The World's Largest Collection of Windows Software/The World's Largest Collection of Windows Software - Disc 1.iso/ed_int/stresw21/rsi.faq

Text File | 1992-11-24 | 30KB | 783 lines

Date: Mon, 9 Nov 1992 20:36:04 PST
Reply-To: Dan Wallach <[e-mail]>
Sender: "Discussion of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Tendonitis etc.."
<[e-mail]>
From: Dan Wallach <[e-mail]>
Subject: FAQ: Typing Injuries (1/3): General Info [monthly
posting]
X-To: [e-mail]
To: Multiple recipients of list SOREHAND <[e-mail]>
Status: OR


Archive-name: typing-injury-faq/general
Version: $Revision: 4.15 $ $Date: 1992/11/10 04:13:37 $

====================================================================
NOTE: I completely and utterly rewrote the info on injuries
section!
Pretty much all three sections of the FAQ have undergone major
surgery
since the last posting.
====================================================================

The Typing Injury FAQ -- sources of information for people with
typing
injuries, repetitive stress injuries, carpal tunnel syndrome,
etc.

Copyright 1992 By Dan Wallach <[e-mail]>

The opinions in here are my own, unless otherwise mentioned, and
do not represent the opinions of any organization or vendor.  I'm not a
medical doctor, so my advice should be taken with many grains of salt.

[Current distribution: sci.med, news.answers, and e-mail to
         [e-mail] and
         [e-mail]]

Table of Contents:
    ==1== Mailing lists, newsgroups, etc.
    ==2== The soda.berkeley.edu archive
    ==3== General info on injuries
    ==4== Typing posture, ergonomics, prevention, treatment
    ==5== Requests for more info
    ==6== References

==1== Mailing lists, newsgroups, etc.

USENET News:
-----------
comp.human-factors occasionally has discussion about alternative
input devices.
comp.risks has an occasional posting relevant to injuries via
computers.
sci.med and misc.handicap also tend to have relevant traffic.

There's a Brand New newsgroup, sci.med.occupational, chartered
specifically
to discuss these things.  This would be the recommended place to
post.

Mailing lists:
-------------
The RSI Network: Available both on paper and via e-mail, this
publication covers issues relevant to those with repetitive stress
injuries.  For a sample issue and subscription information, send a stamped,
self-addressed business envelope to Caroline Rose, 970 Paradise
Way, Palo Alto CA 94306.

    E-mail to <[e-mail]>

    $2 donation, requested.

c+health and sorehand are both IBM Listserv things.  For those
familiar with Listserv, here's the quick info:

    c+health -- subscribe to [e-mail]
  post to [e-mail]

    sorehand -- subscribe to [e-mail]
  post to [e-mail]

Quick tutorial on subscribing to a Listserv:
    % mail [e-mail]
    Subject: Total Listserv Mania!

    SUBSCRIBE SOREHAND J. Random Hacker
    INFO ?
    .
That's all there is to it.  You'll get bunches of mail back from
the Listserv, including a list of other possible commands you can mail.  Cool,
huh?  What'll those BITNET people think of, next?

==2== The soda.berkeley.edu archive

I've started an archive site for info related to typing injuries.
Just anonymous ftp to soda.berkeley.edu:pub/typing-injury.
(128.32.149.19)
Currently, you'll find:

Informative files:

    typing-injury-faq/
        general           -- information about typing injuries
        keyboards         -- products to replace your keyboard
        software          -- software to watch your keyboard usage

    keyboard-commentary   -- my personal opinions on the keyboard replacements
    carpal.info           -- info on Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
    carpal.surgery   -- JAMA article on CTS surgery
    carpal.tidbits   -- TidBITS article on CTS
    tendonitis.info       -- info on Tendonitis
    datahand.review   -- detailed review of the DataHand
    datahand.review2   -- follow-up to above
    datahand.desc   -- description of the DataHand's appearance
    rsi.biblio    -- bibliography of RSI-related publications

    rsi-network/*         -- archive of the RSI Network newsletter

Programs:
    hsh.shar    -- a program for one-handed usage of normal
keyboards
    typewatch.shar   -- tells you when to take a break
    xdvorak.c    -- turns your QWERTY keyboard into Dvorak
    xidle.shar    -- keeps track of how long you've been typing
    rest-reminder.shar    -- yet another idle watcher

