College Student Broken Wrist - Productivity Tools?

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College Student Broken Wrist - Productivity Tools?

Post by AllMostThere »

Last week DS was involved in a car accident (not at fault) where the steering wheel airbag deployed while he was braking and applying horn. The airbag deployed and broke his writing hand wrist. He is scheduled for surgery next week and will need several weeks for recovery that could last remainder of his 1st semester. He is a college freshman, so he is already experiencing issues with classwork as he cannot type effectively on computer and cannot take any handwritten notes. Majority of his professors are understanding, but he will still need to complete the classwork. I have purchased a portable voice recorder (link below) for recording class lectures, but this assumes the professors will not have an issue with being recorded. He has one professor who is being non-compassionate and may be an obstacle, but we will see come Monday when he attempts to record.

What other productivity tools can we obtain that will help him be more effective in class and with classwork? Any AI or programs that will help with note taking and/or writing papers, etc.? We're not looking for AI recommendations to complete his work, but rather tools that he can use to get his thoughts and responses to paper. He has a 14" Windows laptop that he takes to class, so maybe some apps or programs that can transcribe lectures, and/or allow him to dictate to allow writing papers, etc.? Obviously, something cost effective and user friendly. This is new territory for me, so I am unsure how to make recommendations for him.


Portable Voice Recorder
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09XF2Z12G?re ... asin_title
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UM70
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Re: College Student Broken Wrist - Productivity Tools?

Post by UM70 »

No personal experience in this but I think if you were to search "accessibility" on the school's website there will be an office with people who would have ideas and perhaps even programs to aid students in challenging situations.
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Re: College Student Broken Wrist - Productivity Tools?

Post by livesoft »

I have broken my wrists a few times. Right and left.

I am actually lecturing/teaching this month. I am providing notes to all students in the class in the form of online (digital / electronic) media. This is beyond even text books on the subject matter which are readily available. Motivated students could even give my lectures for me, but the main benefit is probably that during lectures students can ask questions and get answers.

Students pretty much don't take notes anymore and many undergraduates don't even go to class. That written, your son surely has friends that can share any notes that might get taken.

I think your son is probably an adult and can solve this problem on his own. Have you asked him how he is going to solve these issues? I am curious what he has to say.

As for writing papers, my laptop will take my spoken words as input to a MSWord doc (or any other type of document). Also i used my other hand when I had a broken wrist/hand in a cast.
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Re: College Student Broken Wrist - Productivity Tools?

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UM70 wrote: Sat Oct 19, 2024 6:18 am No personal experience in this but I think if you were to search "accessibility" on the school's website there will be an office with people who would have ideas and perhaps even programs to aid students in challenging situations.
Yes, school does have "disability services" but they are falling back on policy rather than helping with suggestions. Rather than using common sense that he is in arm sling with full splint and has emergency room discharge papers indicating he has broken wrist needing follow-up with specialist, they are requiring written documentation from specialist/surgeon on recovery and "recommended" special accommodations from this specialist. Surgeon is unwilling to provide documentation on "recommendations" for special accommodations as they are not in the know either. Unfortunately, time is of the essence for this surgery, and we have been unsuccessful in finding 2nd opinion surgeon that doesn't have multiple weeks wait for appointment. School is unwilling to budge on this requirement nor are they offering suggestions for his success. He is beyond frustrated and between a rock and hard place how to move successfully forward, hence the request for technology recommendations while he works thru this broken wrist. While not understood by him today, this experience will be a steppingstone of perseverance as an 18-year-old young adult with many lessons learned along with the bobbing and weaving needed to be successful.
Last edited by AllMostThere on Sat Oct 19, 2024 6:46 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: College Student Broken Wrist - Productivity Tools?

Post by UM70 »

Here is a list of assistive technologies from a major university. Perhaps this would help. It covers many situations.

https://ssd.umich.edu/article/assistive ... -resources

Wish I knew more about helping, it's a tough spot for someone just starting out. Good luck!
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Re: College Student Broken Wrist - Productivity Tools?

Post by Carson »

I don't have any unique ideas here, but I worked extensively one-handed at points.

For producing his own work, maximize your computer setting to help - turn on predictive text, where it finishes your thought for you. Turn on auto-correct and auto correct grammar.

