Computer Control Equipment

Many of the applications involving computer control equipment investigated, did not require the reading of the screen or keyboard once the system had been learnt, the readout and the keyboard entry became intuitive, learnt.

A company employee interviewed at NP Plastics, Strathaven, reported that he did not have to think about controlling the bar cutting tool computer controller, and that there were not many keys or instructions to follow, he knew intuitively what the readouts were saying, after repetitive use of the equipment. This reaction is due to the automotive system of the brain, reacting to stimulus learnt time and again.

Other computer controlled equipment had been linked to input derived from measurements calculated on a separate computer system, and as such needed no human intervention.

It was therefore decide to limit the research to the office and home environment.

Office Environment

A typical office was reviewed and the applications reviewed as shown below.

    · word-processors
    · spreadsheets
    · accounting systems
    · database
    · of clients
    · registered companies
    · address books
    · diary
    · email
    · internet

Each of the above differed from the computer controlled readouts used on the factory floor, in that no two screens remained the same as the operator continued in their task, entering and reading continually changing data.

For the typist, the text was continually changing with each word, document, letter, no two documents were the same. For the accountants or clerks, references and amounts were never the same and needed constant referral. For a dyslexic, this would pose a problem.

It was noted that a touch typist hardly viewed the screen whilst keying in a document, but allowed the automotive part of her typing ability to transfer the information via the eyes to the hands and thus to the keyboard. But, she was reading the text of the document to type which a dyslexic would find difficult.

An audio typist had no document to transpose and key into the computer, but had speech previously recorded, relayed to her, and her automotive system went from hearing to hands to keyboard. It was noted that the audio typist still used visual modalities whilst typing as she was continually reading and reviewing the text she was typing via the screen, making appropriate amendments as she progressed. Again as above, a dyslexic would find difficult.

It was noted in the office environment I reviewed, each secretary had their own designated computer, and each had set the screen layout to their own preferences, changing the background colour and font size display. Although none had dyslexia, it was found that when moving to a colleagues computer with a different set-up, the secretary did not enjoy the experience.