Pictures (in the gifs subdirectory):
    howtosit.gif   -- picture of good sitting posture
    accukey1.gif   -- fuzzy picture
    accukey2.gif   -- fuzzy picture with somebody using it
    bat.gif               -- the InfoGrip Bat
    comfort.gif           -- the Health Care Comfort Keyboard
    datahand1.gif   -- fuzzy picture
    datahand2.gif   -- key layout schematic
    datahand3.gif   -- a much better picture of the datahand
    kinesis.gif           -- the Kinesis Ergonomic Keyboard
    maltron[1-4].gif      -- several pictures of Maltron products
    mikey1.gif            -- the MIKey
    mikey2.gif            -- Schematic Picture of the MIKey
    twiddler1.gif   -- "front" view
    twiddler2.gif   -- "side" view
    wave.gif    -- the Iocomm `Wave' keyboard

Note: Many of the actual files are compressed (have a .Z ending).
If you can't uncompress a file locally, soda will do it for you.
Just ask for the file, without the .Z extension.

If you're unable to ftp to soda, send me e-mail and we'll see
what we
can arrange.

==3== General info on injuries

First, and foremost of importance: if you experience pain at all,
then you absolutely need to go see a doctor.  As soon as you possibly
can.  The difference of a day or two can mean the difference between a
short recovery and a long, drawn-out ordeal.  GO SEE A DOCTOR.
Now, your garden-variety doctor may not necessarily be familiar with
this sort of injury. Generally, any hospital with an occupational therapy
clinic will offer specialists in these kinds of problems.
DON'T WAIT, THOUGH.  GO SEE A DOCTOR.

The remainder of this information is paraphrased, without
permission, from a wonderful report by New Zealand's Department of Labour
(Occupational Safety and Health Service): "Occupational Overuse Syndrome.
Treatment and Rehabilitation: A Practitioner's Guide".

First, a glossary (or, fancy names for how you shouldn't have
your hands): (note: you're likely to hear these terms from doctors and
keyboard vendors :)

  RSI: Repetitive Strain Injury - a general term for many kinds of injuries
  OOS: Occupational Overuse Syndrome -- synonym for RSI
  CTD: Cumulative Trauma Disorder -- another synonym for RSI
  WRULD: Work-Related Upper Limb Disorders -- yet another synonym for RSI
  CTS: Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (see below)
  Hyperextension:  Marked bending at a joint.
  Pronation: Turning the palm down.
  Wrist extension: Bending the wrist up.
  Supination: Turning the palm up.
  Wrist flexion: Bending the wrist down.
  Pinch grip: The grip used for a pencil.
  Ulnar deviation: Bending the wrist towards the little finger.
  Power grip: The grip used for a hammer.
  Radial Deviation: Bending the wrist toward the thumb.
  Abduction: Moving away from the body.
  Overspanning: Opening the fingers out wide.

Now then, problems come in two main types: Local conditions and
diffuse conditions.  Local problems are what you'd expect: specific
muscles, tendons, tendon sheaths, nerves, etc. being inflamed or otherwise
hurt. Diffuse conditions, often mistaken for local problems, can
involve muscle discomfort, pain, burning and/or tingling; with identifiable
areas of tenderness in muscles, although they're not necessarily "the
problem."

--- Why does Occupational Overuse Syndrome occur?  Here's the
theory.

Normally, your muscles and tendons get blood through capillaries
which pass among the muscle fibers.  When you tense a muscle, you
restrict the blood flow.  By the time you're exerting 50% of your full
power, you're completely restricting your blood flow.

Without fresh blood, your muscles use stored energy until they
run out, then they switch to anaerobic (without oxygen) metabolism, which
generates nasty by-products like lactic acid, which cause pain.

