Change background and text colors for Irlen's syndrome

[Yellow on blue]

Irlen's syndrome is a difficulty in a person's visual processing pathways.
One effect of this condition is that users find black text on a white
background difficult to read. I am searching for a way to change the way the
screen displays information to be able to get, for example, yellow text on a
blue background when word documents are viewed on the screen, but that they
will still print as a regular document ie:black text on white background.
The person I am looking for does not sit at the same computer all the time,
but must log onto whatever networked computer is available. So, either a way
to change network settings for her, or a small program she could carry on a
USB drive that would reconfigure the settings on any machine she sits down
at, then set them back when she is done.

There seems to be small programs for magnifying, and ways to change font
sizes in the disability settings, but I have not tracked down how to change
background colours etc.

Thanks

 

[PJY]

There is an option in 2003 (in tools, options) that will change the
background from white to blue. You can then go to font and change the color
manually there. However, if she floats from computer to computer she may want
to have a macro that will turn this on and off for her (as well as other
users if she forgets to turn it off). Here are two macros - on to turn it on
and one to turn it off.
Turn it on

With Options
.Pagination = True
.WPHelp = False
.WPDocNavKeys = False
.ShortMenuNames = False
.RTFInClipboard = True
.BlueScreen = True
.EnableSound = False
.ConfirmConversions = False
.UpdateLinksAtOpen = True
.SendMailAttach = True
.MeasurementUnit = wdInches
.AllowPixelUnits = False
.AllowReadingMode = False
.AnimateScreenMovements = True
.VirusProtection = False
.ApplyFarEastFontsToAscii = False
.InterpretHighAnsi = wdHighAnsiIsHighAnsi
.BackgroundOpen = False
.AutoCreateNewDrawings = True
End With
Application.DisplayRecentFiles = True
RecentFiles.Maximum = 9
With Selection.Font
.Name = "Times New Roman"
.Size = 12
.Bold = False
.Italic = False
.Underline = wdUnderlineNone
.UnderlineColor = wdColorAutomatic
.StrikeThrough = False
.DoubleStrikeThrough = False
.Outline = False
.Emboss = False
.Shadow = False
.Hidden = False
.SmallCaps = False
.AllCaps = False
.Color = wdColorYellow
.Engrave = False
.Superscript = False
.Subscript = False
.Spacing = 0
.Scaling = 100
.Position = 0
.Kerning = 0
.Animation = wdAnimationNone
End With
End Sub

Turn it off

With Selection.Font
.Name = "Times New Roman"
.Size = 12
.Bold = False
.Italic = False
.Underline = wdUnderlineNone
.UnderlineColor = wdColorAutomatic
.StrikeThrough = False
.DoubleStrikeThrough = False
.Outline = False
.Emboss = False
.Shadow = False
.Hidden = False
.SmallCaps = False
.AllCaps = False
.Color = wdColorAutomatic
.Engrave = False
.Superscript = False
.Subscript = False
.Spacing = 0
.Scaling = 100
.Position = 0
.Kerning = 0
.Animation = wdAnimationNone
End With
With Options
.Pagination = True
.WPHelp = False
.WPDocNavKeys = False
.ShortMenuNames = False
.RTFInClipboard = True
.BlueScreen = False
.EnableSound = False
.ConfirmConversions = False
.UpdateLinksAtOpen = True
.SendMailAttach = True
.MeasurementUnit = wdInches
.AllowPixelUnits = False
.AllowReadingMode = False
.AnimateScreenMovements = True
.VirusProtection = False
.ApplyFarEastFontsToAscii = True
.InterpretHighAnsi = wdHighAnsiIsHighAnsi
.BackgroundOpen = False
.AutoCreateNewDrawings = True
End With
Application.DisplayRecentFiles = True
RecentFiles.Maximum = 9
With Selection.Font
.Name = "Times New Roman"
.Size = 12
.Bold = False
.Italic = False
.Underline = wdUnderlineNone
.UnderlineColor = wdColorAutomatic
.StrikeThrough = False
.DoubleStrikeThrough = False
.Outline = False
.Emboss = False
.Shadow = False
.Hidden = False
.SmallCaps = False
.AllCaps = False
.Color = wdColorAutomatic
.Engrave = False
.Superscript = False
.Subscript = False
.Spacing = 0
.Scaling = 100
.Position = 0
.Kerning = 0
.Animation = wdAnimationNone
End With
End Sub

 

[Yellow on blue]

PJY:
Thanks very much for this. A quick followup question - I know how to run
Macros in Excel, but how would this be used in Word?

I am really looking for something that could operate for all programs - ie
something that can change the colour scheme like the Programs / Accessories /
Accessibility from the Start Menu can be used to change Font sizes, scroll
bars etc universally in all applications.

Right now she is taping a sheet of blue overhead plastic to the screen to
take away white backgrounds for all programs. It would be good to have a
program that could do the same.

 

[PJY]

You run them the same way, but they are not recorded exactly the same way but
pretty close. I ran one for Excel just to see if it would work. I had to
create a blue background for it (which I did in paint). Here's both:

Turn macro on

ActiveSheet.SetBackgroundPicture Filename:= _
"C:\Documents and Settings\270pjy\My Documents\My Pictures\blue.JPG"
Cells.Select
With Selection.Font
.Name = "Arial"
.FontStyle = "Regular"
.Size = 10
.Strikethrough = False
.Superscript = False
.Subscript = False
.OutlineFont = False
.Shadow = False
.Underline = xlUnderlineStyleNone
.ColorIndex = 6
End With
End Sub

Turn macro off

Cells.Select
With Selection.Font
.Name = "Arial"
.FontStyle = "Regular"
.Size = 10
.Strikethrough = False
.Superscript = False
.Subscript = False
.OutlineFont = False
.Shadow = False
.Underline = xlUnderlineStyleNone
.ColorIndex = xlAutomatic
End With
ActiveSheet.SetBackgroundPicture Filename:=""
End Sub

I don't know of an application that will change these functions, maybe the
"experts" have a better solution for you. I feel so badly for her, what a
hard way to do your job! I hope this will help in the meantime.

 

[PJY]

Oh my gosh, I just realized that you CAN do this in the settings menu!!
Go to start, then settings, select Control Panel, then Display - in Display
select the Appearance tab, then select Advanced, where it reads item, select
Window then change the color to the blue you want, just under where you
picked your blue you should see another color box, change that to yellow or
whatever color. This should change ALL of her applications! Please let me
know if that works for you.

 

[PJY]

Was just curious if this worked for your employee
Oh my gosh, I just realized that you CAN do this in the settings menu!!
Go to start, then settings, select Control Panel, then Display - in Display
select the Appearance tab, then select Advanced, where it reads item, select
Window then change the color to the blue you want, just under where you
picked your blue you should see another color box, change that to yellow or
whatever color. This should change ALL of her applications! Please let me
know if that works for you.