Accessibility & Inclusion
Using Your Computer > Adapting Your Computer To Meet Your Needs

Making Computers Accessible for Disabled People

By Lasa Information Systems Team

Making computers accessible needn't mean expensive hardware or software - and it isn't just about a small minority of people who use wheelchairs or guide dogs. Two million people in the UK are chronically ill or disabled by back pain, and a further million are visually impaired. For many more users, computers are a health and safety issue. In the US, a study of computer workers at one phone company found that 22% had shoulder or arm problems serious enough to be called injuries. According to a study at San Francisco State University, as many as 4 out of every 5 computer users developed some kind of physical problem related to the machines.

Organisations have important responsibilities here. The Disability Discrimination Act gives disabled people rights as both employees and service users. And health and safety at work isn't just an issue in factories - an employee who suffers an injury while sitting at their computer can claim thousands of pounds in compensation. Employers have to take steps to ensure that computers are used safely - advice is available from the Health and Safety Executive.

Are You Sitting Comfortably?

One organisation with broad experience in the field of access to IT is Access Summit. They support disabled students attending Manchester's four universities, and hosted the June 2000 meeting of the British Computer Society Disability Group. Since Access Summit was set up, numbers of disabled students in Manchester have increased by a third. Manager Tina Elliott stresses that a wide range of options are available:

"Sometimes solutions are high-tech, sometimes low-tech, whatever is appropriate to people's needs."

Straightforward answers include:

• Wrist Rests for Keyboard and Mouse
  Made of foam or gel, these provide support for wrists - useful for people with arthritis or RSI. Prices start at under a tenner.
  
• Adjustable Chairs
  It's vital that people can adjust their chair to the correct position. You should be able to put your feet flat on the floor. The desk should be at about elbow height. The top of your screen should be at about eye level. Make sure the chair supports your back.
  
• Alternative Mice
  If you have trouble using a mouse, a trackball may be the answer. This works like an upside-down mouse - it stays still on the desk, and you shift the pointer by moving a ball on the top. This means you don't useyour elbow or shoulder, as people often do with a mouse. Prices startat around £30.
  
• Ergonomic Keyboards
  The normal keyboard forces you to keep the fingers of both hands parallel while you type. A much more relaxed position is for thefingers and wrists to be at an angle to each other. Ergonomic keyboards split the keys into two groups, one for each hand, with an angle between them. Prices start at under £30.

Opening Up Windows

Tina's colleague Gerard Conroy of UMIST described different ways of setting up Windows which can help many users. Each of the following headings is an icon in the Control Panel.

• Accessibility Options
  Sticky Keys allows users who can't press two keys at once to use Shift,Control and Alt. Filter Keys ignores brief or repeated key strokes.Sound Sentry shows visual warnings when Windows makes a sound. Mouse Keys allows the keys of the numeric keypad to control the mouse.
  
• Display
  The settings in the Appearance tab control almost every aspect of how Windows looks. You can change the size, typeface and colour of menu text, dialogue boxes and so forth. Several High Contrast colour schemes are included with Windows, and both they and the Windows Standard Scheme come in large and extra large sizes. You can also increase the size of icons - see the Effects tab in the Display dialogue box.
  
• Mouse
  You can set up the mouse for left-handed users, and change the speed at which the pointer moves. You can make the pointer leave "trails," which makes it more visible. Windows 98 includes various different mousecursors in its optional Accessibility Tools.

Of course, these aren't the answers for everybody. Other solutions include voice recognition software such as Dragon's Naturally Speaking. Software is also available which predicts text input (to reduce typing), which reads text out loud, and which magnifies the screen for visually impaired people. Desks are available with height adjustment.

Keyboards are available for people with RSI, who can only use one hand, and who use head or mouth sticks.

With the right advice, and often small amounts of money, IT can be accessible to all.

More information

For more information see the AbilityNet's informative publication for the ICT Hub Easy, Free and Quick ICT Accessibility (492 Kb PDF document. Requires Adobe Reader if you don't already have already have this, download it from Adobe) and the following websites:

• AbilityNet Email: enquiries@abilitynet.co.uk; Phone: 01926 312 847 - AbilityNet provides free information and advice about the use of IT by disabled people. They provide individual assessments of technology needs, adapted computer equipment with full training and technical support, a programme of awareness education, and consultancy for employers on system and workstation adaptations.
  See also My computer, my way - a guide to making your PC accessible and AbilityNet's list of useful low cost programs used by people with a wide range of disabilities.
  
• Microsoft Enable - This site has more information on Windows accessibility options
• Health and Safety Executive  - Infoline 08701 545 500; Leaflet on VDU Equipment - Includes legal information and self-help tips.
• Disability Rights Commission

• ICT Hub Website - Publications - Web Accessibility Pack for Voluntary and Community Organisations (booklet and CD)