Touch Screens and Styluses

The series on productivity began with an old school pen in a writing splint, jumped forward to the technology of voice-to-text and this week will look at touch screens and styluses. But, the cat is out of the bag. I am not an Apple fan.

There are many reasons, and the purpose of this post is not to be a debate on brands, but a discussion about what I have perceived to be the advantages from a dexterity-disabled individual. Many of the pinch or spread gestures, multiple finger-tip gestures and even full palm-press gestures required to activate certain motions on iOS devices can be very difficult, if not impossible, to execute for me. Both Android and iOS have some built-in accessibility features but I find the Android features to be more advantageous to the dexterity and motor skills challenged. Most importantly, when you cannot perform the shortcut gesture in Android there is a workaround. From my experience and experimentation some gestures on iOS devices are the only way to perform a task or complete an action.

What I have observed with a Android devices, personally, is that there is almost always a built-in or free work around that is not cumbersome. Two examples I feel worth noting are in the Google Maps app and the OEM camera. Where a pinch to zoom gesture is required in Google Maps a tap and slide, with one finger, will perform the same action of zooming in or out of a map. The same can be said for rotating and other frequently used gestures. Secondly, the OEM camera with Android devices allows you to simply turn on a voice command that allows you to take a photo. When activated simply saying "shoot", "capture" or "smile" will activate the camera. This has enabled me to make photos from angles I would never be able to make them from with my DSLR.

I could make the photo from that angle with a DSLR, but the nice shallow depth of field it is able to produce means that accuracy of focusing is very specific and, without looking through the viewfinder, I would not be able to nail focus, such as on the tip of those little styluses above. It is my hope that my future DSLR will have Wi-Fi connectivity with a smart phone so that I can preview the photo and focus before making the photo with the DSLR. Essentially, live view of what the camera is seeing on your device's screen.

If you are unsatisfied with the Android OEM voice command camera function there are multiple free apps that will enable this function for you. There are apps available in the iTunes Store for iOS but you are going to have to pay for it. If it means you'll be able to make photos more easily, then it is worth it but, at what point do you stand against paying extra just because you are disabled? We do that far too often because there are no other options, and I, for one, am tired of it.

The main focus of this post is interacting with the touchscreens. Touchscreens are seen by many disabled individuals as a significant improvement in the ease of use of current communications technology. For many, the strength or finger stiffness required to use tactile buttons, such as those found on older style flip phones or earlier generation Blackberries, is not to be found. With touchscreens the lightest contact with the screen completes the input action you are trying to make. Sometimes, however, that input is too easy to make and with somewhat clumsy hands and poor grip on the device the wrong button may be pressed accidentally. That is why my current phone is a nice large Samsung Galaxy Note II, with a very grippy two-layer plastic and rubber case. I explored Otterbox cases but found them to be made of plastic that is too slippery. The one pictured above was $17 on eBay.

For many purposes, especially those involving the necessity for very accurate input, I prefer to use a stylus. The S Pen that comes with the Note series is specific to the device and, when withdrawn from its built-in sheath, activates many additional functions and methods of inputting data with great accuracy. I use a stylus for almost every interaction I have with our iPod Touch, the first touchscreen device we have owned, which is now used mainly for for our iOS proprietary alarm clock and a few small games. The small screen on the iPod Touch requires me to use a device that allows for greater input accuracy.

As much as touchscreens have made technology easier for many, they do have their aspects that make them imperfect for some individuals with a disability that affects their motor function. If you, as an able-bodied person, wish to experience what it is like for us try using your touchscreen device by holding it with an oven mitt on your hand that is holding the device. Then, for your input hand, tap the screen with the side of your thumb or first knuckle of one of your fingers, with your fingers curled in a loose fist. That is analogous to what it is like for someone with paralyzed hands.

Next week we will look at another tried and true input method, not mice, but trackballs.

Source: Electronics stores, eBay, Deal Extreme, and other online retailers.