Once one muscle hurts, all its neighbors tense up, perhaps to
relieve the load.  This makes sense for your normal sort of injury, but it
only makes things worse with repetitive motion.  More tension means less
blood flow, and the cycle continues.

Another by-product of the lack of blood flow is tingling and
numbness from your nerves.  They need blood too.

Anyway, when you're typing too much, you're never really giving a
change for the blood to get back where it belongs, because your muscles
never relax enough to let the blood through.  Stress, poor posture, and
poor ergonomics, only make things worse.

--- Specific injuries you may have heard of:

(note: most injuries come in two flavors: acute and chronic.
Acute injuries are severely painful and noticable.  Chronic conditions
have less pronounced symptoms but are every bit as real.)

Tenosynovitis -- an inflamation of the tendon sheath.  Chronic tenosynovitis
occurs when the repetitive activity is mild or intermittent: not enough to
cause acute inflamation, but enough to exceed the tendon sheath's ability
to lubricate the tendon.  As a result, the tendon sheath thickens, gets
inflamed, and you've got your problem.

Tendonitis -- an inflammation of a tendon.  Repeated tensing of a
tendon can cause inflamation.  Eventually, the fibers of the tendon
start separating, and can even break, leaving behind debris which induces more
friction, more swelling, and more pain.  "Sub-acute" tendonitis is more common,
which entails a dull ache over the wrist and forearm, some tenderness, and it
gets worse with repetitive activity.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome -- the nerves that run through your wrist
into your fingers get trapped by the inflamed muscles around them.
Symptoms include feeling "pins and needles", tingling, numbness, and even loss of
sensation. CTS is often confused for a diffuse condition.

Adverse Mechanical Tension -- also known as 'neural tension',
this is where the nerves running down to your arm have become contracted and
possibly compressed as a result of muscle spasms in the shoulders and
elsewhere. AMT can often misdiagnosed as or associated with one of the other
OOS disorders.  It is largely reversible and can be treated with
physiotherapy (brachial plexus stretches and trigger point therapy).

Others: for just about every part of your body, there's a fancy
name for a way to injure it.  By now, you should be getting an idea of how
OOS conditions occur and why.  Just be careful: many inexperienced
doctors misdiagnose problems as Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, when in reality,
you may have a completely different problem.  Always get a second
opinion before somebody does something drastic to you (like surgery).

==4== Typing posture, ergonomics, prevention, treatment

The most important element of both prevention and recovery is to
reduce tension in the muscles and tendons.  This requires learning how
to relax. If you're under a load of stress, this is doubly important.  Tune
out the world and breath deep and regular.  Relaxing should become a
guiding principle in your work: every three minutes take a three second
break. EVERY THREE MINUTES, TAKE A THREE SECOND BREAK.  Really, do it
every three minutes.  It's also helpful to work in comfortable
surroundings, calm down, and relax.

If you can't sleep, you really need to focus on this.  Rest,
sleep, and relaxation are really a big deal.

There are all kinds of other treatments, of course.  Drugs can
reduce inflamation and pain.  Custom-molded splints can forcefully
prevent bad posture.  Surgery can fix some problems.  Exercise can help
strengthen your muscles.  Regular stretching can help prevent injury.  Good
posture and a good ergonomic workspace promote reduced tension.  Ice or
hot-cold contrast baths also reduce swelling.  Only your doctor can say
what's best for you.

--- Posture -- here are some basic guidelines.  [I so liked the
way this was written in the New Zealand book that I'm lifting it almost
verbatim from Appendix 10. -- dwallach]

. Let your shoulders relax.
. Let your elbows swing free.
. Keep your wrists straight.
. Pull your chin in to look down - don't flop your head forward.
. Keep the hollow in the base of your spine.
. Try leaning back in the chair.
. Don't slouch or slump forward.
. Alter your posture from time to time.
. Every 20 minutes, get up and bend your spine backward.

Set the seat height, first.  Your feet should be flat on the
floor.  There should be no undue pressure on the underside of your thighs near
the knees, and your thighs should not slope too much.

