled software from running automatically from removable media such as USB drives, your U3 Launchpad will not launch automatically. Here's what you can do to initiate the process. If you happen to know the drive letter of the U3 system, you may do the following: Hold down the Windows key and press the letter R to bring up the Run dialogue. Type DriveLetter:launchu3 where DriveLetter? equals the letter of the drive that your U3 system is on.
If you don't know the letter of the drive you need to access, you may find it helpful to use Narrator just long enough to locate and launch the appropriate file. To do this, press the Windows Key+R, and type in the word "narrator" (without the quotes), and press Enter. Once Narrator is running, choose the computer icon from either your start menu or from your desktop, and then press enter on the drive which says, "U3 System."" Once this drive is open, navigate with your arrow keys to the file entitled: launchu3.exe. Press enter on it, and System Access will soon come up talking.
You may press the letter L to jump more quickly to the launchu3.exe file. When the U3 smart drive is installed, the Launchpad is also in the System Tray. You can bring up the System Tray at any time and gain access to the Launchpad by locating it in the tray and simply hitting the Enter Key. We recommend that you rename your U3 smart drive so that you can quickly differentiate this from your other removable drives. It is very easy to rename the drive. Just press the Windows Key+E. This places you within Windows Explorer. Now tab once. You should be within a list of drives on your computer. Next, use your Up/Down Arrow Keys to find your U3 smart drive. With the cursor on the U3 smart drive, press Alt+Enter. The keyboard command accesses the U3 smart drive's properties. You should hear "Label editable text." Just type in a friendly name that will help you remember this U3 smart drive in the future and hit Enter. The next time that the U3 smart drive is inserted, the drive will show the name that you typed here.
U3 smart drives are "hot swappable," which means you can plug a U3 smart drive in or remove it while the computer is running. The U3 smart drive is not damaged when you do this, and the software files, emails, and settings will all stay intact. There have been a lot of promises in the past, but U3 is the first thumb drive technology that is truly plug and play.
Unfortunately, Sandisk is no longer developing U3, and U3 drives are, consequently, difficult if not impossible to find, since they are no longer being manufactured. To meet this need, System Access now works with any USB drive, whether it has U3 software on it or not.
If you are using a standard USB drive, the process is the same for all versions of Windows. If you happen to know the drive letter of your USB device, you may do the following: Hold down the Windows key and press the letter R to bring up the Run dialogue. Type either DriveLetter:launch System Access.exe or DriveLetter:launch SA.exe where DriveLetter? equals the letter of the USB drive. If you don't know the letter of the drive you need to access, you may find it helpful to use Narrator just long enough to locate and launch the appropriate file. To do this, press the Windows Key+R, and type in the word "narrator" (without the quotes), and press Enter. Once Narrator is running, choose the computer icon from either your start menu or from your desktop, and then press enter on the correct drive. Once this drive is open, navigate with your arrow keys to either the file entitled: launch System Access.exe or launch SA.exe. Press enter on it, and in about 30 seconds, System Access will soon come up talking. You may press the letter L to jump more quickly to either launch option.
We recommend that you rename your USB drive so that you can quickly differentiate this from your other removable drives. It is very easy to rename the drive. Just press the Windows Key+E. This places you within Windows Explorer. Now tab once. You should be within a list of drives on your computer.
Next, use your Up/Down Arrow Keys to find your USB drive. With the cursor on the USB drive, press Alt+Enter. The keyboard command accesses the USB drive's properties. You should hear "Label editable text." Just type in a friendly name that will help you remember this drive in the future and hit Enter. The next time that the drive is inserted, it will show the name that you typed here.
To ensure that you do not lose any data, we recommend that you eject the USB drive. You can either shut down the computer and then remove the drive, or shut down System Access before removing the drive from within Windows. Important: Never remove the drive from the USB socket without first shutting down System Access.
To eject the drive, highlight the drive you want to remove, and press the Context Menu key or Shift+F10, and type the letter J to eject the drive. You may be presented with options labeled Retry or Continue. Choose the Continue option to safely remove the drive. You will, of course, perform these steps with no spoken feedback unless you run Narrator again.
System Access preferences allow you to configure System Access to work just the way you want. To enter the Preferences menu, press Modifier+F, then press P for preferences. If you are using SAMNet, simply press alt+P.
You will be presented with the options of General Preferences, Text-to-Speech Preferences, Screen Magnification Preferences, Braille Preferences, Startup Preferences, Manage My Home Server, and Manage Machines. If you are running SAMNet, you'll see Some additional options. These are Font and Color Preferences, Password Manager, Sync Preferences, Socializer Preferences, and Personalize your SAMNet Home. These options will be covered separately in SAMNet's help documentation. The last item is the Close button. Choose the option of interest and press the Enter Key to configure its corresponding settings. See each option below.
Check the Key Echo checkbox if you wish to have every character spoken as you type it. Check the Word Echo checkbox if you wish to have each word you have typed spoken when you press the Spacebar, any punctuation, or the enter key.
The Alert Type option lets you set how web links are spoken when they are encountered. This is a drop-down box. All drop-down boxes require that you press Alt+Down Arrow to make your selection. The choices are Tone, which lets you hear an audible tone before each link is spoken; Word will speak the word link before each link is spoken; and nothing will disable this feature.
Read Tool Tips lets you decide how you will be notified of special announcements presented on the screen, either by Windows or other software. Your choices are Off, which disables this feature; In Virtual Mouse only, speaks items only when using the virtual mouse to review the screen by first pressing Modifier+M; or Always, which always speaks on-screen announcements as they appear, regardless of what you are doing.
The Simplified User Interface is specific to SAMNet. When checking this box, SAMNet items are displayed in a simple list view, allowing you to press the first letter of each item to quickly move to that item. If unchecked, you can either tab to each item in SAMNet Home, or press the Down Arrow Key and hear a number associated with each item.
