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keyboard for friend with parkinsons..

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fleischverpackung:
hi all,

a friend of mine just turned 38 and is in the early stages of parkinsons desease. last time he complained to me that he often makes typos and wants to try one of my mechanical keyboards.
I guess his fingers start to get a little bit uncontrolled, and when they miss a key and (softly) hit another the worn rubber domes trigger immediately.
so my idea would be to use switches with very heavy springs. like mx black or similar. So that he really has to commit to a key press.
and what about the keycap form? maybe it would be better to have those 80s style keycaps with lots of space between the keys.

any ideas on that?


kind regards, A

figit090:
Do his keys travel much to actuate? It may also be actuation distance, rubber domes are sometimes shallow and easier to fumble even for those without Parkinson's.

I've only tried brown switches, but he may be ok with blues, they have the same actuation force as black but also a tactile bump and a click when actuated. Perhaps that would help? For more quiet pressing but less force, there is brown. Greens would be the strongest tactile bump switch for very difinitive presses.

I can't comment on the difference but I think any mechanical switch with a tactile bump before or at actuation will help. 

buckling springs may work as they require a more definitive press but the keycaps may be smaller on many IBM style boards.

depending on the severity of the tremors, I would consider showing him big button keyboards. There is also this key blocking option that requires you to stick your finger through a square hole to press a key.

https://www.keyboardspecialists.co.uk/collections/accessorieskeyguardkeyboards


Apparently it's for their big key keyboard;

https://www.keyboardspecialists.co.uk/products/k-ulxqw1


I would start with a basic cherry mx blue, brown, or green board, see how he does. Might be just enough. I think bigger keycaps are better than narrow spaced caps, less chance to slip off the cap into the valley (undoubtedy how some mispressings happen).

Sent from my Moto G (5S) Plus using Tapatalk

tp4tissue:
make sure you watch him type first and see what's going on.

Also, it may or may not be Parkinson.  it could just be high cholesterol causing micro strokes (which) culminate in dementia/parkinson like symptoms.

Chk his cholesterol

hoggy:
You can get keyboards with 'guards'.  These are typically plastic panels with holes drilled in them, making it impossible for one finger to press more than one key at a time.

Something like this.
http://www.inclusive.co.uk/compact-keyboard-with-guard-and-rest-p2005

If typing is taking too long, you could also look at text expansion software.  Just make one change at a time and make sure that each change feels natural before moving on to the next.

fleischverpackung:
lol ok thanks for the guards, but they are probably some years away. He will kill me if I come with those ;)
Will check with him and observe his typing when he is back. I will let him try my ghetto greens.
But sadly, yes it's parkinsons. One of the youngest patients here in Europe.

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