Now, draw yourself up to your desk and see that its height is
comfortable to work at.  If you are short, this may be impossible.  The beest
remedy is to raise the seat height and prevent your legs from dangling
by using a footrest.

Now, adjust the backrest height so that your buttocks fit into
the space between the backrest and the seat pan.  The backrest should
support you in the hollow of your back, so adjust its tilt to give firm support
in this area.

If you operate a keyboard, you will be able to spend more time
leaning back, so experiment with a chair with a taller backrest, if
available.

[Now, I diverge a little from the text]

A good chair makes a big difference.  If you don't like your
chair, go find a better one.  You really want adjustments for height, back
angle, back height, and maybe even seat tilt.  Most arm rests seem to
get in the way, although some more expensive chairs have height
adjustable arm rests which you can also rotate out of the way.  You should find
a good store and play with all these chairs -- pick one that's right for
you. In the San Francisco Bay Area, I highly recommend "Just Chairs."
The name says it all.

--- Keyboard drawers, wrist pads, and keyboard replacements:

There is a fair amount of controvery on how to get this right.
For some people, wrist pads seem to work wonders.  However, with good
posture, you shouldn't be resting your wrists on anything -- you would prefer
your keyboard to be "right there".  If you drop your arms at your side
and then lift your hands up at the elbow, you want your keyboard under
your hands when your elbows are at about 90 degrees.  Of course, you want to
avoid pronation, wrist extension, and ulnar deviation at all costs.
Wrist pads may or may not help at this.  You should get somebody else to
come and look at how you work: how you sit, how you type, and how you
relax.  It's often easier for somebody else to notice your hunched shoulders
or deviated hands.

Some argue that the normal, flat keyboard is antiquated and
poorly designed.  A number of replacements are available, on the market,
today. Check out the accompanying typing-injury-faq/keyboards for much
detail.

==5== Requests for more info

Clearly, the above information is incomplete.  The typing-injury
archive is incomplete.  There's always more information out there.  If
you'd like to submit something, please send me mail, and I'll gladly throw
it in.

If you'd like to maintain a list of products or vendors, that
would be wonderful!  I'd love somebody to make a list of chair/desk
vendors.  I'd love somebody to make a list of doctors.  I'd love somebody to
edit the above sections, looking for places where I've obviously goofed.

==6== References

I completely rewrote the information section here, using a
wonderful guide produced in New Zealand by their Occupational Safety &
Health Service, a service of their Department of Labour.  Special thanks
to the authors: Wigley, Turner, Blake, Darby, McInnes, and Harding.

Semi-bibliographic reference:
    . Occupational Overuse Syndrome
    . Treatment and Rehabilitation:
      A Practitioner's Guide

    Published by the Occupational Safety and Health Service
    Department of Labour
    Wellington,
    New Zealand.

    First Edition: June 1992
    ISBM 0-477-3499-3

    Price: $9.95 (New Zealand $'s, of course)

Thanks to Richard Donkin <[e-mail]> for reviewing
this posting.


Mailing date: Mon Nov  9 20:36:03 PST 1992
--
Dan Wallach               "One of the most attractive features of
a Connection
[e-mail]  Machine is the array of blinking lights
on the faces
Office#: 510-642-9585     of its cabinet." -- CM Paris Ref.
Manual, v6.0, p48.


Date: Mon, 9 Nov 1992 20:36:06 PST
Reply-To: Dan Wallach <[e-mail]>
Sender: "Discussion of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Tendonitis etc.."
<[e-mail]>
From: Dan Wallach <[e-mail]>
Subject: FAQ: Typing Injuries (2/3): Keyboard Alternatives
[monthly posting
X-To: [e-mail]
To: Multiple recipients of list SOREHAND <[e-mail]>
Status: O


Archive-name: typing-injury-faq/keyboards
Version: $Revision: 4.9 $ $Date: 1992/11/10 04:05:51 $

The Alternative Keyboard FAQ
Copyright 1992 By Dan Wallach <[e-mail]>

The opinions in here are my own, unless otherwise mentioned, and
do not represent the opinions of any organization or vendor.

