Our previous feature on
accessibility
options set out the ways in which people with sight and hearing impairments,
or those who have difficulty using a mouse or standard keyboard, can tailor
their PC to suit them.
While you might think that those features are only of benefit to people with
severe disabilities, technology is evolving to suit everybody's needs,
regardless of their physical abilities, and there are plenty of features on your
PC to make the time you spend at your computer more pleasurable.
Plug in and play
A lot of the information available on the subject of computers and disability
focuses on how PCs can be used to reconnect those who feel cut off from society
because they have difficulties getting out and about or communicating.
This is all well and good, but computers have a lot more to offer than just
this. The home PC these days offers a wealth of features and is fast becoming a
TV, cinema, games arcade, university and department store all packed into a
single box.
People of all abilities should be able to benefit from technology, and
mainstream companies are finally starting to consider the needs of people with
disabilities. And for very good financial reasons.
An ageing global population means a growing number of people with what are,
technically speaking, disabilities.
Microsoft recently commissioned research in the US and found to its surprise
that only 40 per cent of respondents had no physical disability whatsoever. That
means a huge number of people whose needs are not being met.
It's all a question of how you define disability. If your monitor's settings
leave you feeling tired and rubbing your eyes, you might prefer to put it down
to tiredness. But if you continue to use the monitor in that way, the damage
accumulates and could permanently damage your eyes.
The same is true of posture when sitting in front of the computer and using
the keyboard and mouse. If you start off with a minor discomfort, not adjusting
or changing your equipment could leave you much worse off in time.
Minor embarrassment
So why are people reluctant to take action that would put an end to the little
aches and pains that can become minor disabilities? According to Microsoft,
people are put off using the accessibility features in Windows or buying
specialist equipment such as keyboards because they feel embarrassed.
"One of the reasons people are not aware of products that could help them use
their PC more comfortably is because the language used creates a stigma,"
explained Madelyn Bryant-McIntire, the director of Microsoft's Accessible
Technology Group.
Some people simply feel awkward talking about disabilities, especially if
they find it difficult to do things they used to take for granted.
The Accessible Technology Group is currently working on the next version of
Microsoft's operating system, codenamed Longhorn and due for release some time
in 2006, that will help people concentrate on what they can do, not
what they can't.
Before XP, the Windows tools that enabled users to customise their computer
weren't even installed when people first turned on their PC; you would have to
dig out the floppy disks or CDs and load up the 'disability' option, leaving a
bright orange wheelchair icon on your Desktop.
No wonder people were put off. That is why Microsoft is completely changing
its approach to customisation tools, commonly called assistive technology, in
Longhorn.
"A lot of people found the wheelchair icon that indicates assistive
technology features unpalatable," said Bryant-McIntire.
"People don't recognise that symbol as meaning they can simply adjust
settings to suit them, so we've thrown it away completely.
"In Longhorn, there will be no such thing as settings for disabled users,
just settings that people can tailor to their needs. When the user first starts
using Longhorn, a wizard will quiz them about their needs and add that
information to their profile."
AbilityNet
is a charity that helps disabled people access technology. Regional manager Mike
Williams suggested that the Longhorn approach to accessibility is a positive
step, despite still being a few years down the road.
"If someone doesn't feel a part of the disabled community, they're not likely
to click the wheelchair icon. It just doesn't feel right for them," he
explained.
"Providing this technology prompts the user to think about their physical or
sensory condition and relate that to what they want to use the computer for,
then it's a step towards removing the stigma."
Tool kit
Another crucial aspect of Longhorn is that it encourages other software
developers to consider usability for all.
Microsoft has released a set of tools for other software companies to help
them ensure that their products work properly with Longhorn when it is finally
released. Programmers will have to make sure their software can be adjusted to
fit.
"Basically, we've made it very difficult for them to get it wrong and very
easy to get it right for everyone," said Bryant-McIntire.
Microsoft's Accessible Technology Group is also working on making Media
Player more accessible, so that users can change the size of the fonts. Longhorn
is also likely to feature video help tools with subtitling.
Some people still feel that the accessibility tools are not useful to them,
while others simply aren't aware that they exist.
Tony Horne is a member of the
British Council of
Disabled People and the
Disability Rights
Commission. He is disabled and works with senior citizens in Nottingham,
introducing them to the benefits of computing. He insists that all people want
is not to feel different.
"Most elderly people find computers a bit daunting and if they have a
disability it's much worse for them," he said.
"People don't like feeling that there's a sign on their head saying 'I'm
disabled' and that stigma creates a barrier for them."
A little revelation
Horne believes that computer companies aren't doing enough to tell people that
they can change the way their PC displays information.
"Little things, like changing the [screen magnification] by holding down the
Control key and moving the mouse wheel, are a revelation for some of my users,"
he explained.
