Review: Dasher Typing System for People with Disabilities

Over the years, technology has come a long way in helping people with disabilities retain mobility and communication in their lives. The vast majority of these breakthroughs, however, are not originally intended to help those with disabilities. The result is that these tools must be adapted-and they can be quite expensive. Dasher, however, is a welcome change. This helpful typing software was built with people with disabilities in mind, is free and always evolving to help more and more people.

The program enables users to enter text at the same speed as writing using only a mouse or similar tracking device. It is easy to use and has predictive capabilities which enable users to type common words with great speed.

Dasher's appearance is not glossy; it looks like a program you might have found on your Commodore 64, but don't let that fool you. The principle behind this software is cutting edge and unlike any other typing program you've seen before. Rather than a keyboard program which involves typing by finding and clicking on letters, with Dasher the letters flow past a pointer placed in the center of the screen. The user with a disability simply controls the movement and speed of letters by pushing the cursor toward the right-side of the screen and moving the cursor up or down, depending on the letter they want to choose. Punctuation and capital letters are chosen in the same way and the program automatically predicts and space and capital letter after each period. When done typing, the user only need to highlight the text they've created and past it into the document, email, or voice program they like. This style is extremely helpful for users with disabilities because it requires little mouse control and the more you use it, the more the program predicts what the person typing is going to say.

Patience is very important when first starting out because it will take time to get used to this style of typing. When first starting with Dasher, users will want to turn the speed down to a lower setting, probably around 0.20. After the user begins to understand the basic concept of typing with Dasher they will catch on quickly. It only takes a few attempts at typing before people typing with Dasher find that they can turn up the speed and start typing with less difficulty. Eventually, using Dasher will become intuitive and flowing. Once fully used to typing on Dasher, users with disabilities can reach typing speeds of over 50 wpm.

Watching experienced users demonstrate typing with Dasher can be dizzying. At a 2008 conference given by ALS Therapy Development Institute (ALS TDI), Troy Jurgensen introduced the innovative typing program. Jurgensen, a leader in the development of communication devices for people with disabilities, explained to the dazzled audience (as he typed a paragraph in a matter of minutes using Dasher) that watching someone type with Dasher is a lot like being a passenger in a moving car. The driver knows where they are headed, whereas you have no idea. Jurgensen confessed that even he still gets dizzy when watching a founder of ALS TDI, Augie Nieto type. Like many users of Dashers, Nieto has limited communication abilities due to disabilities caused by ALS.

Dasher works best with windows but is also available for Macs, though users have found that it freezes on occasion using anything but a PC. Once downloaded, the program is ready for use with a mouse or, for those with disabilities that no longer permit them to control a mouse, the program is compatible with eye tracking devices and other hands-free computing systems (including control via breath). As you can see from the number of versions that Dasher has gone through, the creators of Dasher work to ensure that new computer tracking devices for people with disabilities are compatible with the program. Currently, this software is being upgraded so it is compatible with smaller devices like cell phones or Palms-making it a tool that even people able to type will find indispensable.

The software was developed by the Inference Group in 1997. Since its creation, Dasher has gone through many versions, each one widening its audience of people with disabilities as well as those without. It is now available in an impressive variety of languages, including Chinese and Polish. The free software download, as well as instructions, demonstrations, and more can be found at http://www.inference.phy.cam.ac.uk/dasher.