1	Beyond Single-Switch Row-Column Scanning With WiViK On-Screen Keyboard F. Shein, Ph.D., P.Eng., P. Marshall, T. Nantais, B.A.Sc., P.Eng., R. Nishiyama, B.Sc.
2	Single-switch scanning Single-switch automatic row-column scanning is the most common scanning approach Other more efficient scanning methods exist, but not well-understood Efficient manipulation of Windows objects without mouse emulation is also under-realized
3	WiViK^® 3 www.wivik.com On-screen keyboard used with latest Windows operating systems (98, Me, 2000, NT, XP) All-inclusive product: clicking, dwelling, scanning (1-6 switches) selection methods Uses WordQ™ word prediction and speech feedback, abbreviation-expansion Configurable to unique user abilities
4	Scanning-specific keyboards Various WiViK keyboard designs match different scanning methods Each includes desktop scanning manipulation without mouse emulation (unique to WiViK)
5	Custom user scanning Customize scanning method to meet specific user needs Choose: Connection # switches Scanning method Highlighting Switch actions Timing User preferences
6	# switches As # switches increases, degree of control increases (Min. 2 switches suggested) Additional switches can provide enhancements, E.g., cancel an action, adjust scanning rate, and reverse direction Switch actions vary with scanning method 1 – 6 switches
7	Scanning methods Automatic highlight automatically moves across groups or items Inverse/Step highlight manually advanced by maintaining switch activation or by repeated tapping Directed highlight moved in a inverse or step fashion with separate direction switches
8	Choosing a scan method Automatic User accurately times switch activation and release Inverse User accurately times switch release after maintaining switch activation Step User has difficulty timing switch activation or release but can repeatedly activate the switch Directed User accurately times release of at least 2 switches, maintains activation of the switches, and easily moves between switches Good sense of two-dimensional movement
9	Required switch actions Each method requires specific actions, some of which may be accomplished with a switch or by dwelling
10	Optional switch actions Cancel Cancels unintentional scanning & returns to the starting point Not required, but recommended Change Speed Allows quick movement to the general area of the desired item Change Direction Allows reversing direction if the desired item passed Duplicate Actions e.g., multiple Select switches such as on either side of an activating body part so that the same action can be used to release one switch and activate the other Reduces fatigue
11	Switch actions
12	Directed switch actions Ideally 4 directions of movement required If only 2 or 3 switches are available: use the wraparound feature, or use toggling directional switch action With a dwell select/cancel, the user is restricted from pausing while scanning
13	Highlighting styles Row-column Rows of items are highlighted top down one-at-a-time Common, but inefficient with very large # items Row-group-item Groups within a row are highlighted Efficient with large wide keyboard layouts Quadrant Keyboard quadrants highlighted in succession Efficient with large square keyboard layouts Item Each item is highlighted one at a time Simple, but inefficient with #items>10
14	Timing Time Time interval highlight pauses before advancing Delay Factor Multiplier of Time applied to first group/item scanned Speed Factor Multiplier of Time for switches defined as Overdrive, 2 Speed, or Fast Dwell Factor Multiplier of Time for dwell select or cancel Debounce Time
15	Preferences
16	Desktop manipulation problem Users are expected to use a pointing device to manipulate GUI objects such as icons, windows, menus, buttons, scroll bars, lists, and text Problem converting binary (on/off) or discrete actions into equivalent continuous actions normally associated with direct desktop manipulation
17	Transparent access Device Transparency An alternate access solution should emulate the input device(s) of a computer, i.e., keyboard and mouse, such that the target application is unaware that the input is not from the standard device(s) (Cook and Hussey, 1995) Task Transparency An alternate access system should allow the user to directly access the underlying tasks and data without requiring the user to perform equivalent functions to the standard input devices (Shein, 1997)
18	WiViK solution Don’t think about mouse emulation Microsoft Windows allows an alternative to direct manipulation by providing keystroke equivalents (including repeating keys) for all actions WiViK employs keystroke macros: Single keystrokes for direct actions Repeating keystrokes for scanning actions; start and stop with a switch activation Multiple keystroke sequences
19	Advantages Fewer switch activations More ‘direct’ Faster than mouse emulation Fewer attention shifts (between keyboard and application) Focus attention on end task
20	Text cursors Cursor scans across text by letters, words, lines, paragraphs with automatic or inverse/step method (directed uses any movement key to step When “extending” a selection, the end point of the selection appears to scan
21	Text scrolling Select desired scroll bar icon to scroll in scanning steps with automatic or inverse/step method (directed uses any movement key to step) Select or Cancel switch stops scrolling
22	Window control buttons Select control buttons (Restore, Maximize, Minimize) directly
23	Menu access Standard menus Common individual commands defined on specific keys, e.g., cut, copy, paste Any menu scanned with automatic or inverse/step method (directed uses any movement key to step) until final menu item chosen Cancel switch escapes from menu scanning Start menu Smart scanning as above
24	Dialogs Repeating keys (Green color) (Tab, arrows) for scanning across items and lists Single action keys (Yellow color) (Enter, space, Esc) for discrete commands
25	Moving or sizing windows Movement & sizing keys starts window moving or sizing accordingly in scanning steps with automatic or inverse/step method (directed uses any movement key to step)
26	Switching applications Task switching dialog displayed (Alt+Tab) Application icons scanned with automatic or inverse/step method (directed uses any movement key to step)
27	Acknowledgements Bloorview MacMillan Children’s Centre Bloorview Childrens Hospital Foundation Ontario Rehabilitation Technology Consortium Prentke Romich Company www.wivik.com