[laptop-accessibility] keyboard for the blind

[Aaron Cannon]

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: RIPEMD160

I don't know how big the current dots are, so can't comment, but I see no
harm in making them larger, just in case.

One hack my typing instructor used when the dots were too small or
nonexistent, was to put a dot of nail polish or Elmer's glue on the f and j
keys.

But to answer the underlying question, I believe that having dots on the f
and j keys is all that is needed to enable any user to orient themselves to
the keyboard, assuming of course that the person can feel them.

Aaron


- --
Skype: cannona
MSN/Windows Messenger: cannona at hotmail.com (don't send email to the hotmail
address.)
- ----- Original Message -----
From: "Jim Gettys" <jg at laptop.org>
To: "Discussion of accessibility on the OLPC"
<accessibility at lists.laptop.org>
Cc: "Samuel Klein" <sj at laptop.org>; <walter at laptop.org>;
<bigone at qon.lao.net>
Sent: Tuesday, October 23, 2007 2:38 PM
Subject: Re: [laptop-accessibility] keyboard for the blind


> On Tue, 2007-10-23 at 10:53 -0700, Peter Korn wrote:
>> Hi Manusheel,
>>
>> >  Thanks for the idea about using the existent dots on "F", and "J"
>> > keys to locate the home row. We are trying to come up on a conclusion
>> > whether the existent dots would be sufficient pointers for a child, or
>> > do we need more guide dots? Any suggestions/feedback about it will be
>> > appreciated.
>>
>> Please see ISO standard 9241-4 from 1998
>> (http://www.iso.org/iso/iso_catalogue/catalogue_tc/catalogue_detail.htm?csnumber=16876)
>> which specifies the tactile requirements for locating keys on a
>> keyboard.  I don't know whether this standard was developed by folks who
>> had tested with children, or with folks who have diabetes or some other
>> issue that diminishes touch sensitivity.
>>
>> For myself (adult, no diminished tactile sensitivity), the existing dots
>> on f & j on the XO prototype I have are just fine.
>
> I am an adult, with likely slightly diminished tactile sensitivity, due
> to a (thankfully slowly advancing) neurological condition.
>
> I find the current "dots" slightly hard to feel at times, even on actual
> production prototypes we have here.  And the dots are likely to wear
> with use.
>
> I suspect we should make them slightly larger.
>                                           - Jim
>
>>
>>
>> Regards,
>>
>> Peter Korn
>> Accessibility Architect,
>> Sun Microsystems, Inc.
>> _______________________________________________
>> accessibility mailing list
>> accessibility at lists.laptop.org
>> http://lists.laptop.org/listinfo/accessibility
> --
> Jim Gettys
> One Laptop Per Child
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> accessibility mailing list
> accessibility at lists.laptop.org
> http://lists.laptop.org/listinfo/accessibility

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
Version: GnuPG v1.4.6 (MingW32) - GPGrelay v0.959
Comment: Key available from all major key servers.

iD8DBQFHH1LxI7J99hVZuJcRAyL8AJsF62B5IYZBcuxyvCgVoHK8vHdQnQCg5EIz
krPftFoHhImgejw36l4M9mo=
=ZB6B
-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----