[misc.handicap] CET

Eric.Bohlman@p1.f778.n115.z1.fidonet.org (Eric Bohlman) (01/19/90)

Index Number: 6337

The CET is the Computer Entry Terminal put out by Prentke-Romich.  It's a  
serial-output device that provides alternative input through methods like  
scanning and optical headpointer selection.  Cost is around $2000.  Using one  
also requires that your computer have an adaptor that takes the serial output  
and converts it into something resembling keystrokes.

I know someone who has one for his Apple IIe; he seldom uses it (both the CET  
and the IIe) anymore.  He now uses an IBM compatible with voice input and a  
Macintosh with a trackball and a direct-selection program.  He found the CET  
too slow.

One problem I've seen with devices like the CET is that they're basically  
modifications to communication aids for the nonvocal.  This causes two  
problems: the original devices were intended for people with conditions that  
affect speech as well as use of hands, and the scanning methods tend to be  
optimized for people with difficulty in sustaining a control activation.  This  
may be fine for a lot of people with CP, but it makes usage inefficient for  
people with the broader range of disabilities that simply make use of hands  
impossible.  The second problem is that generation of non-printing characters  
seems to have been tacked on as an afterthought, which causes some trouble  
with shifted combinations involving Ctrl or Alt.  In particular, many programs  
are designed to respond to keystrokes involving ONLY shift keys (e.g. the TSR  
that pops up on Alt-left shift) and not all alternative entry devices can  
generate those.
 

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