Keyboard Exercises


Keyboard Accessibility

Building empathy for disabled users is an essential part of making inclusive and accessible products. No single exercise can fully capture the experiences of disabled individuals. However, some activities can help increase awareness and understanding. On this page you will find some keyboard exercises. These will show you how a web page can be hard for disabled users to navigate. 

Don't forget, empathy is an ongoing process. It's essential to maintain an open mind and actively seek feedback from users with disabilities to improve your understanding and the accessibility of your designs. You should always refer to accessibility guidelines, such as the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), to make certain your products are inclusive and usable by all. 

When you are finished, be sure to assess your learning by taking the Keyboard Quiz.

Exercise #22: Google Meet

For this exercise, in your next Google Meeting, try using these Keyboard shortcuts instead of using your mouse. This is a very good way to practice keyboard functionality and using alternative ways to navigate your daily activities.

Exercise #23: Keyboard-Only Navigation

For this exercise, the goal is to experience navigating and engaging with a webpage using only a keyboard.

Try using only a keyboard, with the common keyboard controls, to navigate and interact with this website. The most common keyboard controls can be found below:

This exercise should show how users who have limited mobility, dexterity, and other disabilities interact with web content when a mouse is not an option. Be mindful of the overall experience of not using a mouse and where you are at on the page. In what order do things receive focus? 

Exercise #24: Typing

Typing Without Looking

For this exercise, try typing an email or document without looking at your screen or keyboard. 

This exercise shows what it is like for users with visual disabilities who cannot see the screen or use a mouse. Some users with visual disabilities rely on screen readers. Assistive technology like screen readers will often announce the contents through audio.  

Cover your computer screen and try typing without being able to see the keys. 

One-Handed Typing

For this exercise, try typing a short document or email with only your dominant hand. 

This exercise shows what it might be like for someone with limited mobility, such as the use of only one of their hands, to use a keyboard to explore web contents and communications. There are a ton of keyboard alternative options out there.  

Try typing using only one hand for five minutes. This will help you understand the difficulties faced by individuals with amputations, injuries, or other conditions that limit hand functionality.

Optional Keyboard Exercises

Using Voice Recognition Software

For this optional exercise, try using speech input options as opposed to typing with a standard keyboard. This can be done on your mobile device, with a virtual assistant, or using your computer. 

This exercise shows alternative options for users with limited mobility. Some people cannot use a keyboard at all. As technology continues to improve, speech input is also improving, but it only works when content is developed with it in mind. 

Test some speech-to-text software. Windows Speech Recognition or virtual assistants like Siri or Google Assistant are good options. This will help you gain insight into the needs of individuals who depend on voice control due to physical disabilities or conditions like carpal tunnel syndrome. 

Typing With Limited Dexterity

For this exercise, try typing using only a single or two fingers as opposed to how you would typically type. You can tape or bandage fingers together to help with this exercise if you need to. 

This exercise shows what it is like to use a keyboard when you have limited mobility. Control over certain fingers or groups of fingers can affect how someone uses a standard keyboard to type, navigate, or interact with web content. 

Tape or bandage a few fingers together to simulate limited hand movement. Try typing using only the unaffected fingers to experience the challenges faced by individuals with hand disabilities or injuries.