More importantly, learn to type one-handed. This was a godsend when nursing kids and when my shoulder was immobilized for 8 weeks.
https://www.wired.com/story/tips-type-o ... isability/

There are recording services such as Otter AI and Amazon transcribe that take spoken text and transcribe, or summarize via AI. May be worth a subscription or someone has used them recently.
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Re: College Student Broken Wrist - Productivity Tools?

Post by absolute zero »

He could download one of the many (free) voice recording apps onto his phone. That would be far more convenient (and discreet) than using that dedicated voice recorder gadget.
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Re: College Student Broken Wrist - Productivity Tools?

Post by sailaway »

absolute zero wrote: Sat Oct 19, 2024 8:38 am He could download one of the many (free) voice recording apps onto his phone. That would be far more convenient (and discreet) than using that dedicated voice recorder gadget.
Unlikely to pick up the professor's voice clearly in most classroom set ups.

As someone mentioned, your son should contact the accommodations (accessibility/disability) office and get advice and resources. If a prof refuses to be recorded, they may send someone to take notes, for example. Your son should immediately look at the notes and annotate them according to his understanding of the material, either with the note taker or a friend. They will also have options for taking any tests that may occur while incapacitated.
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Re: College Student Broken Wrist - Productivity Tools?

Post by ScubaHogg »

As far as classroom notes, the traditional answer is to get a copy of a friend’s notes

For writing a paper, voice dictation software has gotten quite good
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Re: College Student Broken Wrist - Productivity Tools?

Post by StevieG72 »

While universities have disabilities services, and can make some accommodations, my experience is it still comes down to individual professors and their wishes.

My kiddo has experienced professors with zero flexibility with genuine conflicts. If my memory serves me correctly my child had to travel for a critical medical procedure and professor would not accommodate any changes to exam date.

While concerning, I am sure your child will adapt and do just fine.
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Re: College Student Broken Wrist - Productivity Tools?

Post by clip651 »

Sorry your son is going through this.

As others have mentioned, he can get notes from other students in his class, in addition to whatever is in the texts/required reading and whatever notes/outlines the professors provide.

I had a badly injured right arm during one semester of college. I learned to take rough notes by writing (poorly and slowly) with my left hand. I didn't take nearly as many notes as before. But I could scratch down a few things I really wanted to remember during while listening to lectures, and then add those to notes from friends. These days, I suspect a student could bring a laptop and take some notes with one handed typing during the lectures. That's likely easier than learning to write with the other hand, and the notes will be easier to read. Another option would be to take some time shortly after each lecture to create notes from memory by dictating them into voice to text software.

I don't honestly recall how I got through handwritten exams. If they were multiple choice I may have been able to mark them with my left hand. Timed handwritten exams may be the place that your son will need the most accommodations from professors.

I'm not familiar with what's available for voice to text software, but there are likely lots of options for that these days for term papers and other typed assignments. Then he would only need to do editing and formatting, which should be manageable with left hand only mousing and typing/keyboarding. Another option for typing papers could be to use other students. A friend might be able to help him out in exchange for some pizza or whatnot, or there might be students who would be happy to act as a typist for some pocket money.

Lastly, if the injury is serious enough, dropping a class might be an option if needed. Perhaps taking a lighter load of classes might be more doable with the injury, especially if he dropped one that was the most challenging physically to complete (based on his injury and the course requirements). I had a different injury later on that ended up forcing me to skip a couple of semesters. It was an unfortunate situation, but I recovered from the injury, went back to school, and finished my education.
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Re: College Student Broken Wrist - Productivity Tools?

Post by alexbogle »

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Re: College Student Broken Wrist - Productivity Tools?

Post by clip651 »

AllMostThere wrote: Sat Oct 19, 2024 6:38 am
UM70 wrote: Sat Oct 19, 2024 6:18 am No personal experience in this but I think if you were to search "accessibility" on the school's website there will be an office with people who would have ideas and perhaps even programs to aid students in challenging situations.
Yes, school does have "disability services" but they are falling back on policy rather than helping with suggestions. Rather than using common sense that he is in arm sling with full splint and has emergency room discharge papers indicating he has broken wrist needing follow-up with specialist, they are requiring written documentation from specialist/surgeon on recovery and "recommended" special accommodations from this specialist. Surgeon is unwilling to provide documentation on "recommendations" for special accommodations as they are not in the know either. Unfortunately, time is of the essence for this surgery, and we have been unsuccessful in finding 2nd opinion surgeon that doesn't have multiple weeks wait for appointment. School is unwilling to budge on this requirement nor are they offering suggestions for his success.
Would the school accept recommendations from another medical professional? Perhaps he could see a GP that would be willing to read his ER discharge papers, examine him, and provide the proper documentation the school is asking for. Or perhaps someone else in the surgoen's office (nurse practitioner, another MD, etc) would be willing to write a note saying he is unable to use his right hand until after surgical recovery of approximately x-y weeks or whatever is appropriate.
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Re: College Student Broken Wrist - Productivity Tools?