[Current distribution: sci.med, news.answers, and e-mail to
         [e-mail] and
         [e-mail]]

Information in this FAQ has been pieced together from phone
conversations, e-mail, and product literature.  While I hope it's useful, the
information in here is neither comprehensive nor error free.  If you find
something wrong or missing, please mail me, and I'll update my list.
Thanks.

All phone numbers, unless otherwise mentioned, are U.S.A. phone
numbers. All monetary figures, unless otherwise mentioned, are U.S.A.
dollars.

Products covered in this FAQ:
    Apple Computer, Inc -- rumors of a new keyboard!
    Dragon Systems
    The Bat
    DataHand
    Comfort Keyboard System
    Kinesis Ergonomic Keyboard
    Maltron
    The Tony! Ergonomic KeySystem
    The MIKey
    The Wave
    The Minimal Motion Computer Access System
    Twiddler
    Half-QWERTY
    Microwriter
    Braille 'n Speak
    Octima
    AccuKey

GIF pictures of many of these products are available via
anonymous ftp from soda.berkeley.edu:pub/typing-injury.  (128.32.149.19)

If you can't ftp, send me mail, and I'll uuencode and mail them
to you (they're pretty big...)

==============

Apple Computer, Inc.
    Sales offices all over the place.

    The following rumor appeared in TidBITS#149/26-Oct-92:

    I've heard that Apple is working on a new mouse with more rounded
    curves that users might find more comfortable than the current
    mouse. That's not terribly exciting, but what is exciting is the
    new keyboard Apple also has in the works, reportedly slated for a
    January release. The keyboard should list for about $250, which
    compares relatively well with the $185 Extended Keyboard II,
    considering the extra hardware that goes into the ergonomics.

    Like some of the more esoteric keyboards from small companies,
    Apple's new keyboard "breaks" in the center, so that the left and
    right halves rotate around pivot points. You can also angle the
    sides when it is broken for maximum comfort, and the keyboard even
    comes with palm rests. Although this is terribly hard to
    visualize, and I don't have a QuickTime movie for you, I've heard
    that the design makes typing extremely comfortable.


DragonDictate-30K (and numerous other Dragon products)
    Dragon Systems, Inc.
    320 Nevada Street
    Newton, MA  02160

    Phone: 800-TALK-TYP or 617-965-5200
    Fax: [phone]

    Shipping: Now.

    Price: DragonDictate-30K -- $4995 (end user system)
    DragonWriter 1000 -- $1595 / $2495 (end user/developer system)
    various other prices for service contracts, site licenses, etc.

    Compatibility: 386 (or higher) PC only (3rd party support for Mac)

    Dragon Systems sells a number of voice recognition products.
    Most (if not all) of them seem to run on PC's and compatibles
    (including PS/2's and other MicroChannel boxes).  They sell you
    a hardware board and software which sits in front of a number
    of popular word processors and spreadsheets.

    Each user `trains' the system to their voice, and there are provisions
    to correct the system when it makes mistakes, on the fly. Multiple
    people can use it, but you have to load a different personality file
    for each person.  You still get the use of your normal keyboard, too.
    On the Dragon- Dictate-30K you need to pause 1/10th sec between
    words.  Dragon claims typical input speeds of 30-40 words per minute.
    I don't have specs on the DragonWriter 1000.

    The DragonDictate-30K can recognize 30,000 words at a time.
    The DragonWriter 1000 can recognize (you guessed it) 1000 words at a time.

    Dragon's technology is also part of the following products
    (about which I have no other info):

 Microsoft Windows Sound System (Voice Pilot)
 IBM VoiceType
 Voice Navigator II (by Articulate Systems -- for Macintosh)
 EMStation (by Lanier Voice Products -- "emergency medical workstation")


The Bat
    old phone number: 504-336-0033
    current phone number: 504-766-8082

    Infogrip, Inc.
    812 North Blvd.
    Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70802, U.S.A.

    Ward Bond (main contact)
    David Vicknair (did the Unix software)  504-766-1029

    Shipping: Now.

