As we have seen, not all people with disabilities require assistive technology to access websites. In many cases, people use standard technology, such as keyboard and trackballs, and rely on websites being designed well. Some people with disabilities require assistive technology to access the web; this is especially the case with visual and mobility disabilities. We will discuss these next.
People with mobility disabilities use a range of assistive technologies, depending on the severity of the disability. Most of these work through the keyboard, so providing full keyboard access to a website is an important first step in accessibility. Technologies used by people with mobility problems include:
- Trackball: This is not an assistive technology, but trackballs are easier to use than mice. They can be manipulated with pointing devices, such as mouth sticks, or with feet.
- Mouth stick or head wand: These are simple sticks...