Windows Accessibility - Part 8: Hardware Accessories (Types of Keyboard)

Now onto the last section in this blog series: keyboards. If you use a hardware keyboard, it is important to have a keyboard that “feels right” to you, especially if you're on the computer a lot. You may think 'a keyboard's a keyboard', but like mouses, you can get a variety of different styles.

Personally, I really don't like flat keyboards because even though I don't touch-type per se, I like to feel the keys and you can't do that with keyboards that are flat. Plus, I have found that flat keyboards are more sensitive, so I type more than I mean to. Furthermore, when I had a laptop, I accidentality got my toes caught in-between the keys and pulled a few off. I think this was partly because the keyboard was flat and the keys didn't protect each other. If I had a flat keyboard, I think I would be concerned that I would pull the keys off by accident. When I was writing this post, my dad told me that keyboards actually have a name! The flat ones are called “island” or “chiclet” keyboards. In the photo below, there is an “island” keyboard above a raised keyboard to show you the difference.

In my last year of college, I used a computer with my feet from my wheelchair. They thought I would find it easier to do it in my chair (plus, I don't think they wanted to transfer me onto the floor). I can't remember if I asked for one, but they gave me a “Big Keys Plus” keyboard. I think that I would have struggled a lot using a normal sized keyboard because my leg movements were restricted quite a bit by my chair and lap belt, therefore my coordination was worse, so I'm glad I had the large keyboard, however I found that I had to move my leg further to reach certain keys, especially ones to the left of the keyboard (I only used my right foot to type and use the mouse because it's a pain to get my shoe back on my left foot).

There are many different types of these keyboard on the “Keyboard Specialists” website. You can get them with or without a key guard, which is a plastic cover that is slightly higher than the keyboard itself and it has individual holes for each key, this is meant to prevent accidental presses by going over the keyboard and stopping light presses. When the key guard is on, users have to press firmly into each hole in the guard to activate a key. I had the choice to have a key guard, but I decided not to because I thought I would have hurt my toes on it. Saying that though, I don't know as I never tried...

The prices range depending on which keyboard, and whether you want a key guard with it or not. Unfortunately, most, if not all are priced at £110 or more, so yet again, it is way beyond some people's reach.

You can also get ergonomic keyboards. Like ergonomic mouses, these come in a variety of different shapes and sizes. You can even get them in two halves as well.

As I said before, when I used a laptop at home, I pulled a few keys off by accident. When I pulled the backspace off, I accidentally broke it in two because I tried to pick it up, but still held together somehow. It was bent, so there was no way it would go back on. So, to save the rest of the keys, my dad bought me a silicone keyboard protector and a silicone keyboard. The good thing about these keyboards is that they are flexible, so they're portable. The not so good thing about these keyboards is because they bend, I think the wires inside got damaged and therefore, some keys wouldn't work. This may be just me, but I found that the older they got, the more keys failed. I had to get a new one every couple of months or so. Ok, I go through keyboards quicker than most people because I am heavy footed due to my CP, but I don't go through them as quickly as the silicone keyboards.

You can also get these without number pads.

The last element isn't a hardware accessory as such, but it does help me use my keyboard. For as long as I can remember, I have found it easier to use a keyboard when it's on a slight slope, and my computer has a stand, which its base is the perfect hight for me. However the disadvantage to this is that my stand is slippery, so my keyboard slips around... Up until recently, I have used a mesh non-slip mat. This was ok, but it wasn't the best because the mat itself moved folded underneath my keyboard, and it gradually fell apart. Now I have a silicone mat, which is much better. (It is actually a non-slip dog bowl mat.) You can find both of these on Amazon.

Well, there you have it. We have come to the end of this blog series. Which parts did you enjoy the most? Maybe I have missed something out... Have you found anything that helps you use your computer that I have missed? Let me know in the comments below.

Can I also ask you a favour? As I said before, ever since I got a new computer, I have struggled to find an appropriate predictive text app, so I was wondering if you knew of any. Can you point me in the direction of a free predictive text app, please? I would prefer it if I can use the keys F1 to F10 to choose words, but this isn't that important. It was a pain with the other one I had; you had to use the number keys, so every time I wanted to type a number, I had to minimise or close the app. Even using the arrow keys and Enter to select words will help. I just can't use the Windows 10 one. Thank you.

Hopefully, next year will be better for all of us... After all, Olly Murs is going on tour, and mum got me tickets! Plus, I also got tickets to go and see the comedienne, Sarah Millican on her tour for Christmas as well! I really hope we can make it to both, but who knows? Anyway, thank you for sticking with me! Stay safe. See you on the other side... Here's to 2021!