    Supports: Mac, IBM PC (serial port -- native keyboard port version
    coming very soon...).  No other workstations supported, but serial
    support for Unix with X Windows has been written.  PC and Mac are
    getting all the real attention from the company.

    Price:
 $495 (dual set -- each one is a complete keyboard by itself)
 $295 (single)

 (cheaper prices were seen at MacWorld Expo as a show-special.)


DataHand   602-860-8584
    Industrial Innovations, Inc.
    10789 North 90th Street
    Scottsdale, Arizona 85260-6727, U.S.A.

    Mark Roggenbuck (contact)

    Supports: IBM PC and Macintosh.

    Shipping: In beta.  "Big backlog" -- could take 3 months
 to get one.  Making them "as-needed."  Made by hand.

    Price: $1200/unit for the pair.  Minimum order: 2.

    Each of the four main fingers has five switches each: forward,
    back, left, right, and down.  The thumbs have a number of switches.
    The idea is that your hands never have to move to use the keyboard.
    The whole unit tilts in its base, as a mouse.

    (see also: the detailed review, written by Cliff Lasser <[e-mail]>
     available via anonymous ftp from soda.berkeley.edu)


Comfort Keyboard System   414-253-4131
    FAX: [phone]

    Health Care Keyboard Company
    N61 W15150 Wigwam Drive
    Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin 53051 U.S.A.

    Theoretical New Address: N82 W15340 Appleton Ave

    Jeffrey Szmanda (Vice President -- contact)

    Shipping: Now.  30 day wait.  Should be FCC approved by the time you
       read this.

    Supports:
 PC
 Mac

    Planned future support:

 IBM 122-key layout (3270-style, I believe) -- sometime in December
 Sun Sparc -- possibly by the end of the year or January '93 Decision Data
 Unisys UTS-40 Silicon Graphics

 Others to be supported later.  The hardware design is relatively
 easy for the company to re-configure.

    Price: starts at $590.

    The idea is that one keyboard works with everything.  You purchase
    "compatibility modules", a new cord, and possibly new keycaps, and
    then you can move your one keyboard around among different machines.

    It's a three-piece folding keyboard.  The layout resembles the
    standard 101-key keyboard, except sliced into three sections. Each
    section is on a "custom telescoping universal mount."  Each section
    independently adjusts to an infinite number of positions allowing each
    individual to type in a natural posture.  You can rearrange the three
    sections, too (have the keypad in the middle if you want). Each
    section is otherwise normal-shaped (i.e.: you put all three sections
    flat, and you have what looks like a normal 101-key keyboard).


Kinesis Ergonomic Keyboard   206-455-9220
    206-455-9233 (fax)

    Kinesis Corporation
    15245 Pacific Highway South,
    Seattle, Washington 98188, U.S.A.

    Shirley Lunde (VP Marketing -- contact)

    Shipping: currently catching up with backlogged orders.  By the time
    you read this, they should be FCC-approved.  Still, expect a 30-60
    day backlog for your order.

    Supports: PC.  Mac and Sun Sparc in the works.

    Price: $690.  Volume discounts available.
 Other prices for various accessories, including custom wrist pads,
 foot pedals, etc.

    The layout has a large blank space in the middle, even though the
    keyboard is about the size of a normal PC keyboard -- slightly
    smaller.  Each hand has its own set of keys, laid out to minimize
    finger travel.  Thumb buttons handle many major functions (enter,
    backspace, etc.).

    You can remap the keyboard in firmware (very nice when software won't
    allow the reconfig).

    Foot pedals are also available, and can be mapped to any key on the
    keyboard (shift, control, whatever).


