On-Screen Keyboards

Students with physical limitations due to cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, or spinal cord injuries may benefit from an on-screen keyboard. The virtual keyboard offers an alternative to students who are unable to use a physical keyboard.

Customization is beneficial to mainstream society and evermore so for individuals with disabilities. There are many ways to customize a word on-screen keyboard to accommodate individual needs. Some common customizations include:

• hover mode (dwell clicking): individuals who have difficulty clicking the mouse may simply hold the cursor over the intended symbol for an extended period of time



• word prediction: users can train the software to learn frequently used words and anticipate their use during typing



• key size: older software has small keys, but latest technology allows the user to modify the keyboard to their comfort

A web-based word on-screen keyboard is an online version that could be helpful for situations when the student is unable to access their personal computer.

Students with limited mobility could use an on-screen keyboard to take advantage of the technology other students benefit from when using a physical keyboard:

• effective communication



• ability to check for grammatical errors



• professional correspondence

On-screen keyboards are great adaptive technology that could be used to assist disabled students in participating more fully in learning environments.