REACH
Interface Author
The premier on-screen
keyboard software
This product is the premier on-screen keyboard software available and comes with
a vast assortment of assistive technology tools (see the list of features
below). It was designed to help a person use a computer more easily and augment
their speech if that is needed. If you have trouble using a standard hardware
keyboard but can use a mouse or other pointer, then you can use any of the
numerous typing keyboards that come with REACH.
Also, if you can use a single switch or two switches, then you can type using
one of the REACH keyboards in "scanning" mode. It runs in Microsoft 95,
98, NT, ME, 2000, and ®XP. Below is a picture of the QWERTY keyboard (one of
more than 250 keyboards that come with REACH) along with the REACH button bar,
menu bar, status bar, and word prediction windows.
Ten years of development and testing including nine formal user tests involving
adults, adolescents, and children were conducted to ensure that this product
helps maximize the abilities of a variety of users. It started as a simple
on-screen keyboard (like those now commonly available) and based on extensive
input from users, has grown into an elaborate assistive technology toolkit.
It comes with word/sentence completion, speech augmentation, scanning keyboard
options, automatic "windows management" (that automatically resize, reposition,
and bring windows to the top when you need them), a multimedia keyboard
authoring system, 250+ built-in keyboards, 10 built-in assessment tools, -- and
much, much more!
It's All Within Your REACH Interface Author™!
Shown above is the "QWERTY" keyboard, one of the 250+ keyboards that comes with
REACH. REACH Interface Author™ was developed to be a complete toolkit for
computer access, with something for everyone. No one would use all the features
in REACH, but they are there so that you can adjust the software to fit the
abilities of the current user. It has features that are beneficial for the
youngest beginner to the most sophisticated adult user (visit the Keyboard
Library to see some of the children's keyboards or some of the standard or
special keyboards).
• Microsoft Windows™ Compatible (Runs in Windows95, 98, 2000, ME, and XP )
• Multimedia Keyboard Author - Make Your Own Custom Keyboards
• 250+ Built-In Keyboards
• Built-In Word Prediction
• Ten Built-In Assessment Drills
• Scanning Keyboard & Word Prediction Options
• Single Switch, Dual Switch, and Inverse Scanning Options
• Comes with Microsoft Text-to-Speech (Must have sound card)
• Speak Letters Automatically When Typing Option
• Speak Words Automatically When Typing Option
• Speak Sentences Automatically When Typing Option
• Speak Highlighted Text Quick Option
• Add Last Word to User Dictionary Quick Option
• 11,000+ Words in Word Prediction Main Dictionary
• Drag, Double Click, Right Buttons
• Adjustable Key & Keyboard Size (Remembers Previous Settings)
• Dwell-Time Switch Options
• Abbreviation Expansion
• Sentence Prediction
• Grows With You (Ages 5 to Adult)
• Plus many more
REACH
Scan Plus
REACH Interface Author
This product is the premier on-screen keyboard software available and comes with
a vast assortment of assistive technology tools. It was designed to help a
person use a computer more easily and augment their speech if that is needed. If
you have trouble using a standard hardware keyboard but can use a mouse or other
pointer, then you can use any of the numerous typing keyboards that come with
REACH. Also, if you can use a single switch or two switches, then you can type
using one of the REACH keyboards in "scanning" mode. It runs on Microsoft
Windows 95, 98, 2000, ME, and XP.
REACH Smart Key Technology
How it works:
Start typing the word "lucky" by selecting the letter "L". When the letter "L"
is typed, not only does REACH start predicting the word you are typing (word
prediction starts predicting words that begin with "L"), but Smart Keys starts
predicting the next letter. Smart Keys does this by using a unique (patent
pending) method for determining which letters follow the letter "L" in the REACH
dictionary(ies) you have loaded. In one option, Smart Keys then removes all
letters that don't follow "L" (see below):
This simplifies the keyboard display and makes it easier to find the next letter
you are looking for! It also makes it easier to "hit" the correct key because
there is now a lot of empty space, so if you accidentally miss the target key,
you won't type the wrong letter!
ScanBuddy™
ScanBuddy™ uses a new approach to full screen scanning that lets you quickly and
easily position the mouse using one switch (single or inverse single-switch
scanning), two switches (dual switch scanning), or keys on your computer
keyboard. Then, you can choose from a variety of mouse button and other options.
Use it alone, with REACH Interface Author™, or with SoothSayer Word Prediction™.
ScanBuddy™ is full of features that can increase your scanning speed and
accuracy.
Smart Lists™
Smart Lists is a new (Patent Pending) approach to typing which has been shown to
be highly effective in reducing the number of clicks and increasing speed -
especially for persons using scanning input. Select a key from the keyboard and
it opens up showing a list of candidate letters in the context of what already
has been typed. Candidates can be listed alphabetically (e.g., when using
point-and-click) or by their frequency of use (i.e., when scanning).
REACH Smart Key Technology
How it works:
Start typing the word "lucky" by selecting the letter "L".
