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-- Thirty-three percent of respondents said they have trouble typing on a
standard computer keyboard, but only 5 percent said they've made
related adaptations, such as using an alternative keyboard or a voice
recognition program.
-- Thirty percent said they have trouble reading text on a standard
screen, but only 6 percent have made adjustments to the computer
settings such as increasing font size or using screen magnifiers.
"When I was first diagnosed with MS, one of my biggest fears was not knowing how MS would affect me or how to prepare for the challenges of such an unpredictable disease," said Keith, a business transformation analyst in Norwalk, Conn. "Now that I've been living with MS for 14 years, I've learned that there are a lot of adaptive technologies - like voice recognition software and screen magnifiers - that help me pursue the same goals I had before my diagnosis."
Technology on the job
The survey reinforced the important role technology plays in maintaining a professional career:
-- Nearly 40 percent of respondents who are employed agreed that
technology makes it possible for them to keep working with their
disease.
-- Nearly half (44 percent) of respondents have had to change their
employment status, including switching from full-time to part-time or
leaving work altogether, as a result of MS symptoms. Yet very few took
advantage of adaptations that might have helped them remain in the
workforce: only 12 percent asked their employers for more ergonomic
equipment, tools, and furniture, and just 5 percent requested changes
to the technology they use.
Technology connects people
The survey also demonstrated how people wit
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| SOURCE MS Technology Collaborative Copyright©2007 PR Newswire. All rights reserved |