Assistive technologies for people with physical impairments

Physical impairments come in many forms and can generally be classified as a loss or limitation of function in muscle control or movement or a limitation in mobility.

This may include hands that are too large or small for a keyboard, shakiness, arthritis, paralysis, and limb loss, among other difficulties.

There is a wide range of assistive technologies available to help with all these impairments. Below are some of the most popular ones. You can find a fuller range by using the useful links at the foot of the page.

• Mouth stick - a device that enables users to control input through a stick that they manipulate with their mouth.
• Head wand - Head wands are very similar in function to mouth sticks, except in this case the stick is strapped to the head.
• Single-switch access – for people with very limited mobility. For instance, if a person can move only the head, a switch could be placed to the side of the head that would allow the person to click it with head movements. This clicking would then be interpreted using special software.
• Oversized trackball mouse - A trackball mouse has the rollerball on top rather than underneath the mouse. Instead of moving the mouse to control movement, you move the rollerball. Some users find this easier to control. It also works well in conjunction with other devices, for example, head wands or mouth sticks.
• Adaptive keyboard - There are a wide range of alternative keyboards on the market to help motor-impaired users including compact, expanded, ergonomic, on-screen, concept, rubber and ABC keyboards. To find out more about alternative keyboards, visit the Gateway website’s Alternative keyboards page.
• Eye tracking - Eye tracking devices can be a powerful alternative for individuals with no control, or only limited control, over their hand movements. The device follows the movement of the eyes and allows the person to navigate through the web with only eye movements.
• Voice recognition software - Voice recognition programs enable the user to enter text and, in some cases, carry out common computer tasks simply by speaking into a microphone – that is, without having to use a keyboard or a mouse. In case of text entry, the computer analyses the user's voice, tries to recognize the words, and types them - instead of the user - as he or she speaks
• "Sticky Keys" - a method of typing where modifier keys, such as Shift, Control, Command, and Alt/Option, will "stick" down and apply to the next keystroke, so that only one key needs to be pressed at a time. This is extremely useful for people who have motor impairments that make it difficult to press combinations of keys.
• "Slow Keys" - a keyboard feature that prevents keystrokes from registering until a key has been held down for a certain period of time. This is extremely useful for people with motor impairments that make it difficult to target keys accurately or that cause unpredictable motion.

Useful links

The following website links provide more information about assistive technologies for people with physical impairments.

• WebAim - Motor disabilities: Assistive technologies
• Gateway - Provides case studies of users with physical impairments and information about assistive technologies
• AbilityHub - A good resource for available assistive technologies

 

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