Thread Subject: Re: Accessible utility keys

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From: David Poehlman
Date: Fri, Mar 02 2007 3:50 AM

Yes, It came from Mac Alley. Sorry for the potentially inaccurate
spelling. I can dig it up later.

On Mar 2, 2007, at 1:12 AM, Gregg Vanderheiden wrote:

Does it work with the laptop??

If so - great.

Need to also address PC's though.


Gregg
-- ------------------------------
Gregg C Vanderheiden Ph.D.



> -----Original Message-----
> From: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
> [mailto: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = ] On Behalf Of
> David Poehlman
> Sent: Thursday, March 01, 2007 5:51 PM
> To: TEITAC desktop/portable (hardware) subcommittee
> Subject: Re: [teitac-hardware] Accessible utility keys
>
> Hi RANDY,
>
> I'VE A MAC KEYBOARD THAT HAS A POWER PUSH BUTTON ON IT. IT'S
> A USB KEYBOARD AND IT WORKS. THIS SHOULD BE ADAPTABLE.
>
> On Mar 1, 2007, at 3:32 PM, Randy Marsden (Home) wrote:
>
> Thanks David. I believe what you are saying is true for most things
> - but
> utility keys are different. For example, there is no way I
> know of to do the equivalent of pressing on the power button
> via an external device connected through the USB port while
> the computer is turned off. I know the power button is
> assigned a key code, so I can use assistive technology to
> turn the computer off, for example (via on-screen keyboards, etc).
> But then
> how do I turn it back on?
>
> There is a direct electrical connection internally in the
> hardware that causes the computer to turn on when the power
> button is pressed. That electrical connection is not
> extended to the standard ports, such as USB, that I know of.
> Ditto for reset buttons. They are done through hardware
> interrupts, so present a particular challenge.
> ------------------------------------------------
> 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 14:57:25 -0500
>> To: "TEITAC desktop/portable (hardware) subcommittee"
>> < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >
>> Subject: Re: [teitac-hardware] Accessible utility keys
>>
>> 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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