wagner@utoday.UUCP (Mitch Wagner) (06/29/90)
Index Number: 9001
This is posted on behalf of a friend who is an occupational
therapist, who has a patient who is an experienced user of PCs
running MS-DOS. The patient was formerly involved in investments.
The patient has multiple sclerosis, and requires software which
would adapt a PC so that he only need to hit one key at a time. He
can use a keyboard to that extent---but cannot hit two keys at once
(can't hit SHIFT-J, for example, or Alt-F7).
Please e-mail, and I'll post a summary if I get enough requests.
[Note from Bill McGarry -- see the following article]
Thanks.
--
Mitch Wagner Voice - 516/562-5758
wagner@utoday.UUCP
uunet!utoday!wagnerwtm@bunker.uucp (Bill McGarry) (06/29/90)
Index Number: 9002 In # 9001, Mitch Wagner (wagner@utoday.uucp) writes: >The patient has multiple sclerosis, and requires software which >would adapt a PC so that he only need to hit one key at a time. He >can use a keyboard to that extent---but cannot hit two keys at once >(can't hit SHIFT-J, for example, or Alt-F7). > There are several programs which your friend's patient could find useful. First is a program called "1-Finger" written by the Trace Research and Development Center. Features include: -Depressing and releasing the shift key once makes it active for the next non-shift key. Depressing and releasing the shift key a second time (before a non-shift key) locks the shift key in an activated state until unlocked. Unlocking is done by depressing the shift key again. The same can be done for the ALT and control keys. -Allows the user to set the delay time for the automatic repeat from .5 seconds to 60 seconds. -Feedback tone of the shift status. -Will automatically turn off after a specified time out and when a shift key and any other key is pressed at the same time so that a non-handicapped user can use the same keyboard without having to reboot the PC. There are some other programs similar to this but will not do all of the functions that 1finger will. There are also some programs that are word predicators -- based upon the user's past typing, the program will take a educated guess as to what the word is to be. I have two of these. The first is a shareware word processor called Mind Reader while the second is a demo of HandiWORD, a word predicator from Microsystems Software that is compatible with many commercial word processors. Another program that may be useful is called NewKey which allows you to assign multiple keystrokes to single keys. These three programs (along with several others) are available on my BBS, the Handicap News BBS. Phone number is 1-203-337-1607, 300/1200/2400 baud. First time callers have full download permissions. File requests are also supported for Fidonet sysops. Program names are: 1FINGER.ZIP (11,575 bytes) 1 Finger MINDRD20.ZIP (176815 bytes) Mind Reader HWORD.EXE HandiWORD demo NEWKEY53.ZIP (172406 bytes) Keyboard macros Otherwise, give me a call and I'll send you a disk with these programs on it. Hope this helps, Bill McGarry (203) 337-1518 UUCP: {oliveb, philabs, decvax, yale}!bunker!wtm INTERNET: wtm@bunker.uucp l-hcap@vm1.nodak.edu BITNET: l-hcap@ndsuvm1.bitnet (300/1200/2400 baud, 24 hours) Compuserve: 73170,1064
girish@uts.amdahl.com (Girish Andalkar) (07/03/90)
Index Number: 9016 Hi, Bill World Communications of Fremont, California make quite a few products for people with disabilities. Are you familiar with - Help U Type Help U Type & Speak Help U Keyboard They send free demo disk, that includes all the products. Please contact them at World Communications 245 Tonopah Drive Fremont, CA 94539 (415)656-0911 Girish
Reed.Hopkins@f7.n125.z1.fidonet.org (Reed Hopkins) (07/18/90)
Index Number: 9202
MW >> The patient has multiple sclerosis, and requires software which
MW >> would adapt a PC so that he only need to hit one key at a time. He
MW >> can use a keyboard to that extent---but cannot hit two keys at once
MW >> (can't hit SHIFT-J, for example, or Alt-F7).
Your patient might want to solve tons of problems by buying a
Macintosh and equipping it with a Kensington Turbomouse, which is a
trackball with a click button AND a click and hold button, which
can be easily operated by anything from a five fingered hand to a
mouthstick. The Macintosh comes with a bit of System Software
called Easy Access which allows people like myself to use multiple
key commands in sequence. It is very simple and very slick, and
doesn't EVER conflict with anything.
The Macintosh is not a keyboard driven machine, though it can be if
one chooses, and the trackball and Easy Access make life easy for
all sorts of people. I'm helpless on a standard MS-DOS machine, but
I'm such a fanatic user of the Mac that I found myself President of
the local Mac User's Group, and proud of it!
Reed Hopkins
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