Computer documentation for the left-handed? (long)

[Jim Venis <jimv%ccmailgw -at- IHS -dot- COM>]

     Dear Colleagues:

     An issue has come up in our software documentation group: how best to
     address the needs, preferences, and sensitivities of left-handed
     users. May I draw on your insights and experiences?


     ---------------------------
     A Little Context:*

     Most people know that signals to the left hand come from the right
     side of the brain. In left-handed persons, the junction between brain
     hemispheres (the corpus callosum) is larger than in the right-handed,
     suggesting that more signal traffic passes between hemispheres. There
     also may be more signal conflict and noise.

     Studies have found that left-handers were 1.5 times more likely than
     right-handers to report that they "always" or "frequently" experience
     confusion in telling their left from their right sides. Left-handed
     children wet their beds longer than right-handed children. Left-handed
     persons suffer sleep disorders 2.5 times as often as the right-handed.
     One-third of children forced to change hands develop socially
     crippling speech impediments.

     Left-handed individuals form 12 to 16% of the human population now,
     though tools from the Stone Age suggest that left-handed users once
     were a majority. Other animals almost never display the side-dominance
     characteristic of humans.

     The left-handed have more accidents than right-handed persons. Most
     household appliances, tools, weapons, etc. are optimized for
     right-dominant users, which probably contributes to the statistic that
     left-handed persons die an average of nine years earlier than
     right-handed persons.

     *  Sorry, I can't cite sources on this information. It came to
        me...well...second-hand.


     ---------------------------
     Some Assumptions:

     @  We want to serve all users as best we can. One out of every
        seven or eight of our computer software and documentation
        users happens to be left-handed. As with any other minority
        segment of our user population, we wish to erect no barriers to
        the comprehension or use of our documents or software, nor to
        offend any user, even unintentionally.

     @  These particular minority users have an inherently more
        difficult time with instructions or procedures that involve
        discerning left from right, for example: "click the left
        mouse button." To complicate this problem, the vast majority of
        instructions and procedures presume right-handedness.

     @  Although each left-handed user has a lifetime of dealing with
        these problems, each also has a degree of sensitivity to the
        left-handed experience that varies from solid awareness to
        outright resentment.

     @  At least until technology evolves past manual interface
        devices, this problem will not go away.


     ---------------------------
     Questions for Your Consideration:

     1. As technical communicators, how can we provide unbiased
        treatment for left-handed users of our products, or at least of
        the product documentation?

     2. As a practical matter, can we address left-handers' special
        needs without unduly hampering the needs of the majority? How?

     3. In computer documentation you've seen--printed manuals,
        reference cards, online help, etc.--how have writers
        addressed the needs, preferences, and sensitivities of
        left-handed users? Would you please provide examples?

     4. What approaches to this problem can you imagine? Can you
        implement them now? If so, how? If not, why not?


     ---------------------------
     Notes in Closing:

     Please don't think this post is a joke--I really do want to know what
     you think about this. My interest is both professional and personal,
     and I intend to use the results, if any.

     If you were wondering, I am cross-dominant, though my dexterities tend
     toward the sinistral.

     Answer in as much detail as you please. Don't feel limited by the
     questions posed above. Anecdotes are welcome.

     Let me suggest that you send responses directly to me <jimv -at- ihs -dot- com>,
     rather than to the list. (This is to help keep the list volume under
     control.) Those who want to know the results can contact me.

     I will appreciate all responses, but those received before October 24,
     1995 will be most useful. If you respond, please indicate your own side
     dominance--I'm curious.


     Thank you, gentlepersons!

     --Jim

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