Douse the Mouse
Since I began providing computer access support for folks with visual deficits I have changed the way I use a computer myself. I guess it isn't surprising that those of us with fair to good vision never “see” that there are alternatives to the way we access our computers on a day to day basis.
The biggest change I have made is an ongoing effort to use the mouse as little as possible. The computer mouse has become the pointing device of choice for most of us, including those who use laptops which have a built in touch pad. It seems that whenever convenient many laptop users prefer to attach an external mouse in favor of the touch pad.
While I agree it is a wonderful invention many folks, those with low/no vision can't use a mouse. Others with various mobility impairments have trouble using them. I myself have begun to find it a bit of an annoyance to reach for the mouse, visually hunt down the object I need to click on, and then stabilize the mouse enough to perform the operation. Anyone with shoulder problems or fine motor problems in their hands would probably feel the same. I also quite often see workstations where folks have had to put the mouse so far away from the keyboard they can barely reach it. There is a repetitive stress injury waiting to happen!
Why Not Use the Keyboard When You Can?
Most computer operating systems and the software they run have keystroke shortcuts that perform operations quickly and efficiently. Unfortunately most of us are either unaware of them, or just can't kick the habit of grabbing that mouse. Besides, what happens if that little device breaks in the middle of an important project? The goal of this article is to make computer users more aware of these built in functions. Hopefully, you will find a few favorites that will make your life a little easier, and who knows maybe you will become a more productive computer user!
Keyboards for both the Windows and Macintosh operating systems have special keys to facilitate some of those shortcuts. Obviously the key on Windows keyboards that has the same little flag that is on the Windows Start key performs the same function as clicking that button on the screen. When this key is held down and combined with other keys, it performs other functions.
- Windows Key plus "M" key will minimize all open applications to the task bar. From the desktop you can press the key for the first letter of any application on the desktop to move to that application. Pressing the Enter key will open that application. This is pretty handy if you have twenty or thirty icons on the desktop to sort through.
- Windows Key plus the "E" key will open the My Computer window showing the contents of your drives.
Get more Windows key functions.
Another key in the bottom row on the right side (between the Windows key and the Ctrl key) is often overlooked to the point where most folks don't even know what it does. IF you look closely at the icon on the key it appears to be a small windows menu. That is because pressing this key is just like right clicking your mouse, it will bring up a menu no matter where you are. Using the arrow keys and the enter key allows you to perform functions from that menu.
Besides the numerous Windows operating system shortcut keys most software applications have their own set of shortcuts built in. These usually involve the use of the Alt or Control keys. For instance in Microsoft office applications you will notice that the menus in the menu bar all have one letter underlined. Using the Alt key plus the underlined key opens that menu. Some menus have shortcuts listed next to the functions such as the Edit menu Paste command (Ctrl + V). In Internet Explorer you can move around the elements on the page like links and form fields by using the Tab key. Scrolling a page can be done by using the arrow or page up and page down keys. This is much easier than trying to target those little up an down caret buttons.
Related Links
- List of Windows Keystrokes (WORD)
- http://www.computerhope.com/shortcut.htm
- http://www-users.cs.york.ac.uk/~alistair/MouselessManual.pdf
- http://www.leeds.ac.uk/iss/documentation/inf/inf11.pdf
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