An accessible keyboard for your desktop

A keyboard is not always practical for entering text. Limiting factors can include the size of the device or the presence of a disability on the part of the user. With the goal of improving barrier-free access, Professor David J.C. MacKay [1] and his doctoral student David Ward developed the Dasher software [2]. Dasher is anchored in the Gnome project and is available as free software under the GNU GPL. Sadly, Professor MacKay passed away at the age of 48 in April of this year. (See also the box "Who Was Professor David J.C. MacKay?")

Dasher is a graphical text input system that makes it possible to use a pointing device to enter text efficiently with uninterrupted gestures instead of relying on a keyboard or a dictation program. Dasher can be operated with an onscreen keyboard, a mouse, or by way of alternatives, such as a mouth mouse or eye control. With a touchscreen, the program is controlled with a finger or pen. Additionally, Dasher can now handle language output, even if the language is different from the preset PC language (Figure 1). A brain-computer interface [8] is planned for the next version of the system.

The software is built into all large distributions. The 5.0 beta version [9] released in March 2016 is the most current, but it has not yet appeared in the distributions. Even so, you can compile this version from the source code [10]. In addition to Linux, Dasher is offered with FreeBSD, NetBSD, Solaris, Android, and Windows. The program can be installed under Linux via the package management for the distribution used.

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