When the letter "L" is typed, not only does REACH start predicting
the word you are typing (word prediction starts predicting words that begin
with "L"), but Smart Keys starts predicting the next letter.
Smart Keys does this by using a unique (patent pending) method for
determining which letters follow the letter "L" in the REACH
dictionary(ies) you have loaded. In one option, Smart Keys then removes all
letters that don't follow "L" (see below):
This simplifies the keyboard display
and makes it easier to find the next letter you are looking for! It also makes it easier to "hit" the correct key because there is now a lot
of empty space, so if you accidentally miss the target key, you won't type
the wrong letter!
When you type the next letter ("U") in "lucky", Smart Keys again updates the
keyboard to show you the letters that follow the sequence "LU":
At this point, you can continue typing "lucky", but you probably would
select it from the word prediction bar instead (to save typing time).
If you are typing a word
that is not in the current REACH dictionary(ies), then you can select the
"Escape" (Restore) key (lower left corner) to bring back all the
keys on the keyboard. When you finish typing the novel word, you probably
will want to use the quick "Add Word" option to add it to your User
Dictionary.
If you want the benefits of Smart Keys but also want all the keys to stay on
the keyboard, you can select the "Gray and Make Active" option
(where unlikely keys are "grayed out" but can still be typed), the
"Gray and Make Inactive" option (where unlikely keys are grayed out
and cannot be typed) or the "Change Colors" option, (where the
colors of unlikely keys are changed).
An example of the "Change Colors" option is shown below to show
what the keyboard would look like after typing the "L" in
"lucky":
You also can decide whether to show or not show the number keys, punctuation
keys, or control keys!
Scanning Keyboard Advantage
Smart Keys does this by using a unique (patent pending) method for
determining which letters follow the letter "L" in the REACH
dictionary(ies) you have loaded. In one option, Smart Keys then removes all
letters that don't follow "L" (see below):
The greatest advantage for Smart Key Technology comes for persons using
scanning keyboards. The problem with scanning keyboards always has been the
amount of time wasted while waiting to get to the correct key.
When you turn on any of REACH's three scanning options, depending on the
options you select, REACH only scans the likely keys or scans the likely
keys first, before scanning the unlikely keys. This can result in
substantial time savings!
The greatest advantage for Smart Key Technology comes for persons using
scanning keyboards. The problem with scanning keyboards always has been the
amount of time wasted while waiting to get to the correct key.
When you turn on any of REACH's three scanning options, depending on the
options you select, REACH only scans the likely keys or scans the likely
keys first, before scanning the unlikely keys. This can result in
substantial time savings!
Try it Out!
Download REACH Interface Author with Smart Keys (12 MB compressed)
(This demo will work for 30 days)
REACH Sound It Out - Phonetic Keyboard ™
The REACH Sound-It-Out
Keyboard™ is a new approach to typing based on smart keys
(Patents Pending). The keyboard has an array of "keys" which
represent phonemes rather than letters. On the children's
keyboard (shown below), pictures are presented to help users
find the sound they are after (e.g., a picture of a bus for the
"B" sound). When the user points at a key, an audio recording is
played (e.g., "bih – bus").
To "type" a word (e.g.,
"chair"), the user "types" the first sound in the word ("CH") by
pressing that key. Two things then happen: smart keys removes
phonemes that don't follow "CH" and the word prediction windows
are filled with the most frequently used words that begin with
"CH."
After the second sound is
selected (the "air" sound comprising the short " EH" sound and
the "R" sound), the keyboard shows sounds that follow that
phonemic pattern. In the candidate words presented above the
keyboard, the most frequent words beginning with the "CH" sound
are presented and can be heard by pointing at them. Also, any
words that are completed (such as "chair" at this point) are
moved to the top of the list and highlighted.
Users also are provided a
"replay window" as shown below for the children's keyboard.
Here, the user can see and hear (by clicking on them) the sounds
selected up to that point. When the user selects the "Say It!"
button, the speech synthesizer plays (blends) the selected
sounds in sequence.
In a completed experiment,
children with and without learning (spelling) disabilities were
significantly more accurate in spelling when using the phonetic
keyboard than when using a standard alphabetic keyboard.
Results for adult subjects were very similar.
Smart List Technology ™
"Smart Lists™" Technology (Patent Pending) can
help you type faster and more accurately. Click on the "Y" key, and it "opens
up," showing a list of possible word beginnings. No need to search the keyboard,
search word prediction, or search the application to see where you are in the
word - just pick the option that best shows the way your target word begins!
Advantages of Smart Lists™ When Using
Scanning Input
- Decreased Work (number of clicks
required).
- Increased Typing Speed
- Reduced Visual Scanning and Head
Movement
- Reduced Number of Mental Tasks
Smart List™ Advantages When Using Point &
Click Input
- Decreased Work (number of clicks
required)
- Possibly Increased Typing Speed
- Reduced Visual Scanning and Head
Movement
- Reduced Number of Mental Tasks
- Decreased Motor Response
- Simplified Motor Response
