KEYBOARDS
ADAPTIVE KEYBOARDS
An adaptive keyboard is suitable for a person whose muscles are low functioning, that is, they have poor muscle control and has problems with their fine motor skills. Some adaptive keyboards have raised areas in between the keys, rather than lowered areas, to allow the person to first place the hand down on the keyboard, then slide the finger into the correct key. A person with tremors, or spastic movements could benefit from this type of keyboard. Keyboard overlays are also available as an adaptation to standard keyboards, which achieve the same results. In some cases, adaptive keyboards come with specialized software with word-completion technology, allowing the person to type with fewer keystrokes, since typing can be rather laborious and slow otherwise.
A web-based word on-screen keyboard with word completion technology can be found athttp://www.enetplanet.com/kb_fr/- external link. In nearly all cases, people who need this technology will have it installed on their own computer, rather than using a Web-based version, but an online version can be useful when users are away from their regular computer. It can also be a useful tool to help developers understand how this particular type of technology works.
For more information, please visit: http://webaim.org/articles/motor/assistive#adaptivekeyboard
For students who have difficulty using a keyboard or operating a mouse, a device called IntelliKeys can be used. IntelliKeys is a keyboard and overlay combination that takes the place of a keyboard. The overlays consist of alphabet, numbers, and enlarged arrows (Hadley & Logwood, 1996) Research conducted by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development(2007) has shown that students with disabilities who use IntelliKeys increase performance by 50% to 60% over a six month period allowing them to almost equal their peers in the regular education classes (www.intellitools.com).
For students who have severe physical disabilities and cannot use a keyboard, mouse or IntelliKeys, there are devices such as the SmartNav 4.This AT device allows a student to move the mouse by moving his head slightly. A virtual keyboard is on the screen that allows the student to enter text or navigate on the Internet. This device is ideal for students with spinal cord injuries, muscular dystrophy, and other special needs (naturalpoint.com). Another device is the gooseneck switch. It is a switch that allows the student to use a computer with the use of his head. The switch can be used in conjunction with a software program such as Kenax that allows the student to type by simply hitting the switch with his/her head (gokeytech.com, 2007).
For more information, please visit: http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Assistive_Technology_in_Education/Physically_Handicapped
TYPES OF KEYBOARDS
An adaptive keyboard is suitable for a person whose muscles are low functioning, that is, they have poor muscle control and has problems with their fine motor skills. Some adaptive keyboards have raised areas in between the keys, rather than lowered areas, to allow the person to first place the hand down on the keyboard, then slide the finger into the correct key. A person with tremors, or spastic movements could benefit from this type of keyboard. Keyboard overlays are also available as an adaptation to standard keyboards, which achieve the same results. In some cases, adaptive keyboards come with specialized software with word-completion technology, allowing the person to type with fewer keystrokes, since typing can be rather laborious and slow otherwise.
A web-based word on-screen keyboard with word completion technology can be found athttp://www.enetplanet.com/kb_fr/- external link. In nearly all cases, people who need this technology will have it installed on their own computer, rather than using a Web-based version, but an online version can be useful when users are away from their regular computer. It can also be a useful tool to help developers understand how this particular type of technology works.
For more information, please visit: http://webaim.org/articles/motor/assistive#adaptivekeyboard
For students who have difficulty using a keyboard or operating a mouse, a device called IntelliKeys can be used. IntelliKeys is a keyboard and overlay combination that takes the place of a keyboard. The overlays consist of alphabet, numbers, and enlarged arrows (Hadley & Logwood, 1996) Research conducted by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development(2007) has shown that students with disabilities who use IntelliKeys increase performance by 50% to 60% over a six month period allowing them to almost equal their peers in the regular education classes (www.intellitools.com).
For students who have severe physical disabilities and cannot use a keyboard, mouse or IntelliKeys, there are devices such as the SmartNav 4.This AT device allows a student to move the mouse by moving his head slightly. A virtual keyboard is on the screen that allows the student to enter text or navigate on the Internet. This device is ideal for students with spinal cord injuries, muscular dystrophy, and other special needs (naturalpoint.com). Another device is the gooseneck switch. It is a switch that allows the student to use a computer with the use of his head. The switch can be used in conjunction with a software program such as Kenax that allows the student to type by simply hitting the switch with his/her head (gokeytech.com, 2007).
For more information, please visit: http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Assistive_Technology_in_Education/Physically_Handicapped
TYPES OF KEYBOARDS
- Alternative keyboards – able to be programmed, operated with one hand, or simply offering larger keys which are easier to select
- Keyguards to sit on top of keyboards making it easier to select the intended key without activating others
- One-handed typing tutor
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