Post by Point »

Here is a reference to apple's accessibility page:

https://www.apple.com/accessibility/
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Re: College Student Broken Wrist - Productivity Tools?

Post by Mudpuppy »

AllMostThere wrote: Sat Oct 19, 2024 6:38 am Yes, school does have "disability services" but they are falling back on policy rather than helping with suggestions. Rather than using common sense that he is in arm sling with full splint and has emergency room discharge papers indicating he has broken wrist needing follow-up with specialist, they are requiring written documentation from specialist/surgeon on recovery and "recommended" special accommodations from this specialist. Surgeon is unwilling to provide documentation on "recommendations" for special accommodations as they are not in the know either. Unfortunately, time is of the essence for this surgery, and we have been unsuccessful in finding 2nd opinion surgeon that doesn't have multiple weeks wait for appointment. School is unwilling to budge on this requirement nor are they offering suggestions for his success. He is beyond frustrated and between a rock and hard place how to move successfully forward, hence the request for technology recommendations while he works thru this broken wrist. While not understood by him today, this experience will be a steppingstone of perseverance as an 18-year-old young adult with many lessons learned along with the bobbing and weaving needed to be successful.
Have you spoken with the head of that office about this issue? It could be that some new, front-desk staff member (or perhaps even another student) has no idea how to navigate the paperwork, and is making it seem like it's more work than it actually is. Perhaps all they need from the doctor is something simple like "broken wrist - cannot use hand from XYZ date to ABC date", which a doctor's office should have a template to provide as it's a standard form of medical documentation for a wide array of jobs. I doubt they're asking the doctor to specify the academic accommodations, but they would want the doctor to document the expected length of the temporary disability.

When I was a TA in grad school, the doctor just documented the nature of the disability ("broken wrist - cannot use hand") and the length of the disability (date range), then the office determined the accommodations from their standard template. I can't imagine a university of any measurable size and length of existence that hasn't dealt with broken hands/wrists/arms before. They surely have to have a plan in place for this.

If the director says they are truly wanting the doctor to specify the academic accommodations, go up the chain. Find out who the director reports to and talk to that person. Go all the way up to the head of the institution if you need to do so. You might even have to find a lawyer to write a sternly worded letter about complying with the ADA, which covers temporary disabilities, but I'd consider that a measure of last resort. Usually contacting a high-level campus administrator can get sensibility brought back into a situation.

In terms of technology, for written out-of-class assignments your son would probably best be served by voice-to-text software (lots of those around) to create the assignments. There is also the concept of a hiring a person as a "scribe". That person does the same basic task, but with the ability to ask for clarification on any words that they don't understand, which can help avoid some of the more glaring voice-to-text conversion mistakes that the software still makes. A middle ground between the two is having your son record himself speaking the assignment, using voice-to-text software to get a first draft, and then providing both the first draft and video to an editor to clean up any mistakes the voice-to-text software makes.

For class notes, he can ask his professors for permission to record the audio in class, as a replacement for being unable to take notes. There may also be a classmate willing to share notes. At one of my alma maters, there was actually a note-sharing office in the student union where note-takers could deposit a copy of their notes and other classmates could purchase a copy at a small charge, although that's rare at smaller institutions and not as reliable as asking a classmate directly.

The real problem is accommodations for in-class assignments and exams. When I was a TA, we were not allowed to issue accommodations outside of the ones authorized by the accommodations office. Tenured faculty might be willing to ignore that, but adjuncts, TAs, and the like who are working term-to-term and contract-to-contract might not as it could affect the renewal of their contract. Now, there were grey zones. Like I could say that for this discussion session, we're breaking up into groups where one person from the group is responsible for writing down the entire group's feedback or where groups would report out orally at the end of their discussions. That way, it wouldn't be an accommodation, but rather how the group assignment was structured for everyone.

