Keys, Keyboards and Keypads

ISSUE:

When key repeat is supported, a user with a mobility impairment may be unable to move off of a key fast enough to prevent the key from repeating. Similarly, when key repeat is desired, an individual with a mobility impairment may require a slower repeat rate.

Typically, the status of a Toggle key (e.g., Num Lock, Caps Lock or Scroll Lock) is only identified by a light or other visual indicator. A user with a visual impairment may have difficulty determining the state of a toggle key. Indicating the status of a toggle key by redundant means (i.e., visually, auditorially and tactually) will provide access for users with a variety of impairments. If the status of a toggle key can be accessed by software, many adaptive technologies are capable of indicating the state of the key.

STANDARD:

• Provide an option for ignoring brief or repeated keystrokes.



• Provide an option for adjusting key-repeat and key-activation latencies (the amount of time a key is held down before an event is triggered).



• Provide an option for adjusting key-repeat rate.



• Provide an option for auditory feedback of toggle key status.



• Provide tactile feedback of key status (e.g., keys that remain depressed when activated).



• Provide key status information to software.