开云体育

I was going to ask the same question, what makes a keyboard Parkinson’s friendly?

Brent

On my iPhone Xr

On Jul 2, 2023, at 17:52, Bob Gerard <rowerbob@...> wrote:

?On Jul 2, 2023, at 18:50, Ben Rosenthal <ben@...> wrote:

Bob, are there specific qualities of such a keyboard that would make it beneficial to your senior?

Ben, I don’t know the answer to that. ?

I don’t even know the woman in question; I volunteered my services to one aging-in-place community and, having links with another, nearby aging-in-place community, they asked if I was willing to help the members of this other community too and I said yes.

So, out of the blue, this lady from that other aging-in-place community writes me with a plea for help and that led me to post the request that I did. ?

I forwarded what I have so far received and she was extremely grateful, never having thought to get a separate, specialized keyboard.

Bob
———
"Better to be a dog in?times of?tranquility than?a human in times?of?chaos.”?
? ? ?- Chinese?saying.

#108814

开云体育

Actually, look at the options in Accessibility. If what she is looking to manage is an unsteady hand, I think their might be a feature their. In that case if you don’t get an answer here, try asking Apple.?

Brent

On my iPhone Xr

Show quoted text

On Jul 2, 2023, at 17:52, Bob Gerard <rowerbob@...> wrote:

?On Jul 2, 2023, at 18:50, Ben Rosenthal <ben@...> wrote:

Bob, are there specific qualities of such a keyboard that would make it beneficial to your senior?

Ben, I don’t know the answer to that. ?

I don’t even know the woman in question; I volunteered my services to one aging-in-place community and, having links with another, nearby aging-in-place community, they asked if I was willing to help the members of this other community too and I said yes.

So, out of the blue, this lady from that other aging-in-place community writes me with a plea for help and that led me to post the request that I did. ?

I forwarded what I have so far received and she was extremely grateful, never having thought to get a separate, specialized keyboard.

Bob
———
"Better to be a dog in?times of?tranquility than?a human in times?of?chaos.”?
? ? ?- Chinese?saying.

#108816

On Jul 2, 2023, at 1:20 PM, Bob Gerard <rowerbob@...> wrote:

help in finding an external keyboard that would be Parkinson’s-friendly.This company is my go-to source for input devices for folks with special needs:

__________________________________________________

Randy B. Singer
Co-author of The Macintosh Bible (4th, 5th, and 6th editions)

Essential But Hard To Find Macintosh Software and Advice

__________________________________________________

#108817

开云体育

Reporting back. ?

By posting on three different forums hoping to find a member with Parkinson’s who had direct experience with keyboard problems, I got quite a number of very useful suggestions, all of which I sent to the lady in question and she was overwhelmed ?by all the help that people were kind enough to offer

My thanks for all the suggestions.

Bob
———
“ A man sees in the?world what he?carries in his heart.”
— Goethe,?Faust

#108818

Just to say, how lucky those people are to have you looking after their computer-related needs.

Otto?

Show quoted text

On 3 Jul 2023, at 11:59, Bob Gerard <rowerbob@...> wrote:

Reporting back. ?

By posting on three different forums hoping to find a member with Parkinson’s who had direct experience with keyboard problems, I got quite a number of very useful suggestions, all of which I sent to the lady in question and she was overwhelmed ?by all the help that people were kind enough to offer

My thanks for all the suggestions.

#108820

开云体育

On Jul 3, 2023, at 08:08, Otto Nikolaus via groups.io <otto.nikolaus@...> wrote:

Just to say, how lucky those people are to have you looking after their computer-related needs.

Otto

Thanks for the kind words, Otto.

Just trying to pay forward all the help that others have extended to me on these forums and throughout life in general.

Some of the seniors I deal with desperately need help with even the simplest tasks on their Apple devices. ?I don’t do Windows. ?:-))

Bob
———
“We are not here for a?long time; we are?here for a good time."

#108822

I don’t have a need, but it this is a great bit of info to have handy. It is also good for Bob’s aging in place group.  

Brent

On my iPhone Xr

Show quoted text

On Jul 2, 2023, at 22:54, Randy B. Singer <randy@...> wrote:

?

On Jul 2, 2023, at 1:20 PM, Bob Gerard <rowerbob@...> wrote:

help in finding an external keyboard that would be Parkinson’s-friendly.This company is my go-to source for input devices for folks with special needs:

__________________________________________________

Randy B. Singer
Co-author of The Macintosh Bible (4th, 5th, and 6th editions)

Essential But Hard To Find Macintosh Software and Advice

__________________________________________________

#108831

开云体育

Since there is interest in this subject, I am going to try and cut and paste all the responses I received than send this email to the three Apple forums where I posted my request for help. ?My apologies if I have missed anyone’s contribution.

We've done the Research so You don't have to. Find the perfect?Parkinsons Keyboard?for your needs. Get the latest?Parkinsons keyboard?for your needs. Find Best Sellers and Shop Now! Two days of epic deals. Try Prime.

Individuals with?Parkinson's?may benefit from a?keyboard?with larger?keys.?Keyboards?like the BigBlu Kinderboard Large Key?Keyboard?and the VisionBoard Large?...

Jun 12, 2014?—?Keyguards. If you have tremors or weakness in your hands/arms, keyguards are “key” to accessing the?keyboard?accurately. · Rollermouse · ErgoRest?...

My posts to several Apple forum led to a discussion of keyboards for folks with Parkinson’s and I have cut and pasted those Q&A below for your edification.

1.?
?I have parkensens and would also like to know what’s available

2.
?Is the problem that:
(1) the keys are too close together, so that you often hit the wrong character?
(2) the keys are too sensitive so that the keyboard registers too many characters?
(3) the keys require too much force to activate, so that you miss characters?

3. ?
Adjusting key sensitivity in System Settings > Accessibility > Keyboard > Slow Keys might help with #2.

Apple Help says:
“Adjust the delay between when you press a key and when it’s activated.
“To customize, click the Info button (i):
“? Use click key sounds: Have keys make a sound when pressed. One sound plays when you press a key, and a different sound plays when the key press is accepted.
“? Acceptance Delay: Set the delay between when you press a key and when it’s accepted.”

4. ?
If that doesn’t suffice, certain models of Kinesis keyboards use Cherry MX keyswitches. ?The most affordable are the $180 Freestyle Pro. ?I used a Kinesis keyboard 20 years ago.

The Freestyle Pro offers a choice between Cherry Brown "tactile feel" or Red "quiet, linear". ?According to the specs I downloaded from Cherry 20 years ago, both types have the same travel. ?The only difference is whether they make an audible, tactile click.

5.
In my prior post, I omitted the most important part — Cherry MX keyswitches have a longer travel than the membrane keyboards almost universally used today. ?The "brown, tactile click" model has a pressure release (drop) when you depress it to the click point. ?Cherry is a German company.

I just found the details online:

Brown tactile click: ?

Red linear, silent: ?

I discovered they have a newer range of MX keyswitches that includes an Ergo Clear that has a tactile pressure drop like Brown but without the clicking sound:

Cherry also makes complete keyboards, but the Mac models all have membrane keys, not MX keyswitches.

6.

This company is my go-to source for input devices for folks with special needs:

***

Here are a few ideas that may be useful:

**

Actually, look at the options in Accessibility. If what she is looking to manage is an unsteady hand, I think their might be a feature their. In that case if you don’t get an answer here, try asking Apple.?

*

This company is my go-to source for input devices for folks with special needs:

Parkinson's-friendly keyboard