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GWKB1098 : Making Outlook say, "read, unread, attachment" and other tips regarding labeling graphics

Product: Window-Eyes
Category: Guide
Author: Jeremy Curry
Date Added: 10/31/2008
Last Modified: 11/03/2008
If you are using Outlook, you typically like to know if the message has been read, if you haven't read it, or if there is an attachment. These items are all read from graphics that appear on the same line as the message.

For example, the message itself does not visually have the word read or unread. Instead, there are little pictures of envelopes that indicate whether the message has been read or not. When these graphics are labeled, that is when you will hear if the message has been read, unread, etc.

From the factory, Window-Eyes comes with these graphics labeled for the default themes when in 32-bit color, such as the Windows Vista and Windows XP theme. However, there are often times that computer manufacturers modify the theme from its original, or perhaps you have made changes to the default theme. This can cause a graphic to need a new label, because the graphic has changed from its default appearance.

The same is true of the resolution of your computer. If you have a resolution of either 1024 x 768 or less, chances are good that the graphics have been labeled for that resolution. However, if you have an odd resolution or an extremely high resolution, those graphics may not be labeled. Again, this is because the appearance of the graphic has changed.

While it is possible to manually label each graphic, it may be best to attempt to put your computer to a standard theme and resolution before taking the time to label each graphic.

For Windows XP users, do the following to change the resolution and theme:

1. Close all applications except Window-Eyes.
2. Press Windows Key-D to focus the Desktop
3. Press F5 which will refresh the Desktop and unselect that was selected
4. Press the Context menu key
5. Press R for Properties
6. Press Ctrl-Tab until you get to the Themes tab
7. Press Tab until you get to the Themes combo box
8. Press Alt-Down Arrow to open the combo box
9. Press Down Arrow until you hear Windows XP
10. Press Enter
11. Next, press Ctrl-Tab until you get the Settings tab
12. Press Tab until you get to the trackbar
13. Press the Left or Right Arrow to adjust the resolution.
14. We suggest setting the resolution to 1024 x 768. To find out resolution you have set, press Ins-Numpad-Plus to route the mouse pointer to the trackbar.
15. Then, press Numpad-2 until you hear the resolution.
16. If you need to continue to adjust the trackbar, you may press the Left or Right Arrow keys to change the resolution, and press Numpad-5 to hear the current resolution.
17. Once you have set your resolution, press Tab until you get to the Ok button, and press Enter.

For Windows Vista users, do the following to change the theme:
1. Close all applications except Window-Eyes.
2. Press Windows Key-D to focus the Desktop
3. Press F5 which will refresh the Desktop and unselect that was selected
4. Press the Context menu key
5. Press R for Personalize
6. Tab until you get to Theme
7. Press Enter
8. You should be in the Theme combo box. Press Alt-Down Arrow to open the combo box. Press the Up or Down Arrow until you get to Windows Vista, and press Enter.
9. Tab to the Ok button, and press Enter.

After you have set the theme, perform the following steps to change the resolution:

1. You should be back in Personalization. If not, press Alt-Tab until Personalization is focused. Then, press Tab until you get to Display Settings.
2. Press Enter
3. Tab until you get to the trackbar
4. Once at the trackbar, press the Left or Right Arrow keys to adjust the resolution.
5. We suggest setting the resolution to 1024 x 768. To find out resolution you have set, press Ins-Numpad-Plus to route the mouse pointer to the trackbar.
6. Then, press Numpad-2 until you hear the resolution.
7. If you need to continue to adjust the trackbar, you may press the Left or Right Arrow keys to change the resolution, and press Numpad-5 to hear the current resolution.
8. Once you have set your resolution, press Tab until you get to the Ok button, and press Enter.

Whether you are using XP or Vista, you will need to restart Window-Eyes. Then, open Outlook after Window-Eyes has been restarted. If the graphics still do not read, you will need to label them manually as described below.

For the graphic to read correctly, you will need to label it. When it is not labeled, all you will hear is graphic. Without sighted assistance, it may be difficult to tell if the graphic should say read, unread, or something else. So, it may be more convenient to have sighted assistance to help identify the current graphic that the mouse pointer is on.

To label the graphic, perform the following steps. Note that these steps assume you have a graphics dictionary open for Microsoft Outlook. To open a new graphics dictionary, please reference the Window-Eyes manual.

1. Press the Up or Down Arrow until you have a message focused.
2. Route the mouse to the message by pressing Insert-Numpad-Plus.
3. Then, move your mouse pointer to the next clip by pressing Insert-Numpad-9. You should hear graphic, which should be the graphic you want to label. If you do not hear graphic, or if this is not the correct graphic, press Insert-Numpad-9 until you get to the graphic you want.
4. Once you have verified that you are on the correct graphic, press Ctrl-Shift-E.
5. In the speech edit box, type the name of the graphic. For example, you might type unread.
6. If you want the graphic name to appear differently in Braille, press Tab until you hear the Braille edit box. Type in what you want to read on the Braille display, and then press Enter.
7. You have now labeled your graphic. Continue to do this until you have labeled all appropriate graphics.
8. Once you have labeled all graphics, press Ctrl-Backslash to open the Window-Eyes Control Panel.
9. Press Alt-F to open the File menu.
10. Press S to open the Save pulldown.
11. Then, press the Down Arrow to get to Set File and All Dictionaries and press Enter.

Each time you open Outlook, your graphics should now read correctly. Remember that you can use the same steps to label any new graphics you come across or you can re-label graphics that you may have mis-labeled. This method can also be applied to most other email applications. For questions or comments regarding this article, please email GW Micro Technical Support at support@gwmicro.com.
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