If a person has control over any function, it can also be used to control the computer (Week 14)

             Currently, I am sitting in front of my laptop and writing this blog with the help of the keyboard and my fingers. However, for some people, it is rather hard to do such things as they might not have a keyboard and/or their fingers. Thanks to today’s technology, we can get over such obstacles with the assistance of the new functionality that we are being presented in the software and hardware world. As I said before, such “impossible” things are now possible not just only because of the new technology, but also thanks to our imagination. In the following paragraphs, I will mention several real-life cases of the principle “if a person has control over any function, it can also be used to control the computer".

Real-life Cases

From the age of 13 until 17, I used to play a famous battle royale game called “Fortnite”. Additionally, I would watch others play this game, especially on the platforms like Twitch and YouTube.  One day, when I was on YouTube, I came across a video called “Meet Blink, The Fortnite Player With No Hands (Motivational)” and it immediately caught my attention [1]. After seeing the guy playing this game literally with no hands, I was shocked as his level of playing was even better than mine. I observed the way how he was able to achieve such ease when playing “Fortnite” with no hands. Firstly, he would use a controller instead of a keyboard and mouse. I believe the reason behind it would be that controller has fewer buttons and it makes it easier to reach for him. Furthermore, he would put that controller onto his lap and start perfectly controlling his player. Besides, I suppose that he also changed the mappings of his controller based on his way of using it.

Another instance of the mentioned principle would be the usage of hand controls in cars. This idea was developed to help disabled people to be able to drive cars with the least amount of difficulty. Currently, there are multiple designs for the accelerate/brake system. Some designs are like the “Classic 3500 series from Mobility Products & Design” which requires you to push the lever to accelerate and pull it to use the brake [2].

              

[source: https://www.themobilityresource.com/adaptive-driving-equipment/hand-controls/]

            In addition, multiple types of hand controls are available for disabled drivers. Such types include [3]:

                1.      Push/pull accelerator/brake devices

                2.      Ghost under-wheel accelerator

                3.      Brake levers

                4.      Steering wheel extension   

                5.      … (the list goes on)

            These devices can come at various prices, but they mostly range between 1000-6000 USD [3]. To avoid such expenses, it is recommended to discuss it with insurance companies as they might show their assistance in such financial situations.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it can be said that Assistive Information Technology has developed so well that once the impossible situations now became rather much possible. Furthermore, these hardware and software inventions help people with disabilities to achieve the same results as non-disabled people. Based on these facts, we could prove that if a person has control over any function, then it can be used to control the computer.

 

References

[1]	"Meet Blink, The Fortnite Player With No Hands (Motivational)," YouTube, [Online]. Available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fRo4ZrZlnc. [Accessed 14 March 2022].
[2]	"Hand Controls," The Mobility Resource, [Online]. Available: https://www.themobilityresource.com/adaptive-driving-equipment/hand-controls/. [Accessed 14 March 2022].
[3]	"How Much Does It Cost To Equip A Car With Hand Controls? " dr. handicap, [Online]. Available: https://drhandicap.com/insights/how-much-does-it-cost-to-equip-a-car-with-hand-controls/. [Accessed 14 March 2022].