Finder Menu Bar Font Sizing...
I am working with disabled users who cannot speak, and have extremely limited mobility- but are perfectly alert and conscious of everything around them. We are using new 24" Intel iMacs. Computers are the only way they can interact with people the way you and I take for granted. However, due to their inability to make their muscles do just what they want, they struggle to make a mouse move over a button and take several painfully slow tries to do simple things like "double-click". We continue to try new solutions to those problems with programable trackballs and larger keyboards. However there is one detail that would make a huge difference for these users, and for the life of me, I cannot find a method of doing it. It seems so obvious and simple, but as far as I can see it cannot be done. End of story. Tough-luck guys.
Basically- the font in the Finder's main menu bar is too small and hard to read.
Before you answer, (and we REALLY hope you can!) please know:
A) We are very familiar with Universal Access and the tools there such as ZOOM. For these users however, it is inadequate. They cannot press multiple keys simultaneously, and even when we simplify that process, or do it for them, it is far too disorienting and difficult for them to navigate in that mode. These folks need menu stability- they need to see the menus on a stable UI. Nor can they speak, so speakable options are out.
B) Decreasing screen resolution has the very unfortunate effect of making everything bigger. Which, among other things, means application windows take up so much desk space, while simultaneously displaying such little content, that every window must be scrolled- and again that means they have to move the mouse and use the scroll arrows or arrow keys just to read short emails, pictures are always cut off, and web pages are always running off the bottom- when really, the content is finely sized. So this doesn't help. For them, it's better to keep the resolution at a medium setting- not the biggest, but not the smallest.
C) We have gone into every application and have enlarged the fonts in those apps so that they can be read.
D) We have used the "Show View Options" to increase the few system fonts that it controls (and yet- wish we could make it even bigger than the max. 16)
E) We have tried several 3rd party apps like TinkerTool- and despite the claims of many non-users- it absolutely does not change the size of the finder menu bar.
SO that brings me here- the thing we want to do most is increase the size of the Finder menu bar font. That's it. Seems like a reasonable request. At least I thought it was.
Does anyone have an idea how this may be possible?
It would make a big difference to a bunch of folks that have it hard enough already. Thanks in advance for anything!
G5 Dual 2.5Ghz, 2GB RAM Mac OS X (10.4.8)
G5 Dual 2.5Ghz, 2GB RAM Mac OS X (10.3.6)
Basically- the font in the Finder's main menu bar is too small and hard to read.
Before you answer, (and we REALLY hope you can!) please know:
A) We are very familiar with Universal Access and the tools there such as ZOOM. For these users however, it is inadequate. They cannot press multiple keys simultaneously, and even when we simplify that process, or do it for them, it is far too disorienting and difficult for them to navigate in that mode. These folks need menu stability- they need to see the menus on a stable UI. Nor can they speak, so speakable options are out.
B) Decreasing screen resolution has the very unfortunate effect of making everything bigger. Which, among other things, means application windows take up so much desk space, while simultaneously displaying such little content, that every window must be scrolled- and again that means they have to move the mouse and use the scroll arrows or arrow keys just to read short emails, pictures are always cut off, and web pages are always running off the bottom- when really, the content is finely sized. So this doesn't help. For them, it's better to keep the resolution at a medium setting- not the biggest, but not the smallest.
C) We have gone into every application and have enlarged the fonts in those apps so that they can be read.
D) We have used the "Show View Options" to increase the few system fonts that it controls (and yet- wish we could make it even bigger than the max. 16)
E) We have tried several 3rd party apps like TinkerTool- and despite the claims of many non-users- it absolutely does not change the size of the finder menu bar.
SO that brings me here- the thing we want to do most is increase the size of the Finder menu bar font. That's it. Seems like a reasonable request. At least I thought it was.
Does anyone have an idea how this may be possible?
It would make a big difference to a bunch of folks that have it hard enough already. Thanks in advance for anything!
G5 Dual 2.5Ghz, 2GB RAM Mac OS X (10.4.8)
G5 Dual 2.5Ghz, 2GB RAM Mac OS X (10.3.6)
