Bad Eyesight - Thunderbird: Difference between revisions

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The [https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/thunderbird/addon/162063/ Theme font & size changer] add-on works with both Firefox and Thunderbird. It changes the fonts/font sizes in menus, toolbars etc. but not within a message. You can change the font/font size in messages using Tools -> Options -> Display -> Fonts -> Advanced. The author also wrote a [https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/6827/ Page Zoom button] add-on for Firefox that might be useful.
The [https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/thunderbird/addon/162063/ Theme font & size changer] add-on works with both Firefox and Thunderbird. It changes the fonts/font sizes in menus, toolbars etc. but not within a message. You can change the font/font size in messages using Tools -> Options -> Display -> Fonts -> Advanced. The author also wrote a [https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/6827/ Page Zoom button] add-on for Firefox that might be useful.


[[Pane and menu fonts]] has CSS snippets you can add to a optional [[UserChrome.css]] file to change the font, font size, and other attributes of fonts. You could also use already customized CSS styles from [http://userstyles.org/ UserStyles.org] using the [https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/thunderbird/addon/stylish/ Stylish for Thunderbird] add-on. For example, [http://userstyles.org/styles/2437 TwisterMc's "Make TB labels stand out"] style tries to make it easier to see tagged messages.
[[Pane and menu fonts]] has CSS snippets you can add to a optional [[UserChrome.css]] file to change the font, font size, and other attributes of fonts. You could also use already customized CSS styles from [http://userstyles.org/ UserStyles.org] using the [https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/thunderbird/addon/stylish/ Stylish for Thunderbird] add-on. For example, [http://userstyles.org/styles/2437 TwisterMc's "Make TB labels stand out"] style tries to make it easier to see tagged messages and the [http://userstyles.org/styles/201 list box alternating row bg colors] style configures alternating rows to use a different background color in list boxes/folder listings.  


There is a limit to what you can do within Thunderbird. It might be better to try to use some of the accessibility features of your operating system instead of tweaking each application.
There is a limit to what you can do within Thunderbird. It might be better to try to use some of the accessibility features of your operating system instead of tweaking each application.

Revision as of 22:58, 10 February 2011

This article was written for Thunderbird but also applies to Mozilla Suite / SeaMonkey (though some menu sequences may differ).


Sending Messages

There isn't much you can do to make a plain text message more easily readable. However, you can change the font and font size and bold the text in a HTML message to make it easier to read. The easiest way to do this is to create a message template and use it to create a new message whenever you send a message to somebody with poor eyesight. If you have any sort of organized data consider putting it in a table.

Reading Messages

There are a few themes designed for high contrast at the Mozilla Add-ons web site.

The Theme font & size changer add-on works with both Firefox and Thunderbird. It changes the fonts/font sizes in menus, toolbars etc. but not within a message. You can change the font/font size in messages using Tools -> Options -> Display -> Fonts -> Advanced. The author also wrote a Page Zoom button add-on for Firefox that might be useful.

Pane and menu fonts has CSS snippets you can add to a optional UserChrome.css file to change the font, font size, and other attributes of fonts. You could also use already customized CSS styles from UserStyles.org using the Stylish for Thunderbird add-on. For example, TwisterMc's "Make TB labels stand out" style tries to make it easier to see tagged messages and the list box alternating row bg colors style configures alternating rows to use a different background color in list boxes/folder listings.

There is a limit to what you can do within Thunderbird. It might be better to try to use some of the accessibility features of your operating system instead of tweaking each application.

  • If you're using Windows run the accessibility wizard at Start -> Programs -> Accessories -> Accessibility. If that doesn't help there is always Start -> Programs -> Accessories -> Accessibility -> Magnifier
  • Chose a high contrast theme by selecting the Appearance tab in the Display Properties control panel, and then Color Scheme.
  • Dragon Naturally Speaking is speech recognition software, but it also has a text-to-speech option. You might buy something like that to speak what you are reading.

See Also

Forum Links

External Links