• Home
• Accessibility
• Mac
• Seeing Websites
• Mouse Pointer
• Larger Mouse Pointer

Making Your Mouse Pointer Larger

Many people have difficulty seeing the mouse pointer, this section explains how to make it bigger in 'Tiger' OS X 10.4.

Introduction
The pointer changes shape depending on where it is on the screen. Most often it appears as a small white arrow with a black outline; over a white background this is simply a black outline.

In some cases it is even less easy to see. For example, over any area where you can type it turns into a 'I' cursor (called an 'I-beam').

Note: Mac key convention: 'Ctrl' is used for 'Control', 'Apple' is used for 'Command' and 'Alt' is used for the 'Option' key.

Note: For keyboard access make sure 'Full keyboard access' is turned on - you can turn it on or off; by pressing 'Ctrl' + 'F1' at any time.

Instructions
In Mac OS X 10.4 there is a new enlarging cursor feature; to access and use it:

1. Make sure you are in 'Finder' - press 'Apple' + 'Tab' if necessary to cycle through open applications until you return to 'Finder'.
2. Click on the 'Apple' menu or press 'Ctrl' + 'F2'.
3. Click on 'System Preferences...' as shown in Fig 1 or press the down arrow key to highlight it and then press 'Enter'.
   
   
   Fig 1
   
4. Click on the 'Universal Access' icon or press 'Tab' repeatedly (you might need to press 'Ctrl' + 'F7' first) to cycle through the icons until the 'Universial Access' icon is highlighted with a blue border as shown in Fig 2 and then press the 'Spacebar'.
   
   
   Fig 2
   
5. Click on the 'Mouse' tab or press 'Ctrl' + 'F7' (once or twice) to highlight one of the four tabs for example 'Keyboard' and then press the left or right arrow key to select the 'Mouse' tab (highlighted in blue).
6. Click on the 'Cursor Size:' gauge bar as shown in Fig 3 to change the pointer size, or press 'Tab' to reach the gauge bar and use the left and right arrow keys to select your pointer size.
7. When you are happy with your pointer click the 'Close' (red) button at the top of the 'Universal Access' window or press 'Apple' + 'W' to close the window and return to the Finder desktop.
   
   
   Fig 3

Note: If this does not work it could be because your computer settings cannot be changed due to local IT policies - contact your local IT support for further help.

Top