But that still leaves a major issue when it comes to exams. You need to get formal accommodations in place before exams roll around. That professor "who is being non-compassionate" may be a situation that's less about compassion and more about worry for their own personal future if they violate the rules around accommodations.
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Re: College Student Broken Wrist - Productivity Tools?

Post by baguette »

OP,
Have your son contact the disability office on campus and his professors - he should be asking about getting a note-taker to help him in each class. This is not uncommon for injuries like his, and for certain types of disabilities.
Good luck!
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Re: College Student Broken Wrist - Productivity Tools?

Post by White Coat Investor »

AllMostThere wrote: Sat Oct 19, 2024 5:13 am Last week DS was involved in a car accident (not at fault) where the steering wheel airbag deployed while he was braking and applying horn. The airbag deployed and broke his writing hand wrist. He is scheduled for surgery next week and will need several weeks for recovery that could last remainder of his 1st semester. He is a college freshman, so he is already experiencing issues with classwork as he cannot type effectively on computer and cannot take any handwritten notes. Majority of his professors are understanding, but he will still need to complete the classwork. I have purchased a portable voice recorder (link below) for recording class lectures, but this assumes the professors will not have an issue with being recorded. He has one professor who is being non-compassionate and may be an obstacle, but we will see come Monday when he attempts to record.

What other productivity tools can we obtain that will help him be more effective in class and with classwork? Any AI or programs that will help with note taking and/or writing papers, etc.? We're not looking for AI recommendations to complete his work, but rather tools that he can use to get his thoughts and responses to paper. He has a 14" Windows laptop that he takes to class, so maybe some apps or programs that can transcribe lectures, and/or allow him to dictate to allow writing papers, etc.? Obviously, something cost effective and user friendly. This is new territory for me, so I am unsure how to make recommendations for him.


Portable Voice Recorder
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09XF2Z12G?re ... asin_title
Have him emphasize to his surgeon how useful it would be to be able to type and ask if his splint can be one that allows him to type. I'm 8 weeks into a broken wrist and have been typing the whole time. Different injuries require different splints/casts of course, but you might be surprised. I've been in 3 splints and a cast so far and each one has been easier to type in than the last.
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Re: College Student Broken Wrist - Productivity Tools?

Post by AllMostThere »

WCI, thank you for the splint recommendations. We have had multiple conversations with surgeon on need to have movement of fingers to allow typing. Others, thanks for the multitude of comments and recommendations. These have all been helpful as DS navigates this recent setback.
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Re: College Student Broken Wrist - Productivity Tools?

Post by SimonJester »

I am sorry you son is going through this. My older son also went through a broken writing hand wrist his sophomore year of college. His school provided absolutely NO accommodations because this was a "temporary condition". He tried the tape recorder route as well as a few other things but ultimately his grades suffered so much he had to withdraw from classes.
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Re: College Student Broken Wrist - Productivity Tools?

Post by itaos »

Windows has voice recognition software to use for dictating papers or you can use something like Dragon Naturally Speaking. Trackpads and mice can generally be used with either hand after an adjustment period.

Does the university really not post recordings of lectures online to review afterwards?
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Re: College Student Broken Wrist - Productivity Tools?

Post by nordsteve »

itaos wrote: Mon Oct 28, 2024 5:45 pm Windows has voice recognition software to use for dictating papers or you can use something like Dragon Naturally Speaking. Trackpads and mice can generally be used with either hand after an adjustment period.

Does the university really not post recordings of lectures online to review afterwards?
Get your son a headset with a wired USB connection, it will really improve the quality of dictation.
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Re: College Student Broken Wrist - Productivity Tools?

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itaos wrote: Mon Oct 28, 2024 5:45 pm Windows has voice recognition software to use for dictating papers or you can use something like Dragon Naturally Speaking. Trackpads and mice can generally be used with either hand after an adjustment period.

Does the university really not post recordings of lectures online to review afterwards?
After some research, it appears that Dragon products have the best ratings and accuracy for speech to text software. They also have a hefty price tag of ~ $700 along with the associate learning curve. I was really hoping to find a lower cost, easy to use option, but I am discovering that I am probably looking for a Unicorn. The search continues. :confused
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Re: College Student Broken Wrist - Productivity Tools?

