Retired Computer Analyst with Parkinson's Discovers Accessibility Features Provide Greater Accuracy and Control

By Annette Cerreta, Assistive Technology Specialist, PACER Simon Technology Center.

Sixty-one-year-old Barbara Vandergraft, a retired computer analyst, had all but given up using the computer. In recent years, Parkinson's disease had made it nearly impossible for her to manipulate the mouse and keyboard.

"I would get tired of trying to double-click the mouse, and sometimes I just couldn't move fast enough to do it," says Vandergraft. "And, my fingers would be too heavy on the keys at times, so I would have repetitive letters. I became very frustrated."

Barbara contacted PACER's Simon Technology Center (STC) in Minneapolis, MN regarding her difficulties using her computer.

At the Simon Technology Center, an assistive technology specialist showed Barbara several accessibility features built into the Microsoft Windows operating system that could make it easier for her to use the computer.

With the help of these features, Barbara was able to use the keyboard and mouse with greater accuracy and control. She also found that enlarging the text size made it much easier to read text on the screen.

After the consultation, Barbara went home and downloaded the online Microsoft Accessibility tutorials from Microsoft's Accessibility Web site. The online tutorials showed Barbara how to set up her home computer with the accessibility features she needed.

Barbara also purchased a trackball mouse for her computer. "You just roll the trackball with your fingers, and it's a lot easier."

Now that Barbara has made the necessary changes to her home computer, she has returned to writing e-mails to family and friends, balancing her checkbook online, and surfing the Internet. She says she couldn't be happier. She adds, "If I had known about the accessibility features built right into the Windows operating system, I would have made use of them years ago."

The PACER Simon Technology Center is part of the Microsoft Accessibility Resource Center (MARC) network, available to help local residents learn how to make their computers easier to see, hear, and use. Centers can provide demonstrations and accessibility tutorials for Windows and you'll find accessibility experts to answer your questions. Look for a Microsoft Accessibility Resource Center in your area.

Annette Cerreta, Assistive Technology Specialist, OTL, ATP, is a Microsoft Accessibility Resource Center (MARC) representative in the PACER Simon Technology Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Article reprinted by permission of PACER Simon Technology Center.