About Adaptations for Computer Users with Mild to Moderate Orthopedic Disabilities

Orthopedic disabilities can result from many causes: accident, stroke, birth defects, viral infections and neurological disorders, to name a few. Individuals with orthopedic disabilities make up the largest segment of the disabled population. For persons with orthopedic disabilities which affect the upper body, productive use of computers must address three critical issues: keyboard positioning, keyboard access and typing speed. The range and scope of mobility impairment resulting from such disabilities is enormously varied. It can be as relatively trivial as reduced dexterity in the finger of one hand as a consequence of injury or as dramatic as complete loss of all gross and fine motor control as in a case of cerebral palsy. To provide a structure for evaluating the computer access requirements for orthopedically disabled persons, we have established a working range of disability extending from mild to severe. Within the context of providing appropriately adapted computer technology, the following definitions are applied: