![]() Notwithstanding these developments, questions remain about the viability of keyboard-only access to Windows 95. Greater speed and control are achievable by using MouseKeys and StickyKeys together. Mouse emulation software is indispensable when using applications for which keyboard equivalents do not exist. ![]() Windows 95's mouse emulation software, MouseKeys, transforms the numeric keyboard into a virtual mouse. The Microsoft Windows Guidelines for Accessible Software Design urges software authors to "erify that all features can be used without a mouse." Microsoft encourages software developers to build programs that can be operated by keyboard alone. See, for example, the Microsoft Windows Keyboard Guide for an exhaustive list of keyboard conventions supported by the 95 and NT operating systems and most Windows applications. Microsoft incorporated hundreds of keyboard shortcuts into Windows 95 and NT. Three recent developments give rise to the hope that the Windows 95 environment is accessible without a mouse: For these populations, computer access is facilitated by keyboard-only techniques. Manipulating a mouse or other pointing device may be difficult or inefficient for people who operate computers with a single finger, toe, or stump, or use a head-stick, mouth-stick or similar appliance have mobility impairments that affect upper-body coordination, such as cerebral palsy and dystonia have mouse-induced repetitive strain injuries (RSIs) have low-vision and are blind. It establishes requirements for Windows-compatible expanded keyboards determines whether keyboard shortcuts are usable in practice highlights barriers faced by people who cannot easily use a mouse or other pointing device and recommends ways to improve the keyboard-only interface. ![]() This paper evaluates the usability of keyboard-only access to Windows 95. Web Posted on: FebruAVOIDING THE MOUSETRAP: AN EVALUATION OF KEYBOARD-ONLY ACCESS TO WINDOWSĬopyright (c) Alan Cantor 1998.
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