Keyboards
Keyboard Characteristics
Consider the keyboard you are working with now. You have a whole array of keys with different letters, numbers and functions. As you know from using different keyboards, sometimes the keys have a different feel to them, have higher or lower "action" (movement) of the keys, some keyboards are larger than others, and some have the keys in slightly different positions. Switching from a desktop computer keyboard to a laptop to a netbook you will notice differences in keyboard size and features. Sometimes just choosing a certain computer type or modifying a regular keyboard will produce a match that works for a client. Still, there are lots of adapted configurations available.
Here are main features that can vary on keyboards for computer access:
- Size - beyond the variation noted above in mass-produced standard computers, adapted keyboards can be purchased that are very large or very small
- Target size - the keys or access points can be thought of as "targets" that the user needs to hit. These can greatly range in size.
- Number of targets - the number of keys on the keyboard can be limited significantly to reduce confusion for a client with cognitive challenges, or reduce the amount of excursion (reaching around) needed by a client with limited strength. If targets need to be large, you can see that it would greatly reduce excursion if the number of keys could be reduced by eliminating any that are unnecessary.
- Selection set: The options (letters, numbers, words, etc.) that are available on a keyboard are called the "selection set". For people using the keyboard to activate games, communication devices, or story-telling software, or with limited cognitive capacity, a restricted or unique set of key options may be optimal.
- Target arrangement - All standard keyboards are laid out in what is called a QWERTY configuration - just look at the top row of your keyboard. The standard (English language) layout is a throw-back to the days when typing was done on a manual typewriter, and it was important to keep keys that were commonly used in combination at a distance from one another so the key mechanisms didn't get "tangled up" together. The layout doesn't really make any logical sense, and in fact some of the most commonly used letters are in the outer areas of the keyboard, making them harder to reach.
- Space between targets - certain keyboards place keys such that there is greater space between the keys or targets, making it easier for a client with low precision to hit the target.
- Target labelling - Keys can have large print or coloured labels stuck on top to cover the standard letters/numbers to make them easier to read or locate. Labels can have varied tactile characteristics to help a user with low vision.
There are lots of ways to use a keyboard. The client might be able to use all 10 fingers, or just two fingers - but they might also use a head stick, mouth stick, a small stylus, or a pencil in a universal cuff. For this reason, a wide range of options are necessary to find a good and productive fit. If you go to the link below and scroll down, you will see a range of keyboards, and their prices. Take a good look at the Intellikeys, as it provides a ranges of options all in one. This keyboard is clearly most suitable for kids, but some adults will choose it for the flexibility it affords.
https://www.ablenetinc.com/intellikeys-usb