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SimonJester wrote: Mon Oct 28, 2024 11:01 am I am sorry you son is going through this. My older son also went through a broken writing hand wrist his sophomore year of college. His school provided absolutely NO accommodations because this was a "temporary condition". He tried the tape recorder route as well as a few other things but ultimately his grades suffered so much he had to withdraw from classes.
His school is a smaller private university that is highly rated and was a perfect fit for him with the smaller class sizes and specialized instruction. I went to three separate on-campus events with him were they spewed the "we'll take good care of your kids" routine. They are giving him zero accommodations as the surgeon will not provide a written statement of what accommodations are needed. The kid can't write and barely use a computer three weeks later (1-week post-surgery). They are educators and should be making recommendations of what can be done to help him more, but instead they are hands off and let him sink or swim. :annoyed As WCI recommended, his post-surgery cast does allow additional finger movement, and he is trying to use a mouse with very limited success. I have already had the discussion with him that it's okay to drop a class or two this semester if it's needed. He is committed to trying to be successful, but the drop date is rapidly approaching.
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Re: College Student Broken Wrist - Productivity Tools?

Post by Herekittykitty »

Some miscellaneous thoughts:
Does your son know exactly what it is he is requesting and and has he presented his case for getting it? If so, who has he presented his case to?
Does your son have a faculty advisor and if so has he gone preferably in person to ask for the advisor's advice/assistance with the situation?
How about the dean of students? Has your son gone to the dean of students and presented his case and asked for what he needs and for suggestions?
How about you - would it make sense for you to go there and go see the dean along with your son?

Regarding the surgeon not filling out the forms - did your son just send him a stack of forms with nothing filled out on them and without anything letting the surgeon know specifically what your son needs to be able to do that the cast/injury is preventing him from doing and asking the surgeon to write out what your son can't do due to his injury/treatment for the injury and letting them know when he thinks that situation will be resolved?

For example - if your son can't write legibly and at a normal pace - tell the surgeon that (write it out for him and give it to him) and ask the surgeon to say so on the form. Make it quick and easy for the surgeon.

If there is technology that would help your son - I would get it for him. It will likely be cheaper in the long run than failing or dropping classes.
Last edited by Herekittykitty on Wed Oct 30, 2024 7:10 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: College Student Broken Wrist - Productivity Tools?

Post by Mudpuppy »

AllMostThere wrote: Wed Oct 30, 2024 1:04 pm They are giving him zero accommodations as the surgeon will not provide a written statement of what accommodations are needed. The kid can't write and barely use a computer three weeks later (1-week post-surgery).
To repeat my advice above, they are likely asking the doctor to certify the nature of the injury and duration of recovery, not the specific academic accommodations. That was my experience when I was a TA in graduate school. This documentation has little material difference from a modification of duty form that the surgeon's office would provide to an employer, other than perhaps requiring the university's form instead of the doctor's office forms.
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Re: College Student Broken Wrist - Productivity Tools?

Post by clip651 »

AllMostThere wrote: Wed Oct 30, 2024 1:04 pm
SimonJester wrote: Mon Oct 28, 2024 11:01 am I am sorry you son is going through this. My older son also went through a broken writing hand wrist his sophomore year of college. His school provided absolutely NO accommodations because this was a "temporary condition". He tried the tape recorder route as well as a few other things but ultimately his grades suffered so much he had to withdraw from classes.
His school is a smaller private university that is highly rated and was a perfect fit for him with the smaller class sizes and specialized instruction. I went to three separate on-campus events with him were they spewed the "we'll take good care of your kids" routine. They are giving him zero accommodations as the surgeon will not provide a written statement of what accommodations are needed. The kid can't write and barely use a computer three weeks later (1-week post-surgery). They are educators and should be making recommendations of what can be done to help him more, but instead they are hands off and let him sink or swim. :annoyed As WCI recommended, his post-surgery cast does allow additional finger movement, and he is trying to use a mouse with very limited success. I have already had the discussion with him that it's okay to drop a class or two this semester if it's needed. He is committed to trying to be successful, but the drop date is rapidly approaching.
I'm really sorry the school is not being more helpful.

