Disability Power
On the Road Again
I gradually became aware that my next door neighbor who moved here from Hong Kong has returned and is standing just inside my front door, between the door and my fish tank. She moves closer to where I’m sitting and stands silently watching me type.
I look at her from where I sit typing with my one good hand. My laptop has been reprogrammed to use the Dvorak keyboard layout.
Like she’s startled, she suddenly says, “Hey, the letters you hit on the keyboard aren’t the letters appearing on the screen. How are you doing that?”
Disability Adaptations
Dvorak requires little but gives much
“I’m using Dvorak. It’s much more efficient. The typist fingers don’t have to move so much. All of the vowels and key consonants are on the home row. It’s way easier than the standard QWERTY keyboard.”
“If it’s so good, why doesn’t everyone use it?”
“Some people do. All the major computers have it built into their programs so you can toggle back and forth. I use Dvorak. When my friend Bonnie’s here, she changes it to QWERTY. We’re stuck with the slower and less efficient keyboard because people who use it don’t want to have to relearn how to type. QWERTY users dominate the work force.”
Disabled or Enabled?
“Good! I’ve typed on the QWERTY for years. I’d hate to have to learn another keyboard.”
“That Attitude is exactly why so few benefit from the increased efficiency of Dvorak.”
She smiles. “I don’t have time for efficiency.”
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Give the gift of laughter and positive thinking. To celebrate the holidays or any other meaningful event with humor, heartfelt memories and strategies for creating a lifetime of positive Attitudes contact the Attitudeman Al Foxx. During the holiday season, Al gives 10% of his speaking fee to Northwest Harvest, or a charity of your choosing.
