As it is Parkinson's Awareness Week in April we thought we would write a blog to show people who have the condition how easy it is to use their computer.

What is Parkinson’s?

Parkinson's is a degenerative condition which affects the central nervous system. It causes tremors and difficulty with movement. Speech may also be affected. The condition is caused by lack of a chemical called dopamine. Famous people with the condition include retired boxer Muhammed Ali.

How many people in the UK have the condition?

According to Parkinson’s UK there are 127,000 people with the condition in the UK www.parkinsons.org.uk/content/what-parkinsons

How can computers help someone with Parkinson's?

These commonly asked question about having Parkinson’s illustrate some of the many ways of using a computer effectively

1. My hands shake and I can’t use the standard keyboard. What can I do?

If you have the condition you might want to use a different keyboard (perhaps also using a keyguard which is a piece of plastic which fits over the top of the keyboard making it easier to hit the right key.) You may even want to change the way the keyboard reacts when you hit a key, such as slowing it down.

Every computer, smartphone or tablet includes options for adapting the way the keyboard works. AbilityNet’s award-winning My Computer My Way provides information about all the main computer and smartphone systems. We also have a Factsheet about alternatives to keyboards and a mouse and there are lots of different keyboards to choose from.

2. I find it hard to use the mouse. Are there any other pointing devices out there?

If you’re having issues with the mouse then there are lots of different pointing devices (such as rollerballs) to choose from. It’s a really good idea to try them out before you buy; additionally it is worth considering if you might want to install some software that does automatic clicking. Dwell Clicker 2 is a very effective piece of software.

3. Can I talk to my computer?

If your voice is clear then we’d advise trying out voice recognition. It’s built into all new computers that run Windows. For more details have a look at our easy to understand step by step instructions on My Computer My Computer. We’ve also written an overview of how voice recognition can help you.

4. My speech is good sometimes but gets worse throughout the day. People find it hard to understand me. What can I do?

If your speech is affected there are a number of packages which you can install on a smartphone or tablet computer. However, if you’ve got issues with tremors then using a smartphone may be difficult for you to use. Switch access is possible on a Mac or Windows tablet. The switches can be wireless too for easier use. Search for more information about switches on our website.

Case study

Kenny called us as his partner John was having difficulties researching information on his Android tablet. Our A&I team talked to him about the different ways that John can access his tablet, using Google’s voice control and we went on to tell him about a piece of software called Evi which you can ask questions with your voice and it will go away and find the answer.

How can we help?

AbilityNet provides a range of free services to help disabled people and older people.

Call our free Helpline. Our friendly, knowledgeable staff will discuss any kind of computer problem and do their best to come up with a solution. We’re open Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm on 0800 269 545.

Arrange a home visit. We have a network of AbilityNet ITCanHelp volunteers who can help if you have technical issues with your computer systems. They can come to your home, or help you over the phone.

We have a range of factsheets which talk in detail about technology that might help you, which can be downloaded for free. You may find our factsheets talking about voice recognition and keyboard alternatives useful.

My Computer My Way. A list of free hints and tips that you can use to make your time on the computer that bit easier.

February’s AbilityNet webinar saw us join forces with SOCITM to give a practical overview of web accessibility. Our Head of Digital Inclusion, Robin Christopherson shared his expertise in the area, helping attendees with web accessibility queries.

A key element of the webinar was the contribution of Mel Moville, Web Manager for Preston City Council (PCC) who shared the story of her organisation’s journey towards a more accessible website.

Preston’s website failed the accessibility test in SOCITM’s Better Connected assessment (an annual assessment of all local authority websites). From the feedback in the report, Mel and her colleagues were surprised to find that their website was nowhere near as accessible as they had thought and particularly surprised that some of the third-party elements of the site weren’t as accessible as they had been told.

Mel and PCC wanted a clear picture of where their website was performing well in terms of accessibility and any areas for improvement, so they commissioned a Digital Accessibility Centre (DAC) accessibility audit of the website in April 2013. Mel travelled to the DAC centre to watch the tests being carried out, a step that she found really helpful and one that we at AbilityNet recommend with our testing. She said, “It was good to go in and see the videos of the testing so we could understand exactly where the problems were. It was interesting to see the technologies being used.”

In total, the audit identified 24 web accessibility failures on the website and third-party add-ons. The problems took a total of eight months to resolve, with the third-party elements proving particularly problematic as Mel and the team at PCC had to work through the actions with the third-party suppliers.

Among the problems highlighted was the fact that Google Maps plugins on the site, which were used to show locations of services, were inaccessible to non-visual users. This is a common issue that is easily solved by adding a list of addresses to the maps page.

PCC received accreditation from the DAC in November 2013 but they are glad of the lessons learned during the process. According to Mel, they learnt how vital it is that accessibility be included from the start of any new web build, with the web development team conducting tests at every stage of the process. The other major area highlighted by their problems with third party suppliers was the need to have accessibility requirements built into the procurement process.

