[Trainer-Talk] Blog Post Comparing and Contrasting Windows 10 and 11 from an Accessibility Perspective

Wed Sep 18 15:40:08 UTC 2024

Hello Trainers:

The program I work for just published on our blog part 1 in a series on
Windows 11 from a screen reader user's perspective. The first of these
articles compares Windows 10 and 11, and the second (which will be published
next week) will focus on how to customize Windows 11 to make it work best
with a screen reader. Considering the timeliness of the topic, I thought I
would share it here for your benefit and that of your students. Both the
link and the text of the article are pasted below. Thanks to Curtis Chong
for his contributions to both articles. I'll post Part 2 when it goes live
next week.

Enjoy!

Chris

Link:
https://imagemd.org/2024/09/17/comparing-and-contrasting-windows-10-and-wind
ows-11/

Comparing and Contrasting Windows 10 and Windows 11

*	Post author By  <https://imagemd.org/author/bearadvocacygmail-com/>
Carlton Walker
*	Post Date: September 17, 2024
*	 

September Solutions

School has begun throughout the state of Maryland, and we at the Bridges
Technical Assistance Center and Helpdesk explore solutions to help prepare
for two environments we cannot control: Medical care and Microsoft's new
operating system, Windows 11.

*       September 3: Accessibility for Medical Check-in and Information

*       September 10: Advocating for Medical Accessibility

*       September 17: Comparing and Contrasting Windows 10 and Windows 11
(Celebrating National IT Professionals Day with our special guest
contributor, accessible technology expert Curtis Chong)

*       September 24: Tips For Using Windows 11 with JAWS (from our special
guest contributor, accessible technology expert Curtis Chong)

This week, we celebrate National IT Professionals Day with our special guest
contributor, Curtis Chong. Curtis helps us understand why we'll have to move
to Windows 11 and what changes we can expect from this new operating system.

Meet Our Guest Contributor, Curtis Chong

Curtis Chong is a nationally renowned accessible technology expert. He is
also a great blind mentor, and he selflessly shares his expertise - today
with our Bridges stakeholders. Check out this
<https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gcvbIcpL7JuTBYiNgln_sLb2l8GbTYlj/edit?u
sp=sharing&ouid=100542621600995506535&rtpof=true&sd=true> Curtis Chong
biography to find out more about this talented gentleman.

Why Do I Need to Care about Windows 11?

Any new computer running Windows that is purchased today is going to be
using the Microsoft Windows 11 operating system. Microsoft's support of
Windows 10 (the precursor to Windows 11) is slated to stop sometime next
year.

A few years ago, a lot of people were very concerned about moving from
Windows 7 to Windows 10, and now that the support for Windows 10 is
scheduled to end sometime next year, they are rightfully wondering how
difficult it will be to move up to Windows 11 since any new computer
purchased today will be running this operating system.

What Can I Expect from the change from Windows 10 to 11?

Keyboard commands and functions

>From the perspective of a screen reader user, Windows 10 and Windows 11 are
remarkably similar in terms of keyboard commands and functions.

The Windows Desktop is very much the same in Windows 11 as it is in Windows
10.

The Taskbar might look differently in Windows 11 as compared to Windows 10,
but from the screen reader user's perspective, it acts in the same way.

The keyboard commands to move focus to the Desktop, the Taskbar, and the
System Tray (WINDOWS+M, WINDOWS+T, AND WINDOWS+B, respectively) have not
changed between Windows 10 and 11.

File Explorer

Changes in File Explorer in Windows 11

First-time users of Windows 11 will probably notice a change in File
Explorer on Windows 11. File Explorer in Windows 11 no longer uses a ribbon,
but its basic function and keyboard commands are remarkably similar to what
screen reader users experience in Windows 10.

The familiar keyboard commands for copying, cutting, and pasting still work,
and in File Explorer for Windows 11, a new command (CTRL+SHIFT+C) has been
added to perform what is called the "Copy as Path" function. In File
Explorer, the ribbon which we see in Windows 10 has been removed in favor of
a popup menu that is triggered by tapping the Alt key.

Windows 11 changes Shift + F10 command

As of this writing there appears to be a small but persistent issue with
File Explorer in Windows 11.

Those of us who have been using Windows for decades were always told that
the keyboard alternative for right-clicking with the mouse to bring up a
context menu was either the Applications key or SHIFT+F10; we were told that
either key would bring up the same context menu no matter where they were
used.

While this is true in other applications, it is certainly not the case in
the version of File Explorer I have been running on my Windows 11 system. In
my system, Pressing SHIFT+F10 brings up an abbreviated context menu which
needs to be expanded by arrowing to and activating the More Options menu
item.

System Tray Now Called "Notification Area"

Some of the programs we use in Windows like to run in what is called the
System Tray. In Windows 10, there is a System Tray setting which, when
activated, displays all of these programs in the System Tray. In Windows 11,
this setting has been taken away and replaced with settings that control
whether or not specific apps will be displayed in the System Tray, now
called the Notification Area.

Must I Sign Into My Microsoft Account?

In Windows 11 Microsoft continues to encourage (if not require) users to log
into individual Microsoft accounts. This is actually no different than what
Apple requires on iPads and iPhones and, in fact, is something that people
should adhere to so as to maximize the ability of their systems to take
advantage of recent updates and fixes.

Windows 11 and Screen Readers

In terms of configuring the system for screen reader users, there is a bit
more to do with Windows 11 when it is used for the first time as compared to
Windows 10. In Windows 11, there are widgets to turn off, and the System
Tray is not quite as simple to properly configure as it is in Windows 10. In
Windows 11, the choice to show all items in the System Tray has been taken
away.

Conclusion

Overall, I have to say that once it is properly set up, Windows 11 is as
useful to me today as Windows 10 was last year before I acquired my most
recent Windows system.

Next Week

Next week, Curtis will be sharing his expertise by highlighting tips for
Windows 11 using the JAWS screen reader.

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