Text-to-Speech Preferences allow you to select the speech synthesizer that you want System Access to use. The default engine is DECtalk, but you can change it to other speech engines you have installed on your computer. Other voices that may be purchased include: Eloquence, Neospeech Kate, Paul, and Julie, any one or more of twelve voices from RealSpeak, or any one or more of six voices from Ivona. Other possible free voices that may or may not show up, depending on your configuration, may include: SAPI5 voices from Microsoft which will vary, depending on your version of Windows, the family of free voices from eSpeak, and possibly other SAPI5 and SAPI4 voices you may have installed.
Press Alt+Down Arrow to open the Text-to-Speech Engine drop-down, make your selection and press Tab to choose among the available voices that come with that speech engine. Tab once again to the Faster button. Each press of the Faster button will slightly increase the speaking rate, and will read the sentence "This is a test of your speech settings." Tab once more to the Slower button, and press this button to slow the voice until you find the rate that is comfortable for you. Next is the Higher button, which will increase the pitch of the voice. Tab again to the Lower button to lower the pitch. The same sentence will be read each time you adjust a setting to help you get the sound you desire.
The Punctuation option specifies how much punctuation you hear, and includes: None, Some, Most, or All. This varies depending on the voice you are using; therefore, you will need to play with this setting a bit until you find what's right for your needs. The final three checkboxes let you choose what happens when you encounter a capital letter. You can have the word "Cap" spoken before each capitalized letter, have the pitch of your voice raised before each capital letter, have a tone played before each capital letter, or any combination of these. Please note that all speech synthesizers support complete customization for speaking capitalized text.
Magnification preferences allow you to enlarge the screen in .25X increments from 1.25X to 6X. Just check the box to enable screen magnification. Use the button labeled "Larger" to increase the magnification by .25X increments, or use the button labeled "Smaller" to decrease the magnification by .25X increments. The next checkbox allows you to invert colors in the magnified image, and the final option is a checkbox allowing you to turn off magnification in the SA browser, used for viewing SAMNet content.
Braille preferences contain two options. The first allows you to set which translation table you want to use. The default is English 8-Dot Braille. the second and final option is a checkbox, allowing you to have speech while your Braille display is connected. Uncheck this box to turn off speech once your display is connected. Don't worry, once your display is disconnected, speech automatically returns, so you are not left with no access, or thinking your computer has crashed.
Startup preferences allow you to make two very important decisions about whether System Access will automatically begin when Windows is restarted. The first checkbox asks if you want System Access to begin speaking once you have logged on to Windows. Uncheck this if you prefer to have another screen reader as your default. The second checkbox asks if you want System Access to load on the logon screen so you have speech to choose which user will be logging on, and to enter your password. Uncheck this if you use another screen reader to log on to Windows.
The home server allows you to access your computer from a remote location. This is handy for retrieving files when you are away from home, or if you lose speech, you can use another computer to get your sound back. In remote server options, you can either stop the server, or remove the home server from your computer entirely.
Manage Machines options allow you to determine which of your machines are licensed. That's right, do it yourself, any time of the day or night, 24/7, without having to explain why you need a machine reset. If you need help, you can always call the friendly Serotek support staff weekdays from 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time at (612) 246-4818.
First you will see a list of registered machines. Next to this is a Rename button. This allows you to change the name of each machine to something more meaningful to you, like Dan’s Laptop, or Windows 7 at Work. Next is a button to Set as Primary. You should set the computer you use the most as your primary machine. Finally is the Unregister button. Do this only to a computer on which you no longer wish to use a license of System access. You might use this option, for example, if you plan not to use a specific machine anymore, or if you are selling it or giving it away, or if you are upgrading to a newer version of Windows or reinstall Windows to a newly reformatted hard drive. Note that if you want to unregister the machine that is marked as your primary machine, you will first need to set another system as primary if you have more than one registered.
When finished, press Escape to exit.
Internet Explorer is a web browser in Windows for surfing the Internet. When you find a webpage you want to come back to in the future, add it to your favorites by pressing Control+D. You can simply press enter to keep the title of the page, or first edit it to something more meaningful to you. When finished, press Enter. When you want to go back to one of the favorites you have created, press Control+I. You can organize your favorites by putting them into alphabetical order, deleting unwanted items, or arranging them by subcategories. To do this, start by pressing Control+B. Then, use your Tab and Arrow Keys to explore the options. When you are finished, tab to the Close button.
To find specific text on a page, press Control+F to start the Find utility. Type in what you are looking for and press enter. If it is found, your cursor will be moved to that location on the page. If not, you will get a prompt saying "Text not found," and you will need to press Enter before continuing.
You can browse the history of webpages you have visited in the last few days by opening your browsing history with Control+H.
Tabbed browsing allows you to have multiple websites open at the same time. To open another tab with the same web address, press Control+N. To open a tab with a different webpage, press Control+T, and type the address you would like to access. To move between open websites, press Control+1, Control+2, Control+3, etc. To go to a new website from where you are currently without opening a new tab, press either Control+L or Control+O. To print all or part of a webpage you are viewing, press Control+P. This print command works throughout Windows. To refresh or update the current webpage, press either Control+R or F5. To close the current tab, press Control+W. This should leave other webpages you are viewing open. However, the very first time you press Control+W, you will be asked if you want to close only the current window, or all tabs.
iTunes, a product from Apple, is comprehensive multimedia software that allows you to listen to and burn CDs, listen to thousands of radio stations, browse and subscribe to over 50,000 podcasts, and purchase audio books, TV shows and movies. iTunes is also useful for purchasing, managing and authorizing applications for Apple's iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad.
First you download the software, install it, and agree to the terms of service. Then you are ready to begin enjoying a wealth of multimedia. iTunes also comes bundled with software called Quicktime. This is also installed and is used for playing movies. Purchasing items is very easy once you have set up an account. While this can be done from within iTunes, many people find it easier to create their account at http://www.apple.com. Your account email address and password will be used for all Apple purchases, and when subscribing to podcasts.
iTunes has many keyboard shortcuts. We suggest you look through the menus to learn the features, and their associated hotkeys. One very useful hotkey is F6. This moves you between the navigation panes. Used in combination with the Tab Key, you can learn the options for each media type that interests you. Just choose the category; music, podcasts, TV shows, etc., then tab to the search box and type in what you are looking for. Press Enter, and tab a few times to see the list of related items.
