Alternative
technology
The range of
treatments for repetitive strain injury is quite diverse and growing
all the time. However, prevention being better than cure, the chances
of continued good health are greatest when steps are taken to minimise
the risk of injuries developing.
Many conditions appear to be cumulative rather than sudden and
prevention includes understanding the technological factors which are
implicated in RSI. These include unnecessary overuse of the keyboard
and mouse.
Accessing the Control Panel settings on your computer to slow down the
mouse can greatly reduce muscle tension in your hand. However, in
Windows you hardly need use the mouse at all if you learn the keyboard
shortcuts.
The feature Autocorrect can be used as a shortcut to insert commonly
typed phrases and paragraphs and reduce overall keyboard use.
There are various alternative keyboards and pointing devices which you
may find more comfortable than standard issue equipment. Finally, voice
recognition technology has come on in leaps and bounds in recent years
and is now very reliable.
AbilityNet is a registered charity dealing with computing and
disability which offers independent advice on getting round the problem
of RSI. Call freephone 0800 269545 or visit their website (link below).
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