Physical and Mobility Impairments
To accommodate mobility impairments, Donka uses a variety of assistive technology, both software and hardware for a user to access a computer with independence. They include voice activation software, alternative keyboards and key guards, switch access, head mouse, on-screen keyboard, and mouse options like a Kensington trackball or mouse keys.
Voice Activation (hands free): Dragon Naturally Speaking Preferred is a speech recognition software program that enables students, teachers, and other education professionals to create documents and email, surf the web, navigate their desktop, and more—all by voice. It works with most Windows-based applications to make you work more productively. It includes ScanSoft RealSpeak text-to-speech technology, which reads your documents back to you as a human sounding voice. Who benefits? Individuals, secondary to adult, with physical disabilities. Must have the ability to read and spell with accuracy, although it includes word prediction. For information on this product contact Nuance, Inc. at www.nuance.com/ .
Head Mouse with On-Screen Keyboard: Headmaster Plus allows persons who cannot use their hands to perform computer functions such as word processing. It accomplished this by allowing the user’s head to control the mouse. A single model of Headmaster plus emulates the three most popular mouse systems: PS/2, Microsoft Serial for PCs and Apple Desktop Bus. The headset
and control unit work together to measure the rotation of the user’s head and translate it into cursor
movements on the screen. The puff switch acts as a mouse button; this works well with the on-screen
keyboard software WiVik. For information on this product contact Prentke Romich, Co. at www.prentrom.com.
On-Screen keyboard: WiVik is a movable, resizable on-screen keyboard that enables the user to
transparently enter text into Windows applications with any pointing device, including mice, trackballs, switch,
and head mouse. Keys are selected by pointing and clicking, dragging and releasing, or by pointing and
“dwelling” with the headmouse. For information on this product contact Prentke Romich, Co. at
www.prentrom.com.
Sensitive Switches: BUBBLES Touch –Sensitive Switches for those who have difficulty using ordinary
switches. It is usually set so that only the slightest touch is sufficient for use of the switch. The sensitivity
can even be increased so that the hand just needs to pass near the switch. For information on this product
contact ABLEDATA at www.abledata.com.
Talking Switch: Discover Switch is a talking switch and it is the first smart switch with intelligence built-in!
Hook it to the computer for fast and easy access to all programs. Students with physical disabilities can use the same software as their peers, and also surf the Internet. It comes with ready-made files matching popular programs, talking files for multi-sensory learning and a graphics library. For information on this product contact ABLEDATA at www.abledata.com.
Alternative Mouse: Kensington Mouse and Trackball. The Kensington Mouse was designed for all shapes and sizes. The oversized, easy-to-use click buttons means smaller fingers don’t have to reach when clicking. The Trackball is also programmable and can be used for dragging, clicking, cut and paste and is for left hand or right hand users. For information on this product contact Kensington Technology group at www.kensington.com.
Enlarged keyboards: Intellikeys / Intellitalk is a powerful, easy-to-use alternative keyboard that plugs directly into the standard keyboard port and runs any software that responds to keyboard commands. Children and adults benefits, developing readers, individuals with impaired motor involvement, speech impairment, and vision impairment. For information on this product contact Intellitools, Inc. at www.intellitools.com
Keyguards for Intellikeys. Lightweight keyguards snap into IntelliKeys on top of a custom and/or standard overlays. Keyguards help the users make accurate choices. This helps prevent users from making unintended keystrokes while also providing stability and as an armrest and allowing users to keep their hands on the board without activating any keys. For information on this product contact Intellitools, Inc. at www.intellitools.com
