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HandiApped Independence: Part 1
by Frank Petrie
Frank Petrie, Freelance writer, Macsimum News contributor, Curmudgeon

I am a Mac user. I am a reviewer for Macsimum News and numerous newsletters. I also suffer from multiple sclerosis.

Recently, I allowed my boneheaded pride to 'cometh before eight falls,' resulting in a four day stay at the Bland Food Hotel. When I returned, I viewed my environment with new eyes. I realized that I needed to pace myself in a more efficient manner. I was pushing to hard.

So, I started to monitor my daily activities and evaluate the layout of my house. First, I noticed that I used about 80% of my energy getting across the carpets. Wasted energy. I had set my drinking glasses out of reach, my food on pantry shelves that were too high.  More wasted energy. And on and on. Clearly I had to completely rethink my procedures.

What did I do the most? Where did I create paths?

How can I create an environment to facilitate my independent lifestyle without unnecessarily wasting energy getting to things?

While thinking about this, something triggered a memory of a visit to the 1960's NYC World's Fair. At the GE Pavilion, they predicted that in the future (probably the late 80's) we would all have robotic servants to take care of our common household chores. Remember Rosie on The Jetsons (ask your Grandmother)? She looked somewhat human and wore a hat and apron. Aaaah - the future!

As fate would have it, this memory came flashing back as I was watching TV. The Honda commercial, where robotics arms were spot welding chassis on the line, came on. Wait a tick! At the GE Pavilion, function followed form. So our servants were 
anthropomorphic. But the commercial proved that the exact opposite was true - form had followed function! The welding robots didn't look like my uncle in overalls, after all. They were big, hulking steel arms, working 24/7!

Quick - switch gears. Enter my daughter. She is an avid fan of those shows where friends exchange houses for a weekend to renovate one or two rooms. Once I told her about what I had been doing since my return from the hospital, she was all aglow. Here was her big chance to do like the TV shows without the fear of someone destroying her room.

Well, obviously, I use my computer the most, so this would have to be the focal point of my renovation. What I hadn't counted on (although I wasn't really surprised) was that most of my life, work and play involved my computer. Then it hit me! My computer was my robot! It helped me shop, pay bills, keep photo albums, and talk to people face to 
face. It saved my failing legs a lot of mileage. My computer/robot is an important part of my independent lifestyle.

This will hopefully be a series that goes beyond the ergonomic charts that we have all seen, and instead focus on hardware and software (including OS X's Universal Access) that can benefit the handicapped (and the baby boomers who will soon slide into retirement; they'll be having bits fall off or stop working soon, as well). We'll revisit our workspaces, look at special mice and keyboards, the benefits of Bluetooth and dictation software for those with arthritis or dexterity problems. In short, how to layout your office for maximum workflow and the least amount of physical discomfort.

So, here's your first assignment. For the next several weeks, keep a mental or physical diary of your habits and routines. Perhaps your computer and bills don't have to be in that spare bedroom way in the back of the house. Notice where you spend most of your time, where your paths intersect most and such.

Once we have our information at hand, we'll get to work. Good luck.

Oh and please post comments. Let's begin a dialogue and share ideas. Reach me at phranky@mac.com, Subject: HandiApped.

There is no restriction against any non-profit group using this article as long as it is kept in context with proper credit given the author.  The Editorial Committee of the Association of Personal Computer User Groups (APCUG), an international organization of which this group is a member, brings this article to you.