Another thing that will make your use of iTunes easier is to turn on the sidebar. This can be done with CTRL+S. It is off by default, and this keystroke is a toggle.
If you own a device like the iPhone iPad, or one of the supported accessible iPods, simply connect the device. iTunes will automatically start running, and items will be synced between your device and the iTunes library. This means if you have purchased or added new music, or downloaded new podcast episodes, they will be transferred to your device. Likewise, if you have deleted items from your computer, you will be prompted if you also want them to be removed from your portable device. Pay very careful attention to these prompts. With System Access, iTunes buttons, dialogs and web content automatically speak.
There are a couple of things you will want to be aware of while using the iTunes store. First, when you select iTunes Store from the available options, use F6 to switch betweenthe the iTunes Store page and iTunes controls. To change account information or select a specific section, use the buttons in the tab order. That is, from the tree view, tab to the button you want, such as "View my iTunes account". If a menu appears, use up and down arrows to navigate to your desired choice, then press enter. You should then automatically be placed on the iTunes store page.
There are certain areas of the store that will require you to modify information, such as your name, address, billing information, and so on. For the most part, the controls on these forms will act like the radio buttons, edit fields, and check boxes with which you are already familiar. There are a couple of things to keep in mind with these controls in iTunes.
First, select a radio button by tabbing to it or arrowing to it, then press the space bar. Unfortunately, there is no confirmation that the correct radio button is selected, although in some cases, the page will refresh, and you'll hear the iTunes page loading sound. In that way, you'll know that you've made a selection. Note also that radio button labels may not read if you navigate them with arrow keys, so it really is best to tab through controls to get their proper labels.
To select a choice from a list box, such as the month or year of a credit card expiration date, open the list as usual with alt+down arrow. You may find that you're at the bottom of the list rather than the top. You can navigate up through the list with the up arrow key, or just press Home to jump right to the top of the list. To make a selection, use the arrow keys to find the correct choice, but instead of pressing Tab to get out of the list, press Enter first. Only by pressing the Enter key will you be certain that your choice has been correctly selected.
Microsoft Excel and System Access work hand in hand to provide intuitive and easy access to spreadsheets and charts. System Access works with Microsoft Excel 2003, 2007 and 2010. Microsoft Excel is generally used to keep track of data such as work hours, grade averages, sports scores, financial transactions, and so on.
In this section, we will show you how to create a very basic Excel spreadsheet to calculate work hours. A full-blown worksheet would likely contain much more data than this example, but this quick exercise will be enough to get you started. It is up to you to learn the nuances of Excel on your own, as teaching full Excel usage is far beyond the scope of this help system.
When starting Excel, System Access will say: "Microsoft Excel. Book 1. Sheet 1. A1." Book 1 refers to the fact that Excel groups multiple spreadsheets into a workbook, or just book for short. So whenever you begin a new workbook by starting Excel, you automatically start with a blank workbook containing three spreadsheets, called sheets for short. Finally, A1 refers to the cell that you are placed in when you first open Excel. Data in a spreadsheet is presented differently than it is in a text document, such as in Microsoft Word or Notepad. In a spreadsheet, data is laid out in a grid pattern consisting of rows and columns. Columns are labeled by letter, and rows are designated by number. The place where these columns intersect is refered to as a cell. So, if you look at where column A and row 1 intersect, this spot on the grid is refered to as cell A1.
You can move through the cells in a spreadsheet using your four arrow keys. To explore a column in Microsoft Excel, simply move up and down using the corresponding arrow keys. Moving left and right with your arrow keys allows you to explore the contents of the current row. Notice as you move through the document, that System Access speaks your current location within the spreadsheet. Now that you understand how to explore a spreadsheet, let's move to the top of the Excel document by pressing Control+Home.
Now that you are in cell A1, you can type anything you like. For this example, type the word "Name" without the quotes. Then press the Right Arrow Key to move right one cell. You will hear "Blank, B1." This information tells you that you have moved right by one cell, and the cell you have moved to is empty. In B1, type "Date." In C1, type "Department." Finally, in D1 type "Daily Hours." Now press Enter. You will be placed in D2, since pressing the enter key will always move you down one row in the spreadsheet. If you'd like to move back to cell A2, which is the leftmost cell in the current row, press the Home Key.
Note that if you'd like to replace the contents of a cell, you may simply begin typing in that cell and any previous data will be overwritten by the data you type. If you wish to make minor changes to the contents of a cell, press F2. When you're done editing the cell, you may press Enter to move to the next row, or Tab and Shift+Tab to move one column to the right or left. You have now defined the template that the rest of your sheet will be based upon. If you'd like to save the work you've done so far, you can do this by pressing Control+S and choosing a name for your workbook.
The titles you've just entered into the top row of the spreadsheet are called column headers. This is because each title tells you what kind of information will be entered in that particular column. Before continuing, let's verify where you are in the spreadsheet. If you read the status bar by pressing Modifier+Num-pad-3 or Page-down, you will hear, "A2, one row, four columns." That kind of information can be handy at times if you get a bit lost in a very large spreadsheet. Please remember that you may use your four arrow keys to move around the sheet.
Let's enter some information now. In cell A2, type the name "Tom," and then move to B2, the next cell to the right. Let's say you have forgotten what column you are in. If you press Modifier+C, you will hear "Date B1." This command does not move you at all, but only reads the column header to you. Note that you are still located in B2. Similarly, if you want to hear the first cell in the current row, press Modifier+R. You will hear "Tom, A2." Again, this command does not move you, but simply reads the relevant information.
Now that you are sure you are in the Date column, press Control+Colon, and Excel will automatically enter today's date into the cell. When you press Control+Colon, you will hear, "editing," followed by today's date. You may use the Tab Key to move to the next column cell. You are now under the Department column header, so let's type Sales. In the D2 cell, type "10" to indicate the number of hours that Tom worked today. Remember that when you press the Enter Key, Excel places you in D3 rather than A3. This is due to the grid-like nature of Excel. It believes you may want to add something else under the figure you entered in D2. Since this is not the case, it will be necessary to arrow back to A3, or press the Home Key to jump directly back to the beginning of row number 3.