Maltron  ([phone] (United Kingdom)
    PCD-Maltron Limited
    15 Orchard Lane, Each Moseley
    Surrey KT8 OBN, United Kingdon

    Pamela and Stephen Hobday (contacts)

    U.S. Distributor:
 Jim Barrett
 Applied Learning Corp.
 1376 Glen Hardie Road
 Wayne, PA  19087

 Phone: [phone]  (NOTE: I had a typo here, last time)

    Supports: PC's, Amstrad 1512/1640, BBC B, BBC Master,
       should have Mac by the end of the year


    Price: 375 pounds
    $735 shipped in the U.S.A. (basically, converted price + shipping)

    The cost is less for BBC computers, and they have a number of
    accessories, including carrying cases, switch boxes to use both
    your normal keyboard and the Maltron, an articulated arm that
    clamps on to your table, and training 'courses' to help you learn
    to type on your Maltron.

    You can also rent a keyboard for 10 pounds/week + taxes.
    U.S. price: $120/month, and then $60 off purchase if you want it.

    Shipping: Now (in your choice of colors: black or grey)

    Maltron has four main products -- a two-handed keyboard, two one-handed
    keyboards, and a keyboard designed for handicapped people to control with
    a mouth-stick.


The Tony! Ergonomic KeySystem        415-969-8669
    Tony Hodges
    The Tony! Corporation
    2332 Thompson Court
    Mountain View, CA  94043, U.S.A.

    Supports: Mac, PC, IBM 3270, Sun, and DEC.

    Shipping: possibly by the end of the year.

    Price: $625 (you commit now, and then you're in line to buy the
    keyboard.  When it ships, if it's cheaper, you pay the cheaper price.
    If it's more expensive, you still pay $625)

    The Tony! should allow separate positioning of every key, to allow
    the keyboard to be personally customized.  A thumb-operated mouse
    will also be available.


The MIKey     301-933-1111
    Dr. Alan Grant
    3208 Woodhollow Drive
    Chevy Chase, Maryland 20815, U.S.A.

    Shipping: As of July: "Should be Available in One Year."

    Supports: PC, Mac (maybe)

    Price: $200 (estimated)

    The keyboard is at a fixed angle, and incorporates a built-in mouse
    operated by the thumbs.  Function keys are arranged in a circle at
    the keyboard's left.


The Wave (was: 213-)  310-644-6100
    FAX: [phone]

    Iocomm International Technology
    12700 Yukon Avenue
    Hawthorne, California 90250, U.S.A.

    Robin Hunter (contact -- in sales)

    Cost: $99.95 + $15 for a set of cables

    Works with: PC only.

    Shipping: now.

    Iocomm also manufactures "ordinary" 101-key keyboard (PC/AT) and
    84-key keyboard (PC/XT), so make sure you get the right one.

    The one-piece keyboard has a built-in wrist-rest.  It looks *exactly*
    like a normal 101-key PC keyboard, with two inches of built-in wrist
    rest.  The key switch feel is reported to be greatly improved.


The Minimal Motion Computer Access System  508-263-6437
    508-263-6537 (fax)

    Equal Access Computer Technology
    Dr. Michael Weinreigh
    39 Oneida Rd.
    Acton, MA  01720, U.S.A.

    Price: InfoGrip-compatible: "a few hundred dollars" + a one- handed Bat
   For their own system: $300 (DOS software) + "a few hundred dollars"

    Shipping: these are custom-made, so an occupational therapist would
   make moulds/do whatever to make it for you.  You can buy one now.

    Supports: PC only, although the InfoGrip-compatible version might
   work with a Mac.

    In a one-handed version, there is exactly one button per finger.  In a
    two-handed version, you get four buttons per finger, and the thumbs
    don't do anything.  You can also get one-handed versions with three
    thumb buttons -- compatible with the InfoGrip Bat.  Basically, get it
    any way you want.

    They also have a software tutorial to help you learn the chording.

    Works on a PC under DOS, not Windows.  Planning on Macintosh and
    PC/Windows support.  No work has been done on a Unix version, yet.


Twiddler 516-474-4405, or 800-638-2352
    Handykey
    141 Mt. Sinai Ave.
    Mt. Sinai, NY 11766

    Chris George (President)

    Shipping: now.

    Price: $199.

    Supports: PC only.  Mac and X Windows in the works.

    The Twiddler is both a keyboard and a mouse, and it fits in one hand.