A mouth controlled joystick is designed and positioned so that the user can operate it with their mouth or chin. Moving the mouth, head or chin controls the position of the cursor on the screen. Clicking can be achieved by making a sipping or puffing action with the mouth.
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Workplace solutions and adjustments
Mouth controlled joysticks enable people with a disability such as quadriplegia to use a computer independently.
Mouth controlled joysticks are often used in conjunction with other computer software such as:
Mouth controlled joysticks 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:
References
AbilityHub (no date specified), “Sip-N-Puff”, mouth controlled joysticks, AbilityHub, Vermont, viewed 11 March 2011, http://www.abilityhub.com/mouse/joystick.htm.
Hutchinson, L. & Jack, M. 2006, Mouth Controlled Joysticks, Ability Technology, Sydney, viewed 11 March 2011, http://www.spectronicsinoz.com/downloads/reviews/Mouth-Joystick-Comparisons-2006.pdf.