| Sorehand
Sorehand FAQ: http://www.ucsf.edu/sorehand/ Sorehand is an email support group dedicated to sharing ways to overcome disabilities such as Repetitive Strain Injuries. Wonderful solutions are shared every day as people help each other lead productive lives. Sorehand is a wonderful resource. This page is a compilation of suggestions I collected for you to look through. Most of these suggestions help to create a comfortable computing environment. Add your comments by sending me an email to http://flamepointcat.com/email |
| Qtronix keyboard. Scorpius model, http://www.qtronix.com/Scorp83.html |
| http://www.kinesis-ergo.com/ |
| http://goldtouch.com/ |
| www.worklink.net |
| http://www.stressaway.com/order.asp |
| I took a look at the designs. We don't
have anything that ergonomic. Our DT225 trackball, however, should help (http://www.chproducts.com/oem/track_dt225.html). The ball is 2.25" in diameter, giving you plenty of leverage. In most cases it requires the entire arm to operate. I think that would be the closest thing we would have to a trackball for someone with carpal tunnel. At 08:23 PM 1/7/03 -0500, you wrote: >-- Please help me find a mouse that I can use wearing the splints for >carpal tunnel. I liked an article and proposed designs in the site >and picture below (Cornell Student). Where do yuou suggest I look? >Thus far, I made a webpage of the different products I am browsing >through at http://phelpsrecycling.com/cart (temporary workspace site) >Thanks, >Mary Burkwit > >Image of design that I am looking for: >http://ergo.human.cornell.edu/ErgoPROJECTS/97projects/mouse.gif > >Report about mouse design: >http://ergo.human.cornell.edu/ErgoPROJECTS/97projects/eriksen.htm > >Any ideas? |
| $399 new and located at
http://keybowl.com
The retail price of each orbiTouch is $695 plus $18 for shipping. If you are a student, teacher or therapist, you are entitled to a 40% discount ($420 per unit) until June 30, 2003. Education, government and non-profit institutions are eligible for an on-going 25% discount. |
| Just a reminder that our software program
Stretch Break for Kids is available for free for any school (K-12) child and to any K-12 school. It can be downloaded at: http://www.paratec.com/sbform/kidsform.htm |
| The best example is the LittleFingers
keyboard by Datadesk Technologies (www.datadesktech.com) exact link http://www.datadesktech.com/desktop_lf_start.html |
| I use a Wacom Tablet as my primary mouse
and love it. You could go with the Graphire II which I believe is $99. And the Intuos II is an extra $100, but adds a soft foam holder to the pen for the tablet. I don't do any artwork, but just from the perspective of a pointing device, I find the tablet far better than a mouse, trackball or touchpad (I've used many models of all three). |
| Those wondering about trying out a tablet
might go to http://www.overstock.com/cgi-bin/d2.cgi?PAGE=PROFRAME&PROD_ID=63624 They are selling them for only 19.95. It is designed for kids and the pen is wider than a standard sylus on normal tablets. There supply is very limited now. |
| Just wanted to post a quick note relaying
the positive experience I have had with the Fellowes "Micro Trac" hand-held
trackball (also sold as the "RocketMouse"). I have amassed quite a
collection of input devices over the last two and a half years, including
touch pads, graphics tablets, a head tracking device (the TrackIR), and the
VerticalMouse. Much to my surprise, the $20 Micro Trac has caused me the
least pain of all of them (I have something like tendinitis in my wrists,
which spreads to my elbows and neck after significant computer usage). I
still ache after heavy computer usage, but not nearly as badly or as quickly
as when I use other input devices. My guess is that there are three reasons that the Micro Trac has been less painful for me. First, and most importantly, it allows me to relax my hand when I am not moving the cursor. Not having to keep your hand (or head, with the TrackIR) constantly tensed as you type and position the cursor are critical to avoiding pain, in my view. I use ViaVoice to avoid typing and the Micro Trac to avoid traditional mousing. Second, the Micro Trac makes far more use of your thumb than your other fingers. Somewhere I read that the thumb is the strongest part of your hand, and hence, better able to handle repetitive activities than your fingers. Further, you left-click by squeezing a trigger, which seems to be a far more natural action than pressing down with an outstretched index finger. In contrast to clicking a mouse button, squeezing allows other muscles in your hand to help your index finger. Finally, the Micro Trac allows you to vary your position far more than any other input device I have tried. It frees you from the typical, arm-outstretched mousing posture; you can easily hold it in your lap or even stand up while using it. The Micro Trac can be seen at officedepot.com and fellowes.com, and probably other places. The apparently identical, but more expensive, RocketMouse can be seen at rocketmouse.com |
