Head controls can enable total hands free use of a computer. They allow the computer user to control mouse functions using only head movements.
Head controls vary from a small dot placed on the forehead to a larger unit extending from the jaw, each interacting with a sensor placed on the computer that detects each movement of the user’s head and translates this into the movement of the cursor on the computer screen. Many types of head controls can also be linked to a switching system.
Workplace solutions and adjustments
Head controls enable people with disability such as those with high level spinal injuries or cerebral palsy to use a computer independently.
Head controls are often used in conjunction with other computer software such as:
Head controls can also be used in conjunction with environmental control units to allow a person with disability to control the environment around them. Switching on and off the lights and answering the telephone are some examples of this:
References
Ability Technology (no date specified), Head Controlled Pointing Devices, Ability Technology, Sydney, viewed 11 March 2011, http://www.ability.org.au/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=126:head-controlled-pointing-devices&catid=45:computer-access.
EnableMart 2010, Head and Eye Input, Manufacturers Resource Network, Utah, viewed 11 March 2011, http://www.enablemart.com/Catalog/Head-Eye-Controlled-Input.