To complete the sample spreadsheet, type in the remaining two rows of information: Glen, mm/dd/yyyy, Accounting, 9. Sarah, mm/dd/yyyy, HR, 8. Note: Don't forget that you can use Control+Colon to automatically enter the current date into a cell.
Now that we have a few lines of data, let's make Excel do a bit of work for a change. Move to cell C5. Once there, type "Total Hours Worked." Now, press the Tab Key to move to D5. Here we will make Excel automatically calculate the total number of hours. Just press Alt+Equals. For the sake of clarity, this means that you hold down the Alt Key, and then press the Equals Sign, then release both keys. You will hear, "Editing. SUM (D2:D4)." Now just press Enter. You will be placed into cell D6. If you press the Up Arrow Key to move back to cell D5, you should hear "27." What we have done is told Excel to create a very simple formula to calculate the daily hours column. When you arrow up to the cell with the formula, you will notice a high-pitched beep. This indicates that the cell contains a formula, and you'll then hear the result of that formula. In this case, the total number of hours is spoken.
If you ever wish to enter a different type of formula, such as a1 multiplied by A2, you can press the Equals Sign in the cell which should contain the formula, and then type "A1*A2".
When Modifier+F7 is pressed, you can explore data within the entire spreadsheet. The first list box in this dialogue contains all data from each of the cells in the spreadsheet. When you arrow to a particular piece of information in the list box, the cell's location is spoken, as well as the data the cell is holding. Pressing Enter moves you to that data. The next list box contains all links in a spreadsheet, and if you tab to it, pressing the Enter Key will activate the link regardless of where it is within the spreadsheet. Tabbing once again places you in the totals list box. Here, you can arrow down through any number of cells containing calculated data. Note that after the totals data is spoken for a cell, you hear the message, "Not Spoken." This indicates that the totals cell will not be spoken when data in the formula changes, or is manually changed. If you want to have the totals information spoken automatically each time there is a change in the result of the calculation, simply press the Spacebar. Tabbing once more brings you into the list of worksheets within the current workbook. Pressing Enter on one of these sheets will place you within that sheet. When you are finished with the list boxes, simply either press Enter, or Escape to close them.
System Access makes it easy to define title ranges in an Excel worksheet. A title range can be either a row of column titles starting at a given column, or a column of row titles starting at a given row. To add or delete a title range, press Modifier+Shift+T. If you are defining a row of column titles, you must already be on the first cell of the row which contains a title. Likewise, if you are defining a column of row titles, you must already be on the first cell of the column which contains a title. When you press Modifier+Shift+T for the first time in a worksheet, there will be no title ranges yet, so your only option will be to add one. Simply select whether you are defining a row of column titles or a column of row titles.
As with other document-specific settings, title ranges are automatically saved and will continue to be used even when you access the same document from another computer. When you press Modifier+Shift+T in the future, you will first be asked whether you want to add or delete a title range. If you choose to add one, the rest of the procedure will be the same as when you added the first one. If you choose to delete a title range, you will be prompted to choose which one you want to delete. Remember that adding and deleting title ranges does not change the worksheet itself; it only changes how System Access interprets the worksheet. So there is no harm in deleting a title range by mistake; just move to the appropriate cell and define it again.
Once you define a title range, the titles in that range are spoken automatically as you move around. Specifically, column titles are spoken automatically when you move from column to column, and row titles are spoken automatically when you move from row to row. When you press Modifier+Up Arrow to read a single cell, any title associated with that cell is spoken. However, titles are automatically spoken only when the appropriate title ranges have been explicitly defined; System Access never tries to guess the column or row title.
You may also define regions in Excel that you would like spoken automatically. To do this, just select the cells to be included in your region by pressing the F5 key, typing in a range of cells, such as a1:d5, followed by Enter. System Access will begin to confirm that you have selected multiple cells by reading each cell and its contents. You can press the Control Key to silence the speech; the data will remain selected. Now you can press Modifier+Numbers 1 through 0 on the numbers row of the keyboard. This defines the region. Whenever you'd like to speak this region, just press the Modifier Key+the number corresponding to the region you've defined. If you press Shift+Modifier+Numbers 1 through 0 on the number row, a menu will pop up allowing you to modify the range of cells in the region, or allowing you to delete the region entirely. Note, there will be no confirmation of region deletion.
System Access can also read charts. Data within the chart can be copied to the clipboard for insertion into other documents. If the chart is on a worksheet without any other data outside of the chart, you may move to the chart by pressing Control+Page Up or Control+Page Down. You may also use the sheets list box described above to move to a chart. If you move to a sheet that does have data outside of the chart's data, System Access will let you know. In this case you can press Modifier+Enter to activate the chart. If the worksheet has more than one chart, Modifier+Enter will display a list of charts from which to choose. When you are finished with the chart, just press Escape to return to the regular worksheet.
This section will explain how to obtain Windows Live Mail and cover some basic tips for using the email program. We'll call Windows Live Mail WLM for convenience. If you are already familiar with Microsoft Outlook, Windows Mail, or Outlook Express, then you will be up and running with WLM in no time. Windows Live Mail is a part of the Microsoft Live Essentials package. Download Windows Live Essentials Package Including Windows Live Mail.
Download the file to your computer and run it from the location where you saved the file. During the install process, you will see checkbox options for other Windows Live programs like Picture Gallery and Writer. We are only covering WLM in this section, so uncheck the others for now. You can always return to the install program later if you find you would like to use the other programs in the Essentials line.
When you start WLM for the first time, you may be prompted to enter your email account settings. However, if you already have an email account in Microsoft Outlook, or Windows Mail, then you should see your email messages automatically. This is because WLM will automatically import your account and email settings from the above-mentioned programs.
