Working Together: Computers and People with Mobility Impairments

[ Music ]

(Nohemi) I like computers a lot,
and I want to learn more about it,

because I want to study
computer science

so that's my career that I
want to have in the future.

(Buddy) The only thing I
need help with is turning

the computer on and putting
the headset on my head.

Other than that, I can operate
just about anything else by myself.

(Susanna) It's a real
accomplishment and you

really feel proud of yourself
when you're actually able

to make progress and do
something without having to ask

somebody else, you know.

It's like you actually did it
by yourself, yea!

(Narrator) Besides an
interest in technology,

what these people have in common
is mobility impairment.

But each one is different,

and so is the way they use
their computers.

(Doug Hayman) It's pretty rare that
there'd be a one-size-fits-all

technology for people.

Each person with a disability,
with a mobility impairment,

is going to have a unique setup
that's suited to meet their needs.

And they need to be the end
client that decides,

"Is this technology working for me
or is there something else that

I'd rather use that
would suit me better?"

(Narrator) An individual's
mobility impairment may

or may not be obvious to
others, and people with similar

medical conditions may need
different types of adaptive technology.

The important thing
is to work closely with

the person using the computer
to figure out the best fit.

(Andrew Riggle) Pay attention to the
individual and what he or she needs,

both through observation
of him or her in the actual

environment in which
the technology will be,

is being used, and also through
consultations with the individual.

(Narrator) We'll show you some
examples of adaptive technology

that have been used effectively
by people with mobility impairments.

And we'll start with getting
to the computer.

You can't use a computer
if you can't reach it.

You have to be able
to get in the building,

get through the aisles, and sit
comfortably at the workstation.

Computers at work
and at school should be

in locations that are accessible
to people using wheelchairs.

(Andrew) Physical access to
buildings, labs, classrooms,

all that is extremely important
because this technology,

no matter how good it is,
is completely unusable

to a physically disabled person
if they can't get to it.

(Dan Comden) And that means
having a ramp, if there are stairs;

having an elevator, if there are stairs
inside the building;

having enough room between aisles
if it's a computer lab;

or having enough room
in the hallway.

(Narrator) The furniture
makes a difference too.

It's important to be flexible
in the way you position

keyboards, computer screens,
and table height.

Adjustable tables can be
cranked higher or lower,

so that the monitor is at
the most comfortable height.

Keyboard trays can
move up and down, or tilt,

to make typing easier.

(Narrator) Some people with
mobility impairments don't have

the flexibility or range of motion
to use a standard keyboard.

Fortunately, there's a wide range
of alternatives available.

Some of those are already built
into current popular operating systems.

(Dan) The fact that there
are some basic features built

into operating systems is really
important. There are some very

simple things that can
be done using control panels,

accessibility options control panels,
that give access, basic access,

to the keyboard and
to the operating system.

(Narrator) For example,
someone using a single finger

or a mouth stick wouldn't
be able to type two keys

simultaneously, such as
"control" and something else.

There's a setting that allows those
keys to be entered sequentially.

Another setting eliminates
repeated keystrokes

for someone who keeps a key
pressed down too long.

And features such as AutoCorrect,
which are common

in word processing software
and other applications

allow the user to abbreviate
long words or even sentences

with a brief letter sequence.

Once the abbreviations are set,

they can make typing faster and
more accurate.

There are also physical
adaptations to consider.

For example, a keyguard.

(Susie) The keyguard's a grid
that fits over the keyboard

and it has holes for each key
and prevents people from

typing a key they
didn't mean to hit

if their movements
are not controlled.

(Narrator) For people who
have limited range of motion,

a mini-keyboard
may be helpful.

There and also left- and
right-handed keyboards,

which can be used
with only one hand.

For someone with good range of
motion but poor dexterity,

there are keyboards
with extra-large keys.

For someone who can't
activate a keyboard physically,

a virtual keyboard
may be useful.

This appears on
a computer screen

as a picture of a keyboard.

The keys can be activated
with a mouse, trackball,

or alternative pointing system.

Some virtual keyboards may include
features such as

alternate key layouts
or word prediction software.

(Narrator) Word prediction programs
help people type correctly

and more quickly.

The program prompts the user
with a list of possible word choices

based on words that have
already been typed.

Some programs collect new words
as they're used and work with

the user's common vocabulary
in making predictions.

