Thread Subject: Re: Accessible utility keys

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From: David Poehlman
Date: Thu, Mar 01 2007 1:00 PM

Hi Randy,

It flows through that anything doable frrom the keyboard is
replicable through manyy modalities or am I missing something. I was
merely plugging a hole in your example set it seemed. We deffinitely
need standards language to address this.

On Mar 1, 2007, at 2:43 PM, Randy Marsden (Home) wrote:

But what if you can't press a key on the keyboard...? That's my
point. Sit
on your hands and then imagine how you'd do it. I don't believe the USB
port allows for an external keyboard emulator, for example, to do the
same
thing as the built-in keyboard. The old Apple ADB protocol allowed for
power-on from an external device, but when it was replaced by USB, that
feature went away. Unless I'm missing something...
------------------------------------------------
Randy Marsden
President & CEO, Madentec Limited
ATIA Global Policy Chair

780-450-8926 ext. 223
= EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =


> From: David Poehlman < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >
> Reply-To: "TEITAC desktop/portable (hardware) subcommittee"
> < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >
> Date: Thu, 1 Mar 2007 14:32:27 -0500
> To: "TEITAC desktop/portable (hardware) subcommittee"
> < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >
> Subject: Re: [teitac-hardware] Accessible utility keys
>
> Hi randy and all,
>
> Al of the examples you site can be accomplishable via the keyboard
> even if the device is turned off. On and off for instancee can be a
> key instead of a switch or small button. computers have had warm
> reset for quite a while and often, this is all that is needed. Some
> apple keyboards have a power button which turnss the system on as
> well as off. Iin other words,, I agree with thee importance of this
> though the design is less invasive than it might seem.
>
> On Mar 1, 2007, at 1:36 PM, Randy Marsden (Home) wrote:
>
> I wanted to open a discussion item that we haven’t addressed yet, but
> that
> is important to people with physical and mobility impairments. It
> relates
> to the use of “utility keys” on hardware – things like the on/off
> button,
> reset button, volume keys, display brightness keys, and so on – with a
> special emphasis on the Reset key and ON/Off keys. These are
> controls that
> can’t be accessed via software.
>
> On/Off Button: Many people with mobility impairments can’t access
> these
> keys, yet they become a critical part of the operation of the
> device. AT
> can’t really help in the traditional sense, because the device may be
> hung
> (requiring reset) or simply turned off. In the old days, when the On/
> Off
> control was a toggle switch, special AT devices were developed that
> turned
> on and off the AC power to the computer (like a power bar), thus
> effectively
> turning the computer on and off. But now, with laptops and the
> momentary
> On/Off key, these solutions are no longer effective. Some AT
> manufacturers
> have gone to the extent of kludging solenoid actuators over the On/
> Off key
> and provided alternative access to that. But it is far from ideal.
>
> Reset Key: these are becoming more and more prevalent (and
> necessary) on
> portable devices, such as PDA’s and Smartphones. It’s a reality of
> many of
> these devices that sooner or later it will lock up and you’ll need to
> press
> the reset button. These are usually recessed and require actuation
> by a
> stylus, paper-clip, or something else small. I believe most
> manufacturers
> view this as a necessary evil (or they wouldn’t put a user-controlled
> reset
> switch there in the first place). You know, “if all else fails,
> press the
> reset button”. I know I have to press the one on my smartphone at
> least 2
> or 3 times a week. But how do people with mobility impairments do
> this?
> Many can’t.
>
> These are not simple problems to solve. One suggestion is that if
> there is
> an expansion connector or slot provided on an IT device, that extra
> pins be
> assigned to perform the same function as the On/Off and Reset
> buttons. In
> this way, AT can connect to the device via the expansion connector and
> provide alternative ways of “pressing” the keys. Since most ports
> now are
> industry standard (USB, PC Card, etc), we may be talking about making
> recommendations to those standards groups (outside of the TEITAC’s
> mandate,
> I know, but could possibly be included as non-normative comments).
> In any
> case, I think it should be added as a “should” item in 508. (I
> know it
> can’t be a “shall” item right now, since most existing IT products
> don’t
> presently have this capability).
>
>
> -Randy
> ------------------------------------------------
> Randy Marsden
> President & CEO, Madentec Limited
> ATIA Global Policy Chair
>
> 780-450-8926 ext. 223
> = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
>
>
>

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