[Athen] one handed keyboarding

Shelley Haven ShelleyHaven at techpotential.net
Wed Feb 17 08:33:24 PST 2010


Hi, Robert!

I believe you probably have the Half QWERTY keyboard:
http://half-qwerty.com/

The Half Keyboard (similar concept) actually only has half the keyboard:
http://www.matias.ca/halfkeyboard/index.php?refID=7)

Both work using the space-bar-as-shift-key approach you mention.

For all your "one-handed typing" resources, you might find what you're
looking for on one of the following links (collected from a similar
thread on the HTCTU Alt-Media lists):
http://www.aboutonehandtyping.com/howto.html
http://www.onehandedkeyboard.com/
http://www.customtyping.com/one-handed-typing.htm

Also consider use of abbreviation-expansion software such as Spell
Catcher (http://www.rainmakerinc.com/), an auto-replace spellchecking
program which also facilitates creation of typing shortcuts on-the-
fly. I've used this successfully with someone who needed to type at
near-conversational speeds yet only typed with two fingers. In
essence, it leverages a person's memory to compensate for difficulty
typing and significantly reduces the amount of typing. See the
"Shorthand Glossary" section of these pages for info on both the
Windows and Mac versions (14-day trials available):
http://www.rainmakerinc.com/products/spellcatcherplus/writing.html
http://www.rainmakerinc.com/products/spellcatcherx/spellcatcherhelp/en/pgs/shorthands/index.html

This option works best if you first think through a broad strategy for
the abbreviations. We created well over 200 personalized macros so
that only 2 or 3 keystrokes would be automatically expanded into full
words, names, or entire phrases -- for example:
- dff expanded to different, dffly => differently, dffs =>
differences, etc.
- all names were a hyphen followed by two letters
- all organizations, agencies, titles, etc. were an equal sign
followed by 1 or more letters (usually the acronym)

Then, of course, there's the whole issue of whether any of these
options would satisfy the requirements of the keyboarding class or
would constitute a "fundamental change". But that's a different
topic... ;-)

HTH,
Shelley

_____________________________
Shelley Haven ATP, RET
Assistive Technology Consultant
Shelley at TechPotential.net
www.TechPotential.net



On Feb 17, 2010, at 7:58 AM, Robert Beach wrote:


> Hi all,

>

> It seems like I posted this question a couple of weeks ago, but I

> can’t find any copy of it in my sent items, nor have I received any

> answers. So, here goes, possibly again.

>

> I have a student who needs to type one handed. Word prediction

> software won’t work as he is going to be taking a keyboarding class

> which records every keystroke for points.

>

> I remember several years ago there was a program that would allow a

> person to type on a standard keyboard using either the left or right

> hand. To get the keys typically pressed by the opposite hand, you

> simply held down the spacebar while typing the matching key. For

> example, if you are typing left-handed and need the letter j, you

> would hold down the spacebar and press f.

>

> I cannot seem to find the software now. However, I have found a

> keyboard (a very pricy keyboard) that does the same thing. I would

> prefer the software approach as the student will be more likely to

> afford that at home. The keyboard is over $500. If I remember

> correctly, the software was less than $100 back then.

>

> Does anybody have any idea where I can find this software? If not,

> does anybody have another suggestion?

>

> Thanks.

>

>

> Robert Lee Beach

> Assistive Technology Specialist

> Kansas City Kansas Community College

> 7250 State Avenue

> Kansas City, KS 66112

> Phone: 913-288-7671

> Fax: 913-288-7678

> E-Mail: rbeach at kckcc.edu

>

> _______________________________________________

> Athen mailing list

> Athen at athenpro.org

> http://athenpro.org/mailman/listinfo/athen_athenpro.org


-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://mailman12.u.washington.edu/pipermail/athen-list/attachments/20100217/d0e1ac04/attachment.html>


More information about the athen-list mailing list