If you are not using any other email programs, you will need to set up WLM just like you would with any other email program. There are two tips we recommend to make using WLM easier. Both are in the Layout area of WLM. To reach the Layout options, press ALT+V. From there, arrow down to Layout. Turn off the Preview Pane. This option can sometimes give you more information than you want, and it can be confusing to have things spoken that you did not choose to read. The first option within the Layout area is for the Reading Pane. Hit the Spacebar, tab once to gain focus to the option, Press Spacebar again and tab down to the OK button if this is the only option you want to adjust for now. The second suggested tip is to have your messages displayed in a list when using WLM. Again, from the Layout area, tab down to the Message list option this time. Press the Spacebar to open the options, then tab down to the "one line" checkbox. Press your Spacebar on the "one line" item, then tab down to OK to save this option. Now you can hear the name of the sender and the subject of the email when you arrow down through each email folder.
Some hotkeys that will help you navigate through WLM are: Control+N creates a new email. Control+R replies to a message. Control+F forwards a message. Delete will delete a message. Control+I will move you back into the inbox folder.
Note: We don't recommend that you use the magnifier on a machine with less than 128 MB of video RAM. For best results, we suggest Windows Windows Vista or higher, with Windows Aero enabled.
System Access features a "full-screen" magnifier which can enlarge the contents of the screen by a factor from 1.25x to 6x. The magnifier can track the mouse or the system's focus. It can also track within menus, dialog boxes, and other controls.
You can adjust the setting of the Screen Magnifier through the System Access Preferences menu. Press Modifier+F to reach the System Access menu. Then arrow down to the Preferences option. From here, arrow down to the Screen Magnifier option and press Enter.
There are a few controls for customizing the view of the Screen Magnifier. The Magnify the Screen checkbox turns on screen magnification if it is checked. Unchecking this checkbox will turn the magnification feature off. The button labeled "Larger" increases the power of the magnification, while the button labeled "Smaller" decreases the power of the level of magnification displayed. The Invert Colors in the Magnified Image checkbox will flip the colors. So if you normally have a white background and black text, checking this option will give you the reverse; a black background, and white text.
The following keyboard commands control magnification: Control+Modifier+NumPad Plus will enable magnification. Control+Modifier+NumPad Minus will disable magnification. Modifier+NumPad Plus: will increase the magnification factor. Modifier+NumPad Minus: will decrease the magnification factor. Modifier+Control+C will toggle between normal and inverted colors.
StickyKeys help users who have difficulty pressing more than one key at a time. The Windows' implementation of StickyKeys only makes the Shift, Control, Alt, and Windows keys sticky. However, System Access also uses Caps-Lock, Insert, Scroll-Lock, and NumPad 0 as modifiers. When you press and immediately release a modifier key while using StickyKeys, the system plays two short tones. The system cancels the modifier when the user types a non-modifier key, such as a letter, or clicks the mouse. Alternatively, if the user presses and releases the same modifier key twice in succession, the system locks the modifier and plays one short, higher-pitched tone. When the same key is press for a third time, the system then unlocks the modifier and plays one short, lower- pitched tone. If you press and release a System Access modifier key twice within two seconds, System Access passes the second keypress on to Windows, thus allowing the user to use Caps-Lock, Insert, Scroll-Lock, and NumPad 0 as originally intended. There is no conflict between StickyKeys and System Access Remote Training and Support functionality. Persons using StickyKeys can both receive and provide remote training and support.
Using your Braille display with System Access is easy and seamless. Best of all, you can use supported displays with System Access on your home computer as well as any other computer you may encounter in the field. Because System Access supports only those displays which do not require driver installation, you need only plug your Braille display in to an available USB port or pair it to a computer via Bluetooth, and you'll have accessibility anywhere, right at your fingertips.
System Access supports the following Braille displays:
To use your display with System Access, you'll first need to connect it to the computer you'd like to use. To begin, please look at the list of supported displays above and familiarize yourself with which methods of connectivity are allowed. Once you've done that, decide how you intend to connect your display. If you'd like to use USB, simply plug the USB cable for your display in to an available USB port on the computer you'd like to use. Windows will play a sound indicating that you've connected a device. If connecting via Bluetooth, please consult your Braille display's documentation for pairing your display with your computer.
Now that your display is connected, we're ready to begin using it with System Access. To restart or launch System Access, press Control+Alt+S if running from your installed copy, or by running www.satogo.com if using through System Access to Go. When System Access launches, it will automatically detect your display and you'll immediately receive Braille output.
Now that System Access has recognized your display, you can navigate through documents, menus, and applications with ease. In addition to using your panning bars to scroll through documents, System Access has several Braille navigation hotkeys that will help you get the most out of your display. See the list of these hotkeys in the Braille HotKey Quick Reference below. Note that at any time, you may turn on keyboard help with Modifier+H, and you can press keys on your display to quickly learn their function.
The Braille preferences dialog can be found by opening the System Access menu with Modifier+F, pressing the letter P for Preferences, and choosing the Braille Preferences option. Braille preferences contain two options; the first allows you to set which translation table you want to use. The default is English 8-dot braille. the second and final option is a checkbox, allowing you to have speech while your braille display is connected. Uncheck this box to turn off speech once your display is connected. Don't worry, once your display is disconnected, speech automatically returns. This way, you are not left with no access, or the fear your computer has crashed.
On certain displays which have a Perkins-style keyboard, such as the Alva BC640 and the APH RefreshaBraille 18, System Access supports Grade II Braille input directly from the Braille keyboard. Using this functionality is easy. Whenever you encounter a control which allows you to type in text, such as a search field in your browser or a Microsoft Word document, simply begin entering the text you'd like to type using your Perkins-style keyboard. This text is automatically backtranslated, and is entered in to the field, just as if you had typed it from your computer's keyboard. In this way, you can operate your computer completely from the Braille display, with no need to touch your computer's keyboard.
Note about the Alva BC640
For those who purchased the Alva BC640 with the optional feature pack, System Access can be installed directly on the display and can be run from the unit, eliminating the need to carry a USB drive or log in to SAToGo when you'd like to use your display on another computer. You need to have a license for SA Mobile to take advantage of this functionality. Please note that you can either use the Alva BC640, a U3 Smart drive, or a USB driveHere's how to make it work.