(Buddy ) I've thrown in a letter.
Let's say I've thrown in a "T"

and, like, five words that
start with "T" will pop up,

the most common ones that I use.

They'll pop up and I'll click on it
and it'll just print it up.

(Dan) Graphical user interfaces
are everywhere

and you need to have some
sort of a pointing device

to access the material
on the computer

icons, clicking, pointing
all those things.

So you either need
to use a mouse

or find an alternative
to using the mouse.

(Narrator) Trackballs are
a good place to start.

The trackball's control surface is
easier to manipulate than the mouse.

On some trackballs, buttons provide
features such as double-clicking,

click-and-hold, and
other commands.

They can be used on the
desk, or for people

who use their feet instead
of their hands, on the floor.

People with good head control,
but no use of their limbs

can use a head controlled
pointing system.

This system uses infrared
detection and a transmitter,

or reflector worn
on the user's head.

It translates head movements
into pointer movements

on the screen.

This can be combined
with an on-screen keyboard

for full computer control.

(Buddy) Well the Head Master
that I use,

it just controls the mouse,
the cursor on the keyboard.

The little thing that I blow
into, that's the button click.

(Narrator) Switches
work with a box

or an emulator that sends
keyboard or mouse commands

to the computer.

They come in a wide variety
and can be controlled

with nearly any body part.

(Doug) Some people will use
a switch mounted on an arm

and this arm can be mounted
so that it's in just the right

location for users.

Some may use one switch
that's just an on-off switch

that then interfaces with the
computer and most often,

that is used in a way that it's
either controlling an on-screen

keyboard so that they can
do the standard keystrokes.

And then software can also
be used with that same switch

to control the
direction of a mouse

and then the right and left
mouse clicks using that same switch.

(Narrator) Scanning
and Morse code

are two of the input methods
that rely on switches.

With scanning,
the user activates

a switch that brings up an
options menu on the screen

then continues to
activate the switch

to make specific choices.

Morse code uses a
sip-and-puff switch

where dot is a sip
and dash is a puff.

Special hardware and
software translates

Morse code into a form
that computers understand.

Any switch system
should be mounted

by a knowledgeable professional.

(Doug) So it's useful to
think about a wide range

of accommodation needs for
people with mobility impairments.

People may use a light-activated
switch near their eyes

that they can do a long
blink or a short blink

and then, with
that input device,

even the person with that
severe limitation

can control a computer.

They can use an onscreen
keyboard and write to somebody.

They could go to the Web,
do things everybody else

is used to using
on the computer.

Others may have
more functionality.

They may be limited from...

they can move their head, they
can speak fine but they can't

do anything with their hands,
so perhaps they would use speech

recognition to control a
computer or use switches that

could be located behind their
heads so they could click,

you know, left or right button
or maybe even use their head

to control the cursor as well.

(Oscar) I'm a junior this year.

(Narrator) Speech
recognition products

allow users to bypass
the keyboard completely.

(Oscar) This program
helps me type.

Whatever I say it types.

It's a microphone; I talk into
the microphone and it types it out

on the computer screen.

(Narrator) Speech recognition
software converts spoken words

into text on the computer.

The person using it
speaks into the microphone

in a normal manner.

This type of system
requires that the user

train it to recognize
their unique voice.

It's also important to
correct any recognition

errors that the system makes.

(Student, dictating) Most of us are
intimidated by computers.

(Narrator) To use speech
recognition technology effectively,

it's important to have good voice
and breath stamina.

Good reading comprehension is
also helpful because there are

always corrections to the
program's text output.

(Student, dictating) But it gets
easier with practice.

(Screen reader)
This research effort

confirms what so
many of us believe.

(Narrator) Reading systems,
which involve both hardware

and software, are
helpful for people

who find it difficult to
hold printed material

or turn pages.

A scanner converts hardcopy
into a digital image,

which is then converted
into a text file that

is recognized by the computer.

Next, the words come up on
the screen at the same time

that a speech
synthesizer reads them.

The most important part of
selecting adaptive technology

is to recognize the needs
of the individual using it.

The best adaptations are the
ones you choose yourself.

It's all about personal success.

(Andrew)The technology that's
being adopted that is now

quickly becoming the core
of our modern economy

and also our social life.

Without access to
the technology that

allows us to access
these new means,

it makes it nearly impossible
for the disabled individuals

to participate fully in society.