e-Newsletter about how to Type with one hand, one hand keyboards, one hand typing, keyboarding for the one hand typist - this place is for those with a disability of the the hand, and those who want to help them: teachers, parents, vocational, occupational and rehabilitation therapists, learn to type, keyboard and use a computer with the speed of a professional, or just for fun, with only one hand, with, or without adaptive equipment. Regardless of the cause of your disability: amputee, birth defect, stroke, brain injury, muscular dystrophy, cerebral palsy, or other, come here when you need ideas, insights, inspiration, and insider assitance to excel with single handed issues, especially keyboarding and typing.
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Dirctory of e-News About One Hand Typing and Keyboarding
HomeType with One Hand on
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April, 2001- About One Hand Typing and Keyboarding Monthly e-Newsletter
In This Issue: One Hand Keyboards! Can You Be A Superstar With Only One Hand? (Jim Abbott) Energy and Aches
**************************************************************************** One Hand Keyboards! **************************************************************************** I have taken so many calls these past few weeks from those who had been referred by a "specialist." This doctor, or assistive technology specialist had prescribed a "one hand keyboard." So, some poor parent was on the hunt. I could just scream! There are so FEW times when a one hand keyboard should be prescribed! If a person has good use of one hand, then they should be allowed to use the STANDARD keyboard. It breaks my heart when an expert sends some child off to learn a skill (use of a one hand keyboard), that they will NEVER use.
Overview and Comparisons for the top two choices for one hand typing
1) Use the standard keyboard (ONE HAND QWERTY)* Good hand centers on FGHJ BEST FOR: Children*, and those who have not yet learned to type, AND for those who once knew how to type, but have been "hunting and pecking" for at least six months with their one strong hand since their disability. WHY? Sellablity in the job market. 100% compatible with the mainstream for work and play, enables the one hand person to use the same computer and keyboards as any two handed person. Least expensive. PRICE: $19.95 typing manual (ED NOTE: Now you would want to be the CD for $39. WE HAVE COME A LONG WAY SINCE APRIL OF 2001) (for the small user, ESPECIALLY the young user, get a child size keyboard) -- 2) HALF KEYBOARD (HALF QWERTY SYSTEM) BEST FOR: Adults who knew how to touch type before their disability to one hand (only available for the LEFT hand, until late in 2001) WHY: Learn on the half keyboard in a matter of minutes, with little or no retraining. PRICE: $99.00
Any other suggests make me crazy, well, more so!
**************************************************************************** Can You Be A Superstar With Only One Hand? (Jim Abbott) **************************************************************************** Having only one hand might make you feel handicapped. But, the reality is, you are as handicapped as you want to be. With two perfect hands you can do a 9 million things. With one-hand, you can do 8 million. You can focus on the 1 million you can't do, or on the 8 million you can do. No one accomplishes even a fraction of those things we could do, if we would just try. But, can you have superstar accomplishments, with one less hand than the rest of the world?
Meet Jim Abbott Jim Abbott is a very famous baseball player. He has thrown a no-hitter, won Olympic gold in 1988, and been on Letterman. He is one of a handful of professional players who never once put on a minor-league uniform, jumping instead straight from college baseball to the big league. He is the only player in major league baseball who was born with one hand. Jim was able to reach the major league without having a right hand, and he quickly became one of the better pitchers in the game during the early 1990's. No one thinks of Jim as being handicapped, excepted those whom lost the game because of Jim amazing ability. They wanted to know how on earth they could handicap him! I never learned a touch-typing system, but I wish I had. In college, I had to ask other people type my longer papers. I could hunt and peck, but I wasn't able to speed around the typewriter. Back then typing was as important as it is today, with my hand, it never occurred to me that I might learn a better way. It never occurred to my teachers that I might be able to learn! Today, with only my hunt and peck skills, I am able send email, cruise the Internet, and do some work on my computer. Now I can see what a great asset it would be if I had learned a one-hand typing system. You know what? While you are sitting there, working on learning this great skill, I will be too. If I can make the Olympics, I can learn to type! So can you. Think of me as you get faster, and better at typing, because I will be working on it too! - Jim Abbott
**************************************************************************** Energy and Aches **************************************************************************** Keyboarding, and the great world that will be open to you, is addicting! You will want to spend hours glued to your keyboard. At first, you won't notice any aches at all. I see typists sit on floor, with the keyboard in the laps, for hours, and they just get a tiny bit stiff. You can too, for several weeks, then you will start to do permanent damage!
To Avoid Damage To Your Body If you do the same motion over, and over, like typing, you being to get permanent aches. To avoid these:
* Get up and move every 15 minutes. Wiggle and shake your body, exercise as you can for 15 - 30 seconds, give your body, your eyes, your hands and wrists, a good stretch. * Make sure to stretch out your hands and wrists. Gently pull your hand back, then press it forward. If you are using two-hands, do this with both hands. Don't make them hurt, do make the pull a nice pleasant stretch. * Take care of your eyes! They will become glued to the screen for so long, they will start to go bad! Every few minutes focus on something across the room, then close you eyes for a count of 10. Your eyes will appreciate this habit 10 years from now and treat you well.
To Help Ease Aches, Strains and Pains Experiment, with what causes the least stress to your wrists and arms.
* Move the height of your keyboard (hopefully you have one of those adjustable drop-down keyboard racks). You might need to adjust it every few hours * Alternate the tilt of keyboard and/or your mouse. You may want the keyboard very low, with the end closest to you lifted very high, perhaps at a 45 degree angle. * Move the placement of your mouse to a higher, or lower level. * Get a beanbag made that lifts your wrists to a position that is natural and comfortable. I have two and I switch them every hour. Shake and form your bean bag to fit your body for the greatest comfort. Bean bags can also be used to lift the keyboard at angles so it is more comfortable. Beans bags can be easily made from beans or rice, or purchased from most toy stores, and thrift shops. Some very small pillows will work well too. * Have a small pillow or two that you can place under your elbow/s. * Consider wrist braces. Many types are sold at the pharmacy. If you use them, take your arm/s out of the braces every 15 minutes, stretch and shake your arms and wrists.
Always, adjust and adapt to the comfort of your body. If you ache, something needs to change! The obvious solution,
DID YOU KNOW ... That Thomas Alva Edison, the famous scientist and inventor, was unable to read until he was twelve years old? He said ... Genius is one percent inspiration, ninety-nine percent perspiration. Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls, and looks like work. - Thomas Alva Edison
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