First, make sure that you have plugged the Alva BC640 in to a USB port, and that it has been recognized by System Access. Next, open the System Access menu with Modifier+F. From this menu, you may use your arrow keys to navigate to the item entitled "Install System Access on Alva BC640." Press Enter on this item, and system Access will present you with a screen showing the available space on your unit, and the space which will be used to install System Access and any add-ons you choose. When you're ready, simply tab to the Install button and press the Spacebar. Once System Access has been installed on your unit, you may plug it in to the USB port on any computer to run System Access and use your display for Braille input and output.
Note: on many Braille displays and notetakers, pressing Space with any other key is called a Chord command. So, for example, Chord-M means to press Space+M. M-Chord: Menu Bar
ST-Chord: Start Menu
OU-Chord: Recent Applications Menu or Alt+Tab
T-Chord: Read Title
S-Chord: Read Status
Dot 8 or E-Chord: Enter
Dot 7 or 2-3-Chord: Backspace
4-5-Chord: Tab
B-Chord: Shift+Tab
1-2-3-4-5-6 or FOR-Chord: Say All
Dot 1-CHORD: Read Previous Line
1-4-Chord: Read Current Line
Dot 4-Chord: Read Next Line
Dot 2-Chord: Read Previous Word
Dots 2-5-Chord: Read Current Word
DOT 5-Chord: Read Next Word
Dot 3-Chord: Read Previous Character
Dots 3-6-Chord: Read Current Character
Dot 6-Chord: Read Next Character
Dots 1-2-3-Chord: (Top Of Document
Dots 4-5-6-Chord: Bottom Of Document
K-Chord: HOME or Beginning Of Line
Dots 4-6-Chord: END or End Of Line
Control Key: Stop Speech
Z-Chord: Close or Escape
Left Button: pan left
Right Button: pan right
Right Control 1: previous line
Right Control 2: next line
Left Control 1: start of document
Left Control 2: end of document
Right Shift+Left Control 1: page up
Right Shift+Left Control 2: page down
Left Shift+Right Control 1: Tab
Left Shift+Right Control 2: Shift Tab
Right Button+Left Control 2: Control Tab
Right Button+Left Control 1: Control Shift Tab
A Note About the Modifier Key
The System Access Modifier Key can be one of four keys, including the Insert Key, often located near the Home Key on the keyboard, the Caps-lock Key, the 0 Key on the numpad, or the Scroll-lock Key. For your convenience, all these modifier keys are active and you may choose the one which seems most comfortable at any given time.
Refresh the display: Modifier+Escape
Open the remote control menu if applicable: Shift+Modifier+Escape
Read the status bar, if any: Modifier+Page Down
Announce the object with the focus: Modifier+Up Arrow
When in a document, read the document starting at the insertion point; otherwise, read the contents of the foreground window: Modifier+Down Arrow
Read the title of the foreground window: Modifier+T
Read the contents of the foreground window: Modifier+W
Click the current help balloon if any: Modifier+B
Activate the SAMNet Desktop: Modifier+D
Activate the System Access menu: Modifier+F
Toggle keyboard help mode: Modifier+H
Pass a key through to the application: Modifier+F3
Shut down System Access: Modifier+F4
Choose a toolbar button from a list: Modifier+F8
Click an icon in the system tray: Modifier+F11
Say the current time and date: Modifier+F12
Stop constant updating of progress indicators: Control twice quickly
Check laptop battery status: Modifier+Shift+B
Reading and Editing Commands
Move one character to the left: Left Arrow
Select one character to the left: Shift+Left Arrow
Say the current character: Control+Modifier+NumPad 5
Move one character to the right: Right Arrow
Select one character to the right: Shift+Right Arrow
Move to the previous word: Control+Left Arrow
Select the previous word: Control+Shift+Left Arrow
Say the current word: Modifier+NumPad 5
Move to the next word: Control+Right Arrow
Select the next word: Control+Shift+Right Arrow
Move up one line: Up Arrow
Select the previous line: Shift+Up Arrow
Read the current line: Modifier+Up Arrow
Move down one line: Down Arrow
Select the next line: Shift+Down Arrow
Move to the previous sentence: Alt+Up Arrow
Move to the next sentence: Alt+Down Arrow
Move to the previous paragraph: Control+Up Arrow
Move to the next paragraph: Control+Down Arrow
Move up one page: Page Up
Select the previous page of text: Shift+Page Up
Move down one page: Page Down
Select the next page of text: Shift+Page Down
Move to the end of the line: End
Read from the virtual cursor to the end of the line: Modifier+End
Select text from the current position to the end of the line: Shift+End
Move to the end of the document: Control+End
Select text from the current reading position to the end of the document: Control+Shift+End
Move to the start of the line: Home
Select all text from the current position to the start of the line: Shift+Home
Move to the start of the document: Control+Home
Select all text from the current position to the beginning of the document: Control+Shift+Home
Read from the start of the line to the current position: Modifier+Home
Select the whole document: Control+A
Read the current table cell: Control+Alt+NumPad 5
Read the first cell in the current table column: Modifier+C
Read the current table row: Modifier+R
Move to the first column and row in a table: Control+Alt+Home
Move to the last column and row in a table: Control+Alt+end
Move to the previous column in a table: Control+Alt+Left Arrow
Move to the beginning of a row in a table: Control+Shift+Alt+Left Arrow
Move to the previous row in a table: Control+Alt+Up Arrow
Move to the top of a column in a table: Control+Shift+Alt+Up Arrow
Move to the next column in a table: Control+Alt+Right Arrow
Move to the end of a row in a table: Control+Shift+Alt+Right Arrow
Move to the next row in a table: Control+Alt+Down Arrow
Move to the bottom of a column in a table: Control+Shift+Alt+Down Arrow
Click the object with the virtual focus: Enter or Space
Move to the next landmark: Semicolon
Move to the prior landmark: Shift+Semicolon
Attempt to automatically label links that aren't yet labelled: Modifier+A
Move to the next anchor: A
Move to the previous anchor: Shift+A
Move to the next button: B
Move to the previous button: Shift+B
Move to the next drop-down list: D
Move to the previous drop-down list: Shift+D
Move to the next editable text field: E
Move to the previous editable text field: Shift+E
Move to the next form field: F
Move to the previous form field: Shift+F
Move to the next graphic: G
Move to the previous graphic: Shift+G
Move to the next heading: H
Move to the previous heading: Shift+H
Move to next heading at level: 1-6
