Making your computer more accessible
 

It is very difficult for me to read small fonts on the computer, and it aggravates my symptoms more quickly. If you have a PC, you can increase the default font size of your font and icons like this (you might need Windows Vista):

1. Click on the start menu (the Windows logo in the bottom left-hand corner of the screen).

2. Go to 'settings' and click on 'control panel'.

3. Click on 'make your computer easier to use'.

4. There are a number of adjustments you can make here. To change font size, scroll down to 'make your computer easier to see' and click on it.

5. Scroll down to 'change the size of text and icons' and click on it.

6. Either click on 'larger scale' (120 DPI) or click on 'custom scale' to make it even bigger. You'll probably have to restart your computer for the changes to take effect.

CAVEAT: This will rearrange your icons and might rearrange your browser toolbars a bit. Thus, it may take a little time getting used to the new layout, but if you have trouble with small font, it will probably be worth it.

NOTE: The internet browsers Firefox and Google Chrome don't display everything in the larger font size. I've had to switch to Internet Explorer for the time being, which shows everything in the larger font size.

If you have extreme light sensitivity, as I do, you can dim the screen (for PC laptops) by holding down the 'FN' button in the bottom-left portion of the keyboard and tapping the F6 key. If you need to brighten it back up again, do the same procedure and use the F7 key.

If you're really sensitive to certain wavelengths, you might try buying some semi-transparent colored folders from Office Max, cutting them up, and placing them over the screen. I have a yellow one taped to my screen and it really helps to filter out light.

I'll repost a thread I started awhile back on working around light sensitivity.

Pete

Also for light sensitivity: Download and install "f.lux" software here:

http://stereopsis.com/flux/

It is free, quick, and easy. It filters the blue light out of your screen at night, and you can click on the icon it creates in the lower right-hand portion of the screen to set it to always filter out the blue light (it's set to do so only between sunset and sunrise). I find the softer, more yellow light to be much easier on my eyes than the normal blue light of most computer screens.

This is great info...just wondering if anyone has similar info to deal with noise sensitivities. You know besides the obvious (wear earplugs, stay home etc).

In regards to making computer usability easier, there is WorkRave. This program runs different timers to alert you to take incremental rest breaks(it calls these micro-pauses), full rest breaks, and helps restrict you to a daily usage limit. It also recommends little "at desk" excerises you can do to release tension/stress. Been running it for a day now, very helpful. Runs on Linux or Windows.

http://www.workrave.org/