[misc.handicap] Info on computer keyboards for a mute paraplegic to communicate with?

bskendig@shine.princeton.edu (Brian Kendig) (06/27/91)

Index Number: 16459

[Note from Bill McGarry: See the next article]

A close friend of my family has ALS.  She cannot speak, and she can
hardly move; her only means of communication with the world is to
slowly type out her words with one finger on an IBM keyboard -- they
appear on the computer's monitor so others may read them.

It's a normal QWERTY keyboard -- it's a shame that she should have to
type so much, because it's so difficult for her.  It occurred to me
that there must be some simpler form of keyboard out there, and I'm
almost sure I've seen something better on television a long time ago
-- a setup whereby the person can type entire words with only one or
two keystrokes.

She's getting a voice synthesizer so people won't have to read her
monitor all the time, but I haven't seen it yet, and I'm not entirely
certain that I could gerryrig it to work with her computer (an IBM
PC clone).

Her situation is made all the more difficult in that she can't puff or
sip, so she can't use any mouth-guided interface to communicate
through.  She can only move her left hand enough to peck at the keys
(and, if it might be useful, she still has control of her eyes).

Can anyone at all point me in the right direction for anything that
might help?  Any information on sites on the Internet where I might be
able to get a program to make the keyboard easier to use, or any
sources where I could get such a program for an affordable price,
would be gratefully accepted.  Even any information on groups that
might supply software or hardware or other equipment that might be of
use -- she's only 47 years old, and trapped by this unfair illness.

Thank you very much for any information you might be able to provide!
I've just about run out of ideas.

     << Brian >>

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