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Dewin Godinez

Professor Flowers

EDU 214

5 November 2012

Assistive Technology

Technology has broadened in different paths and has left people feeling

unfamiliar with using it and left them resenting it, well in a society that

constantly requires more interaction via an online interface there has to be a

way to allow those who want to use technology, but are incapable due to

their condition. Assistive technology is a term that refers to the gadgets,

software and other variations/modifications that are introduced in order to

allow people that are handicapped or have an issue with the current way the

technology is used. One of those technology modifications has to do with

keyboards; people can have various types of them in order to allow them to

feel comfortable and more independent.

There is several different ways keyboards can be modified and one of

the ways is by having the keys expanded, these are the Expanded

keyboards a way they help is by increasing the size and allowing for small

keys to be eliminated allowing easy access. There is also the opposite where

the keys are compacted really close together in order to let individuals of

limited motion to perform without any restriction on not reaching a key. The
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technology allows for fists, feet pointers, etc to manipulate the hardware

increasing the amount of ways this can be used with students that suffer any

kind of hand coordination malfunction. From left to right handed keyboards

can be produced with even most used terms in the center to help. (Brodwin)

A product for this type of keyboard could be from Infogrip where it is called

Big Keys and it is a keyboard that has colors and is in alphabetical order

with bigger letters as well.

Now for the keyboards that are not necessarily a physical change,

there is some that help virtually in comforting students with difficulties that

prevent them from using their hand to type. Trackball, joystick, switch, and

etc are some examples, but one related to keyboards is AAC devices and

they provide assistance to those that have limited speech or no usable

speech (Brodwin) those keyboards can then be customized further if a

person has cerebral palsy the keys get a thin plastic cover from drooling or

spills.

In conclusion, there are several methods in accommodating technology

with different occasions. To those that need an extra help to increase their

technology capability there is a way to individualize these keyboards, from

making them left handed to right handed, to even having the keyboard

remember some common used phrases, it is all made to widen an

individuals perception of their capability to manipulate technology that back

than that could never had been possible. The student not only profits from
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having an easy going experience, but it allows for a sense of realization that

he can do more than others think by being provided with the right tools.

Works Cited

Brodwin, Martin G. "Computer Assistive Technology for People Who have

Disabilities: Computer Adaptations and Modifications." Journal of

rehabilitation 70.3 (2004): 28-33. ProQuest Central. Web. 5 Nov. 2012.