[ 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.
Narrator: 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.
Narrator: 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.