Accessites.org
I Saw a Mouse! Where?

Not everyone uses a mouse to navigate. Not everyone can. And that is something we all occasionally forget. Sure, we know that visually impaired and blind users navigate by keyboard, but what about all of those people who can see perfectly well but cannot use a mouse for numerous reasons.

What do they use? And how does this impact us, as web designers, if at all?

There are a number of options available if someone cannot use a mouse. Either they can use a specific mouse alternative or they can navigate by keyboard using the good old TAB key. In this article, I want to focus on mouse alternatives. Even then I don’t intend to list all of them. Some, such as joysticks or trackballs, are relatively commonplace whilst others, such as neural interfaces, currently remain firmly within the realm of science fiction or the odd university lab. The odd piece of Assistive Technology (AT) has even entered the mainstream by way of the gaming sector. Previously known as Haptic Devices, you may know them as the “rumble” feature on your favourite gaming machine or the Logitech iFeel Mouse. By and large these devices either do not present any specific problems from a web design perspective or are simply so rare that we don’t have enough information to be able to make any informed design decisions.

There are, however, some devices that are in common usage that I think we do need to consider.

Alternative Pointing Devices

Assistive Mouse Adaptor

This is a relative newcomer to the AT market and is designed for use by anyone who has a hand tremor. The device sits between a standard mouse and the user machine and filters out small involuntary hand movements according to the current user settings and may also be able to recognise multiple clicking on a mouse button caused by shaky fingers. Whilst the adapter may go a long way to alleviating the major problems caused by hand tremors, it would be unrealistic to imagine that it can correct everything. Fine motor movements are likely to remain an issue, to some degree or another, even when using the adaptor. Learn more about the Assistive Mouse Adapter.

Ballpoint Mouse

Sometimes called a “Thumb Mouse,” this portable mouse can be held in one hand and is often controlled using the thumb and first finger. It is especially useful for users who may have limited arm movement and who cannot use a standard desktop mouse but, due to its high sensitivity, it does take practice, and sometimes a lot of patience, to achieve fine cursor control. Learn more about the Ballpoint Mouse.

Air Mouse

Managed to play on the Wii yet? If you have, you will have already used this technology. Like the Wiimote, it can be used at some distance from the machine and can translate movements in three dimensions to a two-dimensional environment. This makes it very useful for anyone in a wheel chair who cannot get close enough to a standard desktop machine or for users who have poor fine motor skill but a good range of gross motor movements. As with the Ballpoint Mouse, though, fine cursor control may be a problem. Learn more about the Air Mouse.

Head Mounted Pointer

Imagine trying to use a web site when you cannot move your heads or arms at all. This is where a head mounted pointer comes in. Previously, these were rather bulky and cumbersome peripherals that only offered gross cursor control and demanded neck muscles worthy of Mr Universe. Happily, times have moved on and head pointers today are relatively small and light. The device itself uses optical sensors to detect head movement that are then relayed to the mouse pointer. Typing is performed using on-screen Keyboard Emulation software whilst a “mouse click” may be emulated by activating a switch. Patience may not be so much of a virtue as a mandatory requirement when using a head pointer to move around a web site. Learn more about the Head Mounted Pointer.

Touchpad

We’ve probably all used a touch pad on a laptop at one time or another but in situations where a user has very limited limb movement or reduced physical strength, a touch pad can replace a standard mouse permanently. Portable versions also mean that they can be used in a variety of situations such as semi-reclining in a bed or attached to the arm of a wheelchair. However, one small area (the “pad”) has to translate movements on the X-axis and Y-axis as well as single and double “clicks” (”taps” on the pad) and possibly even page scrolling. This multiplicity of controls can make touch pads difficult to use at times especially in situations where user movement may be jerky or restricted. Learn more about the Touchpad.

Touchscreen

Touch screens are common on public and semi-public machines but they may also be useful where a user has a cognitive impairment and may not be able to make the mental connection between hand/mouse movement and cursor movement. In these situations, users may be able to interact with a site far more effectively if they actually “touch” buttons or controls on the screen. The problems with touch screens is that, although they can work with most standard mouse driven interfaces, the latter have normally been built for small cursors and not large fingers. So, although it is a very direct method of access, some users may not be able to locate the precise, often small, areas required without additional calibration — yet in many semi-public environments (such as drop-in centres, etc.), this may not be practical or even possible. Learn more about the Touchscreen.

Mouse Keys

Shipped as a standard accessibility feature within many operating systems, Mouse Keys enable the keyboard arrows to be utilised as a mouse alternative and can provide a low cost and relatively effective aid for someone who finds it difficult, or impossible, to use a mouse. Voice Recognition software may also have an inbuilt version of Mouse Keys that allows a user to focus on and then “click” a specific screen control. However, accurate targeting can often be a slow, extended, process that may cause rapid tiredness and a resultant increase in targeting errors. Learn more about Mouse Keys.

What Does This Have To Do With Web Design?

If you’ve managed to read through the list above, you might have noticed a common theme. In all cases, very small screen controls may be unusually difficult to locate and activate. In some cases this may be due to, or exacerbated by, a user’s underlying condition — such as Parkinson’s Disease. In other cases, the problem is inherent in the design of the AT itself. A device such as a Ballpoint Mouse or a Touchpad may be deliberately designed, or configured, to provide maximum result with minimum effort for users with little movement or strength but the resultant high sensitivity comes at a price.

There is a very crude way of getting a feel for what it might be like to use some of these devices…

Take your hand off that mouse.

Yes… now!

Now, using only one finger on your mouse, try to navigate around a site. Get a feel for just how easy it is (or isn’t) to focus and activate links.

Now, switch to your own, presumably graphical, desktop. Repeat the process. Notice any difference?

Small links and web page controls are very difficult to use when you no longer have the fine cursor control that you’re used to. In comparison, a graphical desktop with its much larger icons and hotspots is much easier.

Nor are these kinds of issues limited to people with specific disabilities. Demographics suggest that we are living in an aging population and there’s no denying that our fine motor control diminishes with age. Yet, as a group, silver surfers are likely to become increasingly significant — both in terms of their numbers and in terms of their potential online spending.

You can go back to using your mouse now but for just a few minutes, you had a tiny peek at what it must feel like to face these particular problems every day on the Web. So what can you, as a web designer, do to alleviate them?

For a start, no one is suggesting that you rush out and start creating sites with huge link texts and great big submit buttons. Clunky is ugly and no one likes ugly. But you can hopefully start looking at your pages slightly differently.

Are the controls on a page relatively easy to activate? If not, what can you do to increase their “clickability” without ruining your design? Can you incorporate block level links with their much larger “hotspots” in some places? Could that image map be re-jigged to provide larger focus areas? Sure — that dinky little submit button looks cute but would your design be completely wrecked if you replaced it with something a little more practical?

If you’re looking for ideas, check out some of our showcased sites. These are designs that have incorporated a high level of accessibility without compromising on looks. The two concepts are not mutually incompatible although, sometimes, bringing them together can take a bit more work.

The end result, for all users, however, is well worth the effort.

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