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Adaptive Software/Hardware Solutions Enhance Computer Access for Disabled Users


It would be hard to overestimate the impact the personal computer has had on all our lives in the last twenty years. Everything from personal finance, education, workplace productivity, leisure and social activity has been completely transformed by computers. One of the more positive things computers do is to open up our world and dissolve barriers, whether they are physical, geographical, social or mental. For those with disabilities, the personal computer has revolutionized the way they communicate by helping to remove the walls that separate them from the world at large. Unfortunately, traditional computer peripherals such as the keyboard, mouse and screens often do not meet the needs of disabled computer users. Fortunately for computer users with special needs, Rehabmart offers a multitude of specially adaptive software and hardware devices that remove the barriers that traditional technologies impose on the disabled.

Keyboard Solutions

  
    From library.rehabmart.com    The computer keyboard requires complex motor control and therefore is a common barrier to those with fine motility issues. DiscoverScreen on Screen Keyboard for PC is software that places a fully-customizable keyboard on the computer screen. Discover:Screen helps those who cannot manually operate a keyboard or who cannot move their head down to look at a keyboard and then back up to the computer screen. Discover:Screen can be used with a touch screen so users can point to the keys they want to select or it can be used with a mouse, joystick or eye-tracking devices. Special speech recognition software is included that provides auditory clues and feedback to help the user select the desired key.


    From library.rehabmart.com    Another on-screen keyboard software solution offered by Rehabmart is ScreenDoors 2000 PC Software. ScreenDoors 2000 is a customizable, resizable on-screen keyboard that floats above any window and allows the user to type directly into any applications by simply pointing and clicking on the screen. Keys can be selected by using a specially adapted switch or by providing a visual clue that "dwells" or pauses on the desired key for a predetermined amount of time. ScreenDoors has a special self-learning work predictor feature that helps users type faster by selecting words that are learned from the user's typical writing patterns.


    From library.rehabmart.com    For those who still wish to use a physical keyboard, Rehabmart offers IntelliKeys with DiscoverPro for PC. IntelliKeys (powered by Discover Pro software) is a large, alternative keyboard for those users who may have difficulty accessing a standard keyboard and mouse and for those who may use a fist to type. All mouse and keyboard functions can be controlled as well as the ability to launch applications by pressing a single button. Special printable overlays are available that allow users to access only those software programs that are needed so they can work at their own cognitive level. Auditory feedback (either Text-to-Speech or pre-digitized) is included with DiscoverPro software. With IntelliKeys, the keyboard has adjustable features such as key sensitivity, mouse speed, and other settings to match the user's needs.

Hardware Solutions


    From library.rehabmart.com    Switch interfaces help simplify computer controls for users with motor impairments. IntelliSwitch with DiscoverPro, offered by Rehabmart, is an easy and flexible switch interface that allows users to perform all keyboard and mouse functions by simply pressing a switch. To use Intelliswitch, install the software, plug a switch into one of IntelliSwitch's five switch ports, and plug the receiver into your computer's USB port. Users will then have wireless access to Discover software, Intellitools software, and most self scanning software.  The IntelliSwitch receiver is ideal for classroom use. Up to five students using separate transmitters can use the same computer equipped with a single receiver.  Even if there are wheelchairs between the transmitter and receiver, IntelliSwitch works fine because it is a radio frequency device that communicates through physical barriers. Two built-in switches allow for easy access for teachers and therapists. IntelliSwitch has over 25 functional switch presets and is one of the most wide-ranging switch interfaces on the market today.

Computers can't possibly solve all the problems of those with physical and cognitive disabilities. But they can certainly improve the lives of the disabled by breaking down barriers to communication, education and even entertainment. With the help of software and hardware solutions such as those listed above, the whole world of computing is now open to all, regardless of physical or mental abilities.


Rachel Huber,
Medical Consumer Writer
and
Hulet Smith, OT
Rehabmart Team Leader & CE