Move to previous heading at level: Shift+1-6
Move to the next visited link: V
Move to the previous visited link: Shift+V
Move to the next unvisited link: U
Move to the previous unvisited link: Shift+U
Move to the next list item: I
Move to the previous list item: Shift+I
Move to the next bulleted or numbered list: L
Move to the previous bulleted or numbered list: Shift+L
Move to the top of the current bulleted or numbered list: <
Move one line past the end of the current bulleted or numbered list: >
Label an image or form field with C-SAW: Alt+L
Move to the next block of plain text: N
Move to the previous block of plain text: Shift+N
Move to the next radio button: R
Move to the previous radio button: Shift+R
Submit C-SAW labels for the current site: Modifier+S
Move to the next table: T
Move to the previous table: Shift+T
Move to the next checkbox: X
Move to the previous checkbox: Shift+X
Say the current word: Modifier+NumPad 5
Summarize the contents of the page: Modifier+F1
Jump to a heading on this page from a list: Modifier+F6
Show a list of links on this webpage: Modifier+F7
Activate a chart embedded in the active worksheet: Modifier+Enter
Read the virtual status bar: Modifier+Page Down
Read the current selection: Modifier+Up Arrow
Read the sheet starting at the current cell: Modifier+Down Arrow
Create or read a monitor region: Modifier+0
Modify or delete a monitor region: Shift+Modifier+0
Create or read a monitor region: Modifier+1
Modify or delete a monitor region: Shift+Modifier+1
Create or read a monitor region: Modifier+2
Modify or delete a monitor region: Shift+Modifier+2
Create or read a monitor region: Modifier+3
Modify or delete a monitor region: Shift+Modifier+3
Create or read a monitor region: Modifier+4
Modify or delete a monitor region: Shift+Modifier+4
Create or read a monitor region: Modifier+5
Modify or delete a monitor region: Shift+Modifier+5
Create or read a monitor region: Modifier+6
Modify or delete a monitor region: Shift+Modifier+6
Create or read a monitor region: Modifier+7
Modify or delete a monitor region: Shift+Modifier+7
Create or read a monitor region: Modifier+8
Modify or delete a monitor region: Shift+Modifier+8
Create or read a monitor region: Modifier+9
Modify or delete a monitor region: Shift+Modifier+9
Read the title of the current column: Modifier+C
Read the current column: Alt+Modifier+C
Read the title of the current row: Modifier+R
Read the current row: Alt+Modifier+R
Add or delete a title range: Shift+Modifier+T
Display a dialog containing lists of cells with data, links, totals, and worksheets: Modifier+F7
Read the From header in a message window: Alt+1
Move the focus to the From header in a message window: Alt+1 twice quickly
Read the Sent header in a message window: Alt+2
Move the focus to the Sent header in a message window: Alt+2 twice quickly
Read the To header in a message window: Alt+3
Move the focus to the To header in a message window: Alt+3 twice quickly
Read the Cc header in a message window: Alt+4
Move the focus to the Cc header in a message window: Alt+4 twice quickly
Read the Subject header in a message window: Alt+5
Move the focus to the Subject header in a message window: Alt+5 twice quickly
Choose from the list of attachments, if any: Modifier+A
Move to the end of the line: End
Move to the end of the slide: Control+End
Move to the start of the line: Home
Move to the start of the slide: Control+Home
Move one character to the left: Left Arrow
Move to the previous word: Control+Left Arrow
Move up one line: Up Arrow
Read the current line: Modifier+Up Arrow
Move one character to the right: Right Arrow
Move to the next word: Control+Right Arrow
Move down one line: Down Arrow
Read the slide starting at the virtual cursor: Modifier+Down Arrow
Read the presenter's notes for this slide: Control+Shift+N
Activate or deactivate Virtual Mouse Mode: Modifier+M
Move to the next clickable object: Tab
Move to the previous clickable object: Shift+Tab
Simulate a left click: Enter
Simulate a right click: Shift+Enter
Deactivate Virtual Mouse: Escape
Simulate a left click: Space
Simulate a right click: Shift+Space
Move to the end of the current text: End
Move to the bottom of the window: Control+End
Move to the start of the current text: Home
Move to the top of the window: Control+Home
Move left one character: Left Arrow
Move left one word: Control+Left Arrow
Move left one object: Alt+Left Arrow
Move up one line: Up Arrow
Announce the object under the cursor: Modifier+Up Arrow
Move right one character: Right Arrow
Move right one word: Control+Right Arrow
Move right one object: Alt+Right Arrow
Move down one line: Down Arrow
Read the contents of the window starting at the cursor: Modifier+Down Arrow
Automatically label graphics: Alt+A
Label a graphic: Alt+L
Submit a Program Pack for this program: Alt+S
Choose a clickable object from a list: Modifier+F7
Increase the screen magnification factor: Modifier+Plus
Enable screen magnification: Control+Modifier+Plus
Decrease the screen magnification factor: Modifier+Dash
Disable screen magnification: Control+Modifier+Dash
Console
Move to the right edge of the window: Modifier+End
Move to the bottom of the window: Control+Modifier+End
Move to the left edge of the window: Modifier+Home
Move to the top of the window: Control+Modifier+Home
Move to the previous character: Modifier+Left Arrow
Move to the previous word: Control+Modifier+Left Arrow
Read the current line: Modifier+Up Arrow
Move to the next character: Modifier+Right Arrow
Move to the next word: Control+Modifier+Right Arrow
Read the contents of the console starting at the current position of the reading cursor: Modifier+Down Arrow
Move to the previous character: NumPad 1
Move to the left edge of the window: Modifier+NumPad 1
Say the current character: NumPad 2
Move to the bottom of the window: Modifier+NumPad 2
Move to the next character: NumPad 3
Move to the right edge of the window: Modifier+NumPad 3
Move to the previous word: NumPad 4
Read the current word: NumPad 5
Move to the top of the window: Modifier+NumPad 5
Move to the next word: NumPad 6
Move to the previous line: NumPad 7
Read the current line: NumPad 8
Move to the next line: NumPad 9
Read the contents of the console starting at the current position of the reading cursor: Modifier+Decimal
When you are ready to begin using any Serotek product -- System Access, Sero, and/or DocuScan Plus – there are two methods you can use to install the software. You can use either method, regardless of whether you are running the paid version, or using a trial.
