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What type of input device should I use?
Who uses a touchscreen? A person who can target
objects by direct selection, who cannot attend to
both the computer screen and a peripheral device
simultaneously, or who cannot associate using a
peripheral device with seeing cursor movement on
the screen is a good candidate for a touchscreen.
Clinicians often use a touchscreen to motivate
clients to interact with the computer.
Who uses a switch? A person with very limited
movement is a good candidate for a switch. A
switch can be mounted to any stable surface and be
accessed by any body part with deliberate,
discernible movement. Switches come in a variety
of shapes and sizes and have varying degrees of
sensitivity. The switch inputs on MiniMerc can be
set to send any keystroke or mouse click. Switch-
accessible software programs expect the switch to
emulate a certain keystroke or mouse equivalent.
For example, Speaking Dynamically Pro from
Mayer-Johnson LLC. expects the switch to act as a
mouse click, while other programs might expect
the switch to act as the “1” key or the “2” key. Use
the Mercury Control Panel (see page 32) to set up
the switch(es) to send the correct information to
your software program.
Who uses a joystick? A person who uses a joystick
to drive a powered wheelchair or who finds the
mouse or trackpad difficult to use due to limited
dexterity may prefer to use a joystick as an input
device. It allows for direct selection as the user has
control over mouse direction and speed. Additional
switches may be used for click and drag options.
Who uses an alternative pointing device? A
person with limited movement of the upper and
lower extremities, but who has controlled head
movement, is a good candidate for an alternative
pointer.
Who uses a mouse? A person with average visual-
motor skills and the ability to attend to the
computer screen will be a good candidate for a
mouse. Some users can physically access a mouse,
but find it challenging to understand the
relationship between moving the mouse and cursor
movement on the screen. In that case, try direct
selection using the built-in touchscreen.
Who uses a keyboard? A person with fine motor
skills who can identify target keys either by letter
and number or pictures is a good candidate for
using a keyboard. Any standard USB keyboard or
alternative keyboard such as the IntelliKeys
® from
IntelliTools, Inc., as well as the Windows On-Screen
Keyboard will work with MiniMerc.