Minor point, but regarding computer use and the mouse - has he made a serious effort in learning to mouse with the opposite hand? Or use a trackpad on a laptop with the non-dominant hand? Or try a trackball mouse (again with the uninjured hand). Sure, it's awkward to mouse with the wrong hand, but it definitely can be done, and it gets easier with practice. You can even go into settings and tell the computer to reverse the right and left mouse button functions if that makes it feel more natural. (I personally mouse lefty due to carpal tunnel on the right, and I leave the right and left click functions in their traditional positions and have trained myself which button to hit for what with right vs left hand.) Hunting and pecking on a keyboard with one hand also gets easier with practice.

For word processing (writing papers and the like), he should be able to manage using a computer one handed, albeit more slowly of course. If he is trying to draw artwork or something with the mouse, then using the non dominant hand would be a bigger adjustment of course.
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Re: College Student Broken Wrist - Productivity Tools?

Post by AllMostThere »

clip651 wrote: Wed Oct 30, 2024 11:41 pm I'm really sorry the school is not being more helpful.

Minor point, but regarding computer use and the mouse - has he made a serious effort in learning to mouse with the opposite hand? Or use a trackpad on a laptop with the non-dominant hand? Or try a trackball mouse (again with the uninjured hand). Sure, it's awkward to mouse with the wrong hand, but it definitely can be done, and it gets easier with practice. You can even go into settings and tell the computer to reverse the right and left mouse button functions if that makes it feel more natural. (I personally mouse lefty due to carpal tunnel on the right, and I leave the right and left click functions in their traditional positions and have trained myself which button to hit for what with right vs left hand.) Hunting and pecking on a keyboard with one hand also gets easier with practice.

For word processing (writing papers and the like), he should be able to manage using a computer one handed, albeit more slowly of course. If he is trying to draw artwork or something with the mouse, then using the non dominant hand would be a bigger adjustment of course.
Luckily, he doesn't have to use the mouse for any drawing or other artistic endeavors. Mostly issues (and pain) with using the mouse for highlight, select, cut, paste, etc. He has tried using the mouse left-handed, but a huge adjustment and exercise in futility. I have forward him your recommendations on changing settings for left-handed mouse, so hopefully this is helpful to him. He is becoming proficient with hunting and pecking on the keyboard with one hand, but 5 words a minute is really slow and frustrating, but he is making do. Thanks for the helpful post and encouragement. :beer
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Re: College Student Broken Wrist - Productivity Tools?

Post by celia »

When one of our kids was in college, a professor in one class said there was a student in the class that needed a copy of lecture notes. If someone is interested in the job, please go to the disability or accessability office to volunteer for the job that will pay you for submitting a copy of readable notes from the lecture. Our kid volunteered for that job and never knew which classmate needed the notes.

Wow--one of many ways to get paid for doing what you were going to do anyway.

As far as the medical paperwork challenge, doesn't the college have a clinic or out-patient office that has a medical professional who would sign the papers needed for the accessibility office? In other words, what would a student do if they broke their wrist on campus? The college must have a referral program to someplace. How about the person who put the splint and sling on your son?
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Re: College Student Broken Wrist - Productivity Tools?

Post by AllMostThere »

Thanks everyone for the feedback and suggestions related to this unfortunate situation. I have provided your feedback to my son on some the tools and follow-up with the university and with the surgeon. Appreciate the assistance. :beer
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funyun
Posts: 323
Joined: Tue Oct 31, 2023 11:07 am

Re: College Student Broken Wrist - Productivity Tools?

Post by funyun »

My friend is a college prof and was informed by their institution this semester that the classrooms will be utilizing AI to assist disabled students by recording and transposing, etc. Might be a good use for AI, to take notes for your kid. No clue if that's something schools are now offering or if it simply gives permission for the kiddos to do that if they wish (and very much no clue what your kid's school might allow)
andypanda
Posts: 2186
Joined: Sun Nov 12, 2017 8:11 pm
Location: Richmond, Virginia

Re: College Student Broken Wrist - Productivity Tools?

Post by andypanda »

https://askjan.org/concerns/State-Assis ... ojects.cfm

"State Assistive Technology Projects

State AT Projects are funded under the Technology-related Assistance for Individuals with Disabilities Act and support consumer-driven state plans for the delivery of assistance technology."

Call for info and see if they have one or more specialists, Occupational Therapists or Rehabilitation Engineers who can make recommendations.
It wouldn't hurt to tell them you aren't looking for funding and free equipment and software, only ideas.


They probably only work with individuals with severe permanent problems, but info is free and typically doesn't require paperwork.
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