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| I purchased a used Kinesis Essential about
a year ago and it's helped me greatly to reduce keyboard pain. Mine has two sets of CTRL and ALT keys, one for each thumb which helps a lot for kb shortcuts. I'm waiting to get the pedals, which I've tried and found to be of sufficient size and tension. The kb layout has helped me to reduce reaching, to improve my touch typing, and to be more conscious of my hand and wrist postures. I'm trying to wean myself off the kb using Dragon Dictate, but I'm still too impatient sometimes and at those times I've found the two bowls of keys to integrate better into a usage pattern that keeps my wrists nearly neutral and my fingers fairly relaxed. I originally chose the keyboard while testing hardware with my biofeedback therapist. Being able to see the tension increases with different designs helped a lot. I'm waiting to get a folding keyboard as it seems to allow my wrists to really and truly be neutral whereas the Essential is a very close approximation. I'm also switching to lying down and the folding keyboard is more conducive to that posture. Hope that helps some and good luck with your Kinesis. |
| I have used a keyboard shaped the same as
the Kinesis, though mine has Alt and Control keys for both thumbs, and I am most pleased with it. Just the shape of the keyboard, providing differences in ways that differences help, reduced strain while keyboarding. You should be pleased with it, once you re-program the keys to provide Alt and Control keys for both thumbs. I might suggest, since the Kinesis shape is the same as the Maltron keyboard, which I use, it could be programmed to have the same key layout as the Maltron, for a lot less money. The Kinesis company seems to have found a way to manufacture the same keyboard shape as the Maltron, at a much lower cost, so their keyboard is less expensive than the Maltron. The Kinesis company doesn't seem to want to offer the Maltron layout as a button-click option, as the Maltron does, so you would have to re-program the keys, but, since you might want to do that, anyway, to provide for Alt and Control keys for both thumbs, you might want to reduce your workload as well, by making its layout like that of the Maltron: Fingers: -------------------------------- qpycb vmuzl anisf dthor ,?jg' _wk-x Thumbs: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ (backspace-delete) Ctl Alt Alt Ctl (delete) E . (Home-left) (Home-right) (Enter) (Space) E (cursor left) cursor up) (cursor down) (cursor right) (Space) The repetitions of "E" at the lower left portion of the left thumb are meant to denote that there is one double-sized key running vertically, which is the same situation as the (Space) key at the lower right portion of the right thumb. So, you use your right thumb for (Space) and (Enter), and the left thumb for "E," "e" and the period; which is asymmetrical, but easy to learn, and both thumbs have the important Ctl and Alt keys. This is just a suggestion, but I have really grown to appreciate the Maltron layout over the years, even though I've never had significant wrist or other problems. Maybe you could help convince the Kinesis company to offer the Maltron keyboard layout as a simple option, too, so, if you like using the Maltron layout, let them know |
| I use the Siemens/Nixedorf 'butterfly'
keyboard which is great - it's an adjustable split keyboard so I can have it split and my co-workers can come in and just slide it together into a standard keyboard. You can buy a detachable number pad as an extra, but I don't bother. See it at: http://www.keyboardco.com/ following the link for '5600' |
| http://www.fingerworks.com/ |
|
Sorehand FAQ: http://www.ucsf.edu/sorehand/ |