LINC hosted a meeting of the Baltimore City Ataxia Support Group at the request of LINC member Katina Gerow. LINC staff demonstrated a variety of assistive technology devices that would benefit persons with ataxia. Broadly speaking, the word ìataxiaî simply means unsteadiness and clumsiness, and has been given to the condition because those are usually the earliest symptoms. As the disorder progresses, people with ataxia usually lose the ability to walk, and can become totally disabled, having to depend on others for their care. This is because ataxia destroys both nerve and muscle cells. Vision, and in some cases hearing, and speech may also be affected.

LINC staff emphasized that positioning and ergonomics are vital factors in all computer use. A motorized adjustable height table was demonstrated to stress the importance of proper positioning for maximized function.

Several input devices were shown to provide options for reduced fine motor control.

One of the most common alternate inputs to a mouse is a trackball. It is a great choice for individuals who cannot grip a standard mouse or who lack the motor control to hold the mouse and click at the same time.

Often times with decreased motor coordination, using a standard keyboard can be a challenge. Several keyboard options were discussed. A standard keyboard may be used with a key-guard to assist in isolating individual keys. The guard snaps on to the keyboard and has holes over the keys to reduce the risk of striking several keys at one time.

Several software options for improved computer access were also discussed. The features of Microsoft Accessibility options were demonstrated. In many cases, computer users donít realize that there are free tools already at their disposal. Sticky Keys, Key Filters and Mouse Keys were demonstrated. For those individuals who find typing very laborious, a word prediction program was shown to help reduce the number of keystrokes required to type.

For computer users with vision impairments, the AI Squared Co. has produced ZoomText Extra for about 10 years. This software for Microsoft Windows magnifies the screen image from 2 - 16 times to enable computer access for folks needing large print. The latest version includes customization options to reverse the contrast of the screen, magnify only a portion, and (optionally) it adds speech synthesis so that screen items may be spoken to the user. For more information regarding any of these special devices please call the LINC office to learn more about them.