Series: Simple accessibility hints

I have realised the need for a series of simple posts explaining the built-in accessibility and usability features of OS X and commonly used Mac programs. These will be tips that anybody can use, things that are simple to do and don't cost anything; tips for "Accessibility Beginners" if you will. They will probably be tips that are most useful for people with mild disabilities or impairments that only affect their computer use a little.

The idea for this series came from a post on the Accessify blog about teaching users to resize text on web pages. Old hands like me sometimes forget what it was like starting with OS X when I didn't know how to resize text, or that I could change what was in the toolbar, or what "sticky keys" were, let alone how to make the mouse pointer bigger. It's good to get a reminder that not everybody who uses OS X is the type of person who automatically tests out all the options in the "System Preferences" pane just to see what they do.

If you have suggestions for hints that could go in this category, please leave a comment here with your idea - or feel free to write up the whole tip, I always adore guest posts!

- Ricky Buchanan