Assistive Technology
Assistive Technologies for Mobility Issues
- Alternate keyboards or switches
Hardware or software devices, used by people with physical disabilities,
that provide an alternate way of creating keystrokes that appear to come
from the standard keyboard. Examples include on-screen keyboards, eyegaze
keyboards, and sip-and-puff switches. Applications that can be operated
entirely from the standard keyboard, with no mouse movements required,
support single-switch access or access via alternative keyboards.
- Voice recognition
Voice recognition is used by people with some physical disabilities or
temporary injuries to hands and forearms -- as well as some users interested
in greater convenience, and as an input method in some voice browsers.
Applications that have full keyboard support can be used with voice recognition.
- Extended keyboard and mouse capabilities
A set of utility programs is designed to give employees who have limited
mobility greater access to DOS-based applications by providing extended
keyboard, mouse, and sound access. For example, the "Sticky Key" function
solves the problem of having to press two or more keys at once (like
performing CRTL-ALT-DEL). One key at a time does the job.
- Alternate Input Devices
Devices such as alternative keyboards and alternative mice allow employees
with limited or no ability to use their hands to perform keyboard activities.
- Word prediction technology
These software packages predict the word you're typing and the next word based on word frequency and context. They may also include features such as spell checking, speech synthesis, and hot keys for frequently used words. Word prediction is particularly useful for slow typists, probe or pen users, and is also helpful for people with