"Disabled users can be the hardest to reach because they feel that their
independence has gone. But once they realise that they can be in control, they
zoom along."
Once the stigma is gone, the door is opened to a world of fun, entertainment
and creativity. Andy Milliner lives in Brighton and has multiple sclerosis. His
speech therapist recommended that he get in touch with AbilityNet.
"Before I became ill, I was a complete technophobe," he said. "My aim at
first was just to communicate, use email and that sort of thing. Then out of
curiosity I opened Paint Shop Pro."
Using software called
Dragon Naturally
Speaking and a headset with a microphone, Milliner was able to create
pictures by telling the software what to do.
"My brother-in-law bought me a Picasso Triggerfish so I tried sketching it.
You start off by telling the software to draw a line and then bend it," he
explained.
"That was the top of the fish, so I did another and pulled the curve
downwards, putting the two together to make the basic shape."
The finished image was scanned in by a local T-shirt producer in Brighton and
is now sold at Milliner's local respite centre, raising funds for the
Multiple Sclerosis
Society. His talents don't stop there though, and he is currently writing
short stories to add to the collection of poetry he has just finished.
Milliner occasionally visits an online betting site for a flutter and his
online bank account helps him make sure he stays in the black, especially now
that disability benefits are paid directly into current accounts. "The computer
has been a real boon to my life and it's given me back my privacy," he said.
Time out
Most people take the entertainment offered by their PC for granted. AbilityNet
has launched a new course for people of all abilities that shows how they can
use technology for something more fun than just writing emails.
Marketing officer David Atkinson explained that with devices called switches,
all you have to do is figure out the best input method.
Switches help people who can't use keyboards or mice. After the switch is
plugged into the computer, you can set specific button presses to correspond to
actions like pressing a key on the keyboard or moving a cursor.
There are limitations depending on the user's abilities; games that involve
moving the mouse quickly are tricky, as are those that require tasks to be
achieved in a certain time.
The Crick USB Switch interface enables users to connect up to eight switches
to a computer via the USB connection. For example, you could add two switches
and set them to act as the flippers in the pinball game supplied free with
Windows XP.
Switches can also be used to control on-screen keyboards, enabling people to
play word games or talk with their friends in chatrooms or use instant
messaging.
The switch interface remembers which settings are used for each program, so
you have to set the switches only once. See below for links to websites that
offer switch-compatible software.
Are you sitting comfortably?
Putting a figure on the amount of people who could benefit from assistive
technology is tricky, not least because people with minor difficulties are often
reluctant to ask for help.
Bryant-McIntire believes that computer users can be split into three groups.
The first comprises a minority of people who have disabilities that require them
to use special equipment, such as adapted keyboards.
Then there are those people with no physical problems at all while the
remainder could benefit from a degree of customisation.
A recent Computeractive online poll found that almost a quarter of
respondents had some difficulty using a keyboard, mouse or screen.
Extend that figure to Computeractive's circulation of 255,000
readers and we can assume that almost 65,000 people reading this article could
be viewing, typing or clicking more comfortably than they are.
We've talked about people of all abilities in this feature but hope the days
when we have to write special features to address disability issues are
numbered.
Computer companies now realise that giving people a way to tailor technology
for them is a matter of customer satisfaction, not moral obligation or pity.
As for the stigma of changing your environment to make it more comfortable,
well, you wouldn't sit in silence if someone left a pin on your sofa, would you?
Switching on for fun and games
We only have room for a few examples of games and leisure software and
accessories that have been designed specifically with accessibility in mind but
these should set you on your way. Charities such as AbilityNet are happy to
offer further information and advice.
The Crick USB
Switch interface enables you to connect up to eight programmable switches to
your computer.
The Pixie
Pit offers a Scrabble game that can be played online. After each turn,
players are notified by email so you can play at any pace.
Music Factory
offers budding virtuosos the chance to create music using a symbol-based
interface that can be controlled using a switch.
ReadPlease is
a free tool that converts text on screen to speech, making life easier for those
with visual impairments or reading difficulties.
Show your PC who's boss
Windows XP offers a range of pre-programmed accessibility features to help you
tweak your PC's settings to suit your needs. To find these features, click on
the Start button, go to All Programs and choose Accessibility from the
Accessories menu.
Here you can change the colour and size of fonts, tell your computer to read
out text to you and magnify documents you are using up to nine times their
normal size.
A wizard is also available to help you decide which settings are best suited
to you. There are similar tools available in earlier versions of Windows but you
may have to load them from your Windows CDs first.
Microsoft
Accessibility
Apple Special
Needs
CONTACTS
AbilityNet
www.abilitynet.org.uk
European Year of People with Disabilities
www.eypd2003.org
Royal National Institute of the Blind
www.rnib.org.uk
Royal National Institute of the Deaf
www.rnid.org.uk
The Multiple Sclerosis Society
www.mssociety.org.uk
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