tracker ball and other gizmos for disabled user

slopemaster

My mum is elderly and has had a stroke but is gamely trying to learn to use computer. she has problem pointing accurately with mouse, and esp tends to move mouse when she double-clicks.
Was wondering about a trackerball (have read about them but never seen/used one) or poss other gadgets I don't know about...?
Anyone got any experience with this please?
Or should I be teaching her keyboard shortcuts?
(But I don't hardly know any)
thanks for any advice

debitcardmayhem

slopemaster wrote: »

My mum is elderly and has had a stroke but is gamely trying to learn to use computer. she has problem pointing accurately with mouse, and esp tends to move mouse when she double-clicks.
Was wondering about a trackerball (have read about them but never seen/used one) or poss other gadgets I don't know about...?
Anyone got any experience with this please?
Or should I be teaching her keyboard shortcuts?
(But I don't hardly know any)
thanks for any advice

Is mum using a Desktop or a Lappy ? ... No I am being silly she is obviously using an external mouse. Does mum have a impairment on one side ? As an aside you could also look into speech recognition which may be an option. My signature is not a joke(per se) it is almost 2 years since I had mine but I was lucky (or so far ....). Gotta go to bed will pick up today

Baldur

I've used a Logitech Marble Mouse in the past and found it to be fine - the trackball is reasonably large (around 1" in diameter), so should be OK for someone with problems of hand control/coordination.

I have seen larger diameter trackballs in the past (up to just short of tennis ball size) but have no experience of using those.

GeoffX

If you're using Windows:

- Go into the Control Panel and open "Folder Options"
- In the section "Click items as follows" select one of the options under "Single-click to open an item". It might take a little getting used to, but your mother will need to double-click far less than at present.

Windows 7 also has the "Ease of Access Centre" in Control Panel.

slopemaster

debitcardmayhem wrote: »

Is mum using a Desktop or a Lappy ? ... Does mum have a impairment on one side ? As an aside you could also look into speech recognition which may be an option.

Mum is using an elderly desktop. Yes, the left side is very weak, but she can't really use that hand and is using the mouse with the 'good' hand. She broke that wrist in a fall though, so it's a bit weak too. It's also partly just being unused to it though I think.
Re speech recognition - I looked into that a bit for me a while back and decided against it becos of having to 'train' it - I can imagine mum would find that very frustrating and shout at it!

debitcardmayhem wrote: »

it is almost 2 years since I had mine but I was lucky (or so far ....).

Sorry to hear about your stroke.
I had a TIA which left some after-effects for a few weeks but am now recovered, so I was lucki-er... so far. But I sympathise.

slopemaster

Baldur wrote: »

I've used a Logitech Marble Mouse

thanks for the link, which also leads to some interesting reviews of that and other trackballs
I think I might even get her one for Xmas...

hubert_cumberdale

I USE A logitech track ball thing at work you move the ball with your thumb and then you have the other normal mouse buttons. Its very good but extra sensitive if you dont take you thumb off when clicking. I use it for CAD and i have only recently mastered accurate clicking on thin lines.

these may not be ideal for your mum. maybe its just practise thats required but i do genuinly think a track ball may make it harder


another though is what would she be like if she got a stylus you hold that like a pen so you have the suport of you whole forum arm like you would if you were writing a letter. no idea where the buttons are tho

slopemaster

GeoffX wrote: »

"Single-click to open an item".

I managed to turn that on by accident once!
It drove me mad, and took me ages to figure out how to change it back!
But I hadnt thought of trying it in this situation

slopemaster

hubert_cumberdale wrote: »

maybe its just practise thats required but i do genuinly think a track ball may make it harder

Oh. Mmm. Thanks.
I've found out they're supposed to have one at the library, maybe we'll go there and try it out before i get one

hubert_cumberdale

im still waiting for the day they can track the mouse off you pupils that will be the ultimate laziness i have gone from normal mouse to trackball because i hate moving lol

now this looks fun its a vertical mouse rolling in at £126 is gonna sell many

victor2

I also think a trackball might be more difficult for her to use. Maybe a big chunky mouse with the pointer speed slowed down, pointer trails and single click opening would be more usable? Of course it will drive you crazy when you try to do anything - you'll have to get your Mum to do it for you!