Download the software installation package from http://download.serotek.com/SerotekSetup.exe You can save this file to your hard drive, or you can run it immediately.
Run the software you've downloaded. Please note that you may be prompted by windows to verify that you want to run the software. You may press alt+r to select the "run" option. It is not necessary to shut down your currently running screen reader in order to run the software, but if you have done so, the Windows prompt to run the software will not speak.
Once the installer is running, it will speak using your current screen reader, or the System Access screen reader, depending on the option you choose during setup.
Use the checkboxes to select the desired behavior for running System Access on the Windows logon screen and running System Access on the Windows desktop automatically. Note that this behavior is only applicable for System Access and not other Serotek software. Also note that both boxes must be checked to have System Access speech running at all times.
Once your selections have been made, choose the "install" button. You will hear a repeating tone to indicate that your software is being installed.
If prompted with a "user account control" dialog about whether you wish to continue with the installation of the software, press alt+y to continue with the installation. For Windows Vista, use Alt+C instead.
When the installation is complete, a dialog will alert you that the installation is complete and System Access will then start. Press enter to continue.
You will be asked to either sign up for a demo, purchase Serotek software, or sign into an existing account. Select the appropriate option and fill in your information as directed. If you need assistance with starting a demo or purchasing, you can always feel free to call us.
Power up your computer, and wait until you have heard the Windows start up melody. If your screen reader is running, you will need to shut it down at this point.
Locate the Windows key on your keyboard, which can usually be found two keys to the left of the spacebar.
Hold down the windows key and tap the letter "r". Then release both keys.
Type the following: www.satogo.com and then press the enter key.
You should now hear a spoken prompt: "Press enter to begin."
After pressing enter, you will hear more spoken prompts. These will vary according to the version of Internet Explorer you are running. Just follow them to proceed. Note that during this process, pauses of up to about one minute are to be expected while the software loads.
Next, you'll be presented with a welcome message. At this point, you may use your tab and shift+tab keys to move through the elements on the form. Enter your account number and PIN (personal identification number) in the appropriate edit fields, tab to the login button and press enter.
Now that you're logged on, you may bring up the System Access menu by holding down the modifier key and pressing the letter f. Note that the modifier key can be any one of four keys: Insert, Caps Lock, Numpad 0, and Scroll Lock.
From the System Access menu, use your down arrow key to navigate to the "my account" option and press enter.
From the "my account" page, you may tab one time to the option: "Install System Access on this computer." Please note that this will install System Access, Docuscan Plus, and Sero, even if you are not licensed for all of them. Press enter on this option to begin installation. You may also choose the second option: "Install System Access Mobile on a USB drive.
The installation screen will offer you the opportunity to set System Access startup preferences. Simply press the spacebar to check or uncheck the appropriate checkboxes. Note that these automatic startup options apply only to the System Access screen reader, not to Sero or Docuscan Plus. Note also that both must be checked for full System Access screen reader access during all Windows operations.
When you have set the System Access startup options the way you want them, press the tab key until you locate the “Install” button, and press enter.
You will now hear a progress tone, indicating that the installation of System Access is under way. If you receive a user account control prompt asking that you confirm you want to make changes to your system, press alt+Y to accept it. If you’re running Windows Vista, use alt+C instead.
When the install process has been completed, you will be presented with a verbal prompt that the system access software has been installed, and is now ready to use.
You are now ready to begin using System Access and Sero. Before you begin, you will need to exit the currently running version of System Access by pressing the modifier key and the f4 key. You'll receive a prompt that System Access is shutting down.
To begin using the version of System Access installed on your computer, press and hold the control and alt keys, and tap the letter s. To begin using Sero, press and hold the control and alt keys, and tap the letter n. With the System Access screen reader running, you may also choose "Sero" from the System Access menu, which can be opened with the modifier key and the letter f. From this same menu, you can also start DocuScan Plus, or you can do so by pressing and holding down Alt and Control, and tapping the letter D.
To view or display the properties of the selected file or object, press Alt+Enter. To open the shortcut menu or display the system menu for the active window, press Alt+Spacebar. To close the active document in Programs that enables you to edit multiple documents, press Control+F4. To switch between all open programs, press Alt+Tab. To cycle through items in the order they have been opened, press Alt+Escape. To cycle through screen elements in a window or on the desktop, press F6. To display the AddressBar list in My Computer or Windows Explorer, press F4. To display the shortcut menu for the selected item, press Shift+F10. To activate the menu bar in the active program, press F10. To open the next menu to the right, or open a submenu, press Right Arrow. To open the next menu to the left, or close a submenu, press Left Arrow. To update the active window, press F5. To view the folder one level up in My Computer or Windows Explorer, press Backspace. To cancel the current task, press Escape. To prevent a CD or DVD from automatically playing, hold down the Shift Key for about twenty seconds after inserting the disc. Finally, to open the Run dialog, press Windows+R. Then type in the website or path to a file or program on your local computer. For example, if you have no speech, type narrator followed by Enter to get Microsoft's limited, but better-than-nothing Narrator screen reader. Better yet, try typing www.satogo.com and press Enter. If Internet Explorer is the default web browser, you can log into System Access to Go and have speech on the otherwise unusable computer. When finished, simply press Modifier+F4 to shut down System Access and SAMNet.