When presenting to learners, it is helpful to use your computer’s cursor/pointer to call attention to specific areas of your content or images. Increasing your cursor/pointer size or changing its color reduces barriers to learning and allows everyone to better track your movements, reducing confusion and improving engagement.
This recommendation follows the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL), which is an approach to teaching and learning that gives all students equal opportunity to succeed.
Change your cursor/pointer color and size when your presentation includes:
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- Images that have gray, black, and white colors, such as radiographic images, which can easily hide a white, black, or gray cursor/pointer.
- Color images without enough contrast between the background and the cursor/pointer.
- Cursor/pointer that is too small.
Mac and Windows devices include accessibility features to make your mouse cursor/pointer easier to see by making it bigger or changing the color. Follow the instructions below to find and adjust these settings.
Access resources with more information about color contrast.
- Open the Apple menu > System Settings. Then click Accessibility in the sidebar and then Display on the right.
- Go to the Pointer section to increase the pointer size to the size you’d like.
- Additionally, change the pointer outline color and fill color separately.
Instructions for older MacOS can be found here.
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- Go to the Accessibility settings on your computer by selecting the Start button > Settings > Accessibility.
- Select Mouse pointer and touch.
- Under Mouse pointer, adjust the Size slider to the size you’d like.
- Under Mouse pointer style, select an option to change the color of your mouse pointer.
- Select the Start button, then select Settings > Ease of Access > Mouse pointer.
- Adjust the slider under Change pointer size until your mouse pointer is the size you want.
- Additionally, select an option to change the color of your mouse pointer.
Additional information to make your mouse, keyboard, and other input devices easier to use can be found here.
by the Office of Technology