[Nfbktad] Nfbktad Digest, Vol 34, Issue 6

Thu Nov 7 12:55:49 UTC 2013

I don't know why the keyboard suddenly started bouncing.  It didn't used to.
I have tried to place those plastic pieces under it, and it does help a
little.

I used to knit and sew.  My hands go up from my wrists, not down.  If I hold
them down, below the wrists, they lock in severe pain in seconds.  Of
course, I think it's a muscle issue, as I can't even stretch my legs out
straight either.  If holding your hands below your wrists work for you,
that's fine.  It doesn't for me.  Of course, I learned to type on a
typewriter, where the top row of keys were at least an inch higher than the
bottom spacebar.

If holding your hands down to use the keyboard works for you, that's great
for you. It isn't the only way. It doesn't work for me.

And Dragon.  I'm laughing.  We made the mistake of buying that two or three
years ago.  The first computer it was on, I spent days "training" it.  It
worked at about 50% for an hour's worth of writing.  Then it crashed and
deleted Word from the computer totally.  After several such attempts, and
Dragon not even getting one word out of thousands correctly, I reformatted
the entire computer, and tried again.

This was repeated at least five times on this computer.  We bought a more
powerful computer, and went through the same thing.  Bought another
computer.  After three times of reformatting it - Dragon offered to
uninstall Windows. 

Um, I'm not so sure Dragon isn't a virus.  Even after not using it, and it
still being installed on the computer, it still managed to cash it.  How do
I know?  The errors said it was the Dragon program trying to access
something even though it wasn't on.  Reformatted again.  

April Brown

Writing dramatic adventure novels uncovering the myths we hide behind.
Message: 2
Date: Thu, 7 Nov 2013 04:04:11 -0500
From: "slery" <slerythema at gmail.com>
To: "'NFB of Kentucky,Technology Assistance Division'"
	<nfbktad at nfbnet.org>
Subject: Re: [Nfbktad] Touch typing and keyboard
Message-ID: <556DF40AC8754D14B62CFA9457A01EDB at CindyDesktopPC>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

I think Ian may be on to something. If you cannot reach the keys, your
keyboard is not where it should be. No one should bend their hands "up" to
reach the keys. Our wrists are designed to rest at a flat position. The
fingers need to curl to actually "type" on the keys so your keyboard should
actually have the back end tilted down a little. I use what is called a
natural keyboard, the board has the keys split into two sides that have a
little tilt and the center of the board is raised on a curve. Because I am
short, I have invested in a articulating keyboard tray for my desk so that I
can have a down ward angle to my keyboard (plus, it gives enough clearance
for my braille display to sit under the keyboard). I have problems with my
spine and thus have had to do extensive research on ergonomics.

If you can't reach your keyboard, you need to be creative in figuring out
how to bring it to you. I don't think you'll ever be able to touch type if
you keep a keyboard in such an unnatural position with it sliding all over
your desk. If your hands shake uncontrollably for whatever reason, you need
to have someone build a tray to keep your keyboard from moving around. A
better investment of your time and money would be to purchase Dragon
Naturally Speaking and learn how to use your voice to operate the computer.
It will take practice to learn to use that software, but it does work with
JAWS and you must use a headset to control it so that it doesn't interpret
the screen reader speech instead of yours. 

In my experience, these are the only two options if you want to be
independent and a writer. If you don't need to do it yourself, the other
option is to hire someone to do all of your typing and either sit with them
or record your stories and have them transcribe them.

If you don't like the above options, I really think you are going to be very
frustrated in your attempts. There is no one way for blind people to do
things, but we have to figure something out that will actually work for us.
I hope you are able to get to the McDowell Center sooner rather than later
so they can help you figure out a solution.

Cindy

-----Original Message-----
From: Nfbktad [mailto:nfbktad-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of April Brown
Sent: Wednesday, November 06, 2013 7:55 AM
To: nfbktad at nfbnet.org
Subject: Re: [Nfbktad] Touch typing and keyboard

     I will explain why I have to raise the back of the keyboard and leave
it at that.  I may be 40, my hands and body think they are 90.  If I don't
raise the back of the keyboard at least two inches, I can only reach the
space bar, and maybe, the bottom row of letters.  My wrists do not angle in
that strange way type upside down.  The keyboard is now sitting on two
boards to raise the back.  They slide too much.  Having the keyboard raised
has nothing to do with vision, and everything to do with being able to reach
the keys properly.

April Brown

Writing dramatic adventure novels uncovering the myths we hide behind.

April,

>From what I hear you saying in this message, you are relying on your vision

that doesn't exist to use the keyboard. Also, raising the "back" of the

keyboard is absolutely the wrong the thing to do. Just because they put

those legs on it doesn't mean that it is correct. Those legs are because

people have a crutch of needing to "see" the keyboard.

It takes a lot of practice to be able to touch type. I learned touch typing

back when the only thing electric on the typewriter was that it had a return

key.

Your keyboard should NOT be moving as much as you describe unless you have

some other reason for being unable to keep it still.

If you practice for an hour every day in proper techniques, you will develop

muscle memory for touch typing. I actually had an extremely difficult time

using on screen keyboards when they came out because I did not know where

the keys were because I could not touch type. My fingers know where to go

and the only keys I have trouble with are the top row numbers because my

fingers are short (had this problem when I was learning in high school). You

really do need a structured program for learning to touch type. It will

teach you to learn the letters and then learn to put them together in words

so that when you type you think in words and not letters. I type about 70

wpm and have done so since leaving high school.

I hope you find some of this helpful.

Cindy Sheets

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