Helen™ Toolbar Application Download

We offer you a free downloadable, fully accessible, web site rating toolbar application (which we affectionately named "Helen™") that will enable you to have your voice heard as you experience problems and/or success in using any web site. And, most importantly, Helen™ will enable the collective voice of the user community to be heard by web site providers, extending Helen Keller's lifetime efforts and legacy as an advocate for those whose voices might not otherwise be heard.

The Helen™ Toolbar Application is Freeware provided by the American Foundation for the Blind. We strongly encourage you to read both the "Installation Instructions" below and Terms of Use before proceeding.

Installation Instructions

The Helen™ Toolbar Application is a program that must be installed on your computer. Although the installation process is easy, it is best to familiarize yourself with each of the steps before you begin.

Step 1: Select "Download the accessible Helen™ Toolbar Application" at the bottom of this page. (Please read the remaining instructions before you perform this step.)

Step 2: Select "Run" from the "File Download - Security Warning" dialog box.

Step 3: Depending on your browser settings, you may be presented with one or more security warning dialog boxes. You must authorize Windows to continue with the installation process.

Step 4: The Microsoft Installation Wizard will launch and guide you through four (4) Windows dialog boxes with the following titles.

1. Welcome to the Helen™ Toolbar Setup Wizard
2. Select Installation Folder
3. Installing Helen™ Toolbar
4. Installation Complete

We recommend that you use the default values in each dialog box. The installation process will require less than a minute. Select "Close" on the final dialog box to exit the Installation Wizard.

Step 5: The Helen™ Toolbar Application is now installed. It will be available for use the next time you open Microsoft Internet Explorer. We recommend that you close all of the open instances of Microsoft Internet Explorer and then restart your Internet Explorer browser. The Helen™ Toolbar Application will now be available using the Ctrl-Alt-H key combination.

Note: If the Helen™ Toolbar Application does not open with the Ctrl-Alt-H key combination, or is not visible in the toolbar, make sure that the "Helen Toolbar" is "checked" in your Toolbars settings. To reach your Toolbar settings from Internet Explorer, use Alt-V to access the "View" menu. The first selection in the menu is "Toolbars", which can be selected by pressing "T" on the keyboard. A list of your available "Toolbars" will appear. Arrow down to the "Helen™ Toolbar" and press "Enter" if it is unchecked. The Helen™ Toolbar Application will now be available every time you open Internet Explorer.

When you use the Helen™ Toolbar Application, your ratings, along with the ratings of other users, will appear on The Helen™ Project web site and the Helen Project RSS 2.0 XML Feed. The Helen™ Project web site is fully accessible to the public and the Helen™ Project RSS 2.0 XML Feed is available to interested third parties working to solve Web accessibility issues. Your user name will appear with your rating; however your email address will not appear anywhere on the web site or the RSS 2.0 XML feed. Unless you request otherwise, you will not be contacted regarding your ratings.

By accessing or using the Helen™ Toolbar Application, you acknowledge that you have read, understood and agree to be bound by the Terms of Use.

Download the accessible Helen™ Application Toolbar