Hack Ability » DIY

MacBook Pro Trackpad fixes

Liz Henry — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 21:36:11 +0000

The new MacBook models have trackpads with multitouch, and there’s no separate button. Instead, clicking down anywhere on the trackpad has the effect of a mouse click. Great in theory, but in practice, my thumb rests on the bottom section of the trackpad, ready to click.

Because it’s touching the pad, my mousing is often interpreted as a zoom or pinch! This is beyond annoying, and makes the computer almost unusable — especially for people with disabilities or who might have a bit of hand impairment from RSI. (If you don’t have RSI now, you *will* after trying to use NeoOffice while your trackpad uncontrollably zooms you from 5% to 300% every 5 seconds!)

The MacOSX Trackpad control panel doesn’t allow turning off the multitouch and zoom functions!

Kustaa “Kusti” Nyholm lets us know that The New MacBook Pro Multitouch Trackpad Sucks — and best of all, exactly how to fix the problems.

First get this free beta software MultiClutch from Will Henderson’s blog. Assign zoom and pinch to a relatively harmless keystroke like Command-B, and half the problem is fixed!

Then follow Kusti’s instructions to make a trackpad button cover.

I took a DVD case, regular scissors, a pen and a piece of paper, and scotch tape. In less than 5 minutes, I had a new trackpad “mouse button cover”. It’s fantastic!

The mouse button cover doesn’t have to fit perfectly; mine doesn’t, and it still works. The laptop lid closes normally. I recommend this hack for anyone who has a new MacBook Pro !

Chess piece glued to a button or switch

Liz Henry — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 17:20:40 +0000

If you have trouble pushing a button, like the flat pushbuttons on an elevator, superglue a chess piece to it. This can also work with switches or other controls. Basically, any time you need to extend a control or make it easier to grasp or shove.

This hack was suggested by some guys from the organization Knowbility who were at my Open Source Disability Tech talk at SXSWi 2009. It sounded like they use this hack fairly often to help people with dexterity issues. It struck me as a beautiful and simple hack, very cheap and easy to execute!

Materials: A chess or other knobby game piece with a flat undersurface; superglue.

Duct Tape Crutch Pockets

Liz Henry — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 17:09:04 +0000

Duct tape works wonders!

One of my first hacks as a person with a disability was making duct tape crutch pockets back in about 1997. I had gone from cane to wheelchair to cane again, and then needed crutches over the winter. As I walked from room to room in my house, I wanted a big pocket to carry a book or my paper notebook. These pockets were made from thin cardboard video tape boxes, covered in tape. They’re anchored firmly to the cross bar and the sides of the crutches, so they don’t flop around like some cloth and velcro pockets I’ve seen.

Then a few years ago I posted a photo of the crutch pockets on a blog. It was picked up by Life Hacks. I really enjoyed the way that people who saw these pockets, or heard the idea, had an “aha!” moment. It’s a simple idea, and yet if you haven’t thought of it yet, it’s just not obvious.

What hacks have you made from duct tape?

And do you have crutch pockets you like better? Homemade, or store bought? Let us know in comments.