What do selecting an internet link, liking a Facebook post, or opening a program have in common? You click the mouse to make it happen. For some individuals the ability to click a mouse may be greatly reduced because of a Repetitive Strain Injury, or no longer a viable option because of a physical difficulty. The task of clicking a mouse can be done differently with the help of dwell clicking.
Dwell clicking does the clicking for you by hovering over the area you want to click and having a software program do the clicking. Options that are present with dwell clicking software include dwell time, the amount of time the mouse sits on the item before clicking, and target area, the predetermined area the software recognizes. Dwell clicking is also an option for those using an on-screen keyboard for character entry
Just like most software there are open source, free, and also pay solutions. Below are examples of both types.
Sensory Software International Ltd.- Dwell Clicker 2
Polital Enterprises, LLC- Point-N-Click
Gentle Computing, LLC- Gentle Mouse
It is estimated that the average number of mouse clicks a person completes on a computer per day is 427. Reducing clicks may make using the computer easier, more enjoyable, and most importantly possible for those who cannot click by traditional means.
Did you know that you can eliminate the frustration of double clicking to open a file or document? The option to open items with a single click is available on all Windows computers. You can do this by simply going to:
- Start menu
- Control Panel
- Folder Options
- Select “Single-click to open an item”