Click here to find out more about AbilityNet’s web accessibility services.

To view the full video recording of the webinar and hear Mel's story in her own words, please click here.

Webinar slideshow available on Slideshare here.

The needs of people with Down's Syndrome vary enormously and there may be many ways that computers could help them with communications at work, at home or in education. This blog covers just a few of them and is written to mark World Downs Syndrome Day on March 21.

Down's Syndrome, also known as Down's Syndrome in the USA is a genetic condition that typically causes some level of learning disability and a characteristic range of physical features. Source: http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Downs-syndrome/Pages/Introduction.aspx. There are over 40,000 people in the UK with the condition. Source: http://www.downs-syndrome.org.uk/

Top tips for easier computing for people with Down's Syndrome

It’s difficult to be specific about what the challenges and obstacles that someone who has Down’s Syndrome might face but whatever they are ther will almost certainly be there will be software or hardware adaptations available that will help.

If you have the condition you might want to use a different keyboard (perhaps alphabetical) or alternative pointing device to make it easier for you to use the computer.  You may even want to change the way the keyboard reacts when you hit a key. Ifg you're not sure how to do that check out My Computer My Way, AbilityNet's interactive guide to all the many ways you can change setting in your computer, tablet or smartphone

You also may benefit from some software which helps you plan and write your work and have text spoken out to you.  Mind mapping software such as Freemind (http://freemind.sourceforge.net/wiki/index.php/Main_Page) or Inspiration (http://www.inspiration.com/) is useful for making notes on content that you want to include in your work. You could even use the outline feature in Word to help you make brief notes.

If you find reading a bit difficult you could change the font style (http://www.abilitynet.org.uk/mcmw/changing-your-fonts/) for one that is easier for you to read. You can also get software which will actually speak text out for you. (http://www.ivona.com/en/mini-reader/). Best of all, this package is free!

One of the ways that people who have Down’s Syndrome communicate is via Makaton which is a sign language vocabulary. There’s a Makaton-based app for this which will run on an Ipad although please note this is not free.

Case study

Imran’s dad called our helpline as Imran had some difficulties with using the keyboard. We suggested using an alphabetic keyboard and some word prediction software so that Imran could effectively use the computer and do his homework for college.

If he gets tired he can also get the software to read back what Imran has written. After he’s done his homework he can chat to his friends on social networking sites.

How can we help?

AbilityNet helps disabled people use computers and the internet at work, at home and in education. There are a few ways that we can help:

• Call our free Helpline. Our friendly, knowledgeable staff will discuss any kind of computer problem and do their best to come up with a solution. We’re open Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm on 0800 269 545.
• Arrange a home visit. We have a network of AbilityNet ITCanHelp volunteers who can help if you have technical issues with your computer systems. They can come to your home, or help you over the phone.
• We have a range of factsheets which talk in detail about technology that might help you, which can be downloaded for free.  You may find our factsheets talking about voice recognition and keyboard alternatives useful.
• My Computer My Way. A list of free hints and tips that you can use to make your time on the computer that bit easier. http://www.abilitynet.org.uk/mcmw

What is Raynaud's Phenomenon?

Raynaud's phenomenon is a common disorder in which the small blood vessels in the extremities are over-sensitive to changes in temperature.  In some instances it can be a sign of another issue.

The effects of the condition include having white, red or blue, cold fingers, and very cold feet.

How many people in the UK have the condition?

It affects between 3-20% of the adult population worldwide, mainly females and there may be as many as ten million sufferers in the UK (Source: http://www.raynauds.org.uk/)

Top tips for easier computing

If you have the condition it might well be a really good idea to consider looking at ways you can use the computer without using a keyboard. Voice recognition might be a viable alternative, if your fingers become too numb to use the condition. If you do want to continue to use the keyboard you could consider a soft touch keyboard, and perhaps even consider using word prediction to cut down on keyboard use. Using fingerless gloves might help too.

Case study

Zoe called us because she has Reynaud’s and uses a computer at home. She finds that her fingers get very sore fairly often and this means she cannot use the keyboard as much as she would like. We suggested using voice recognition, to take some of the pressure of using a keyboard off her. We also suggested using a light touch keyboard along with some word prediction software. This meant that she was able to use social networking sights more effectively to share her experiences of living with the condition.

How can AbilityNet help?

Call our free Helpline: 0800 269 545

• Our free helpline is open Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm. Our friendly, knowledgeable staff will discuss any kind of computer problem and do their best to come up with a solution.

Arrange a home visit

• Our network of AbilityNet ITCanHelp volunteers help disabled people deal with computer problems at home. They can come to your home, or help you over the phone. Click here to book a free home visit

Free Factsheets

• We have a range of factsheets which talk in detail about technology that might help you, which can be downloaded for free.  You may find our factsheets talking about voice recognition and keyboard alternatives useful.

My Computer My Way

Use our free website to find all the ways that you can adjust your computer, laptop, tablet and smartphone at www.abilitynet.org.uk/mcmw