The Matias 508 Keyboard™ is a standard desktop keyboard that has been enhanced to allow both one-handed and two-handed touch-typing.
The 508 Keyboard is specifically designed to satisfy the one-handed operability requirement for keyboards, under Section 508 §1194.26 (a)(2).
It offers greater accessibility for disabled users, as well as productivity gains for other office workers. The added convenience of typing with one hand is ideal when using a mouse or telephone with the other hand.
Use either hand – or both. The Matias 508 Keyboard allows one-handed typing using either hand, left or right, or both hands, just like a standard keyboard.
The one-handed typing capability can be switched on or off by the user, as desired, using the “Matias” key.
How does one-handed typing work? The one-handed typing technique used on the Matias 508 Keyboard is very similar to the standard two-handed touch-typing technique. You place your hand where it would normally be if you were touch-typing – that takes care of that half of the keyboard.
To type the letters of the other half, you hold down the space bar with your thumb and do the same finger movement that you would normally do with the other hand. It’s that easy!
Tapping the space bar still types a space. The relative finger movements used for one-handed typing are the same as those used for two-handed typing. So, if you’re already a touch-typist, you already know them. You should be typing one-handed in a matter of minutes.
Comparable skills. The Matias 508 Keyboard allows the same touch-typing skills used for two-handed typing to be used for typing with one hand.
Published empirical research, conducted by the University of Toronto’s Input Research Group, found that two-handed typists adapted very quickly to one-handed typing. Matias’ innovative “skill transfer” design made it possible to achieve average typing speeds of over 34 wpm after only 10 hours of use.
If you’re not a touch-typist, learning one-handed typing will take roughly the same time it would take to learn standard two-handed touch-typing.
Comparable speed. One-handed typing speeds in the 30 to 60 words-per-minute range are easily achievable using the Matias 508 Keyboard. This range is comparable to the performance of most two-handed typists, and more than sufficient for typical clerical tasks.
5 year warranty The Matias 508 Keyboard is built to last. It comes with a 5 year few-questions-asked warranty, but should last much longer.
