The Overview of the Computer Keyboard for Blind Users

Hello, readers! It’s Nelson here on the ddt side. Hope everyone is having a great time wherever you are.

Technology has advanced rapidly, changing the way we live and interact with the world. These advances not only affect our lifestyle but also our understanding of technology. Staying updated and adapting to these changes is essential in today’s fast-paced world. For blind users, understanding the layout and functions of a computer keyboard is a vital step in learning how to use a computer efficiently.

This article provides a detailed explanation of keyboard keys, their positions, and their functions. The keys are grouped into three sections: Alphanumeric, Editing and Navigation, and Numpad.

Alphanumeric Section

This section includes letters, numbers, and other commonly used keys. Let’s explore each key in order of their position:

Bottom Row

1. Ctrl Key: Located at the bottom-left and bottom-right corners of the keyboard. It is a modifier key used in shortcuts. For screen reader users, pressing Ctrl stops the speech.
2. Fn Key: Often located near the Ctrl key, it controls hardware features like volume, brightness, or toggling Wi-Fi, especially on laptops. Not all keyboards have this key.
3. Windows Key: Found next to the Fn or Ctrl key. Press it to open the Start menu or use it in shortcut combinations.
4. Alt Key: Found on either side of the space bar. It is another modifier key often used in shortcuts.
5. Space Bar: Located at the center of the bottom row. It inserts spaces between words and can also be used to select checkboxes or serve as an alternative to the Enter key in some contexts.

Next Rows Up

1. Left Shift Key: Located above the left Ctrl key; used to capitalize letters or access the upper symbols on keys.
2. Letter keys Z, X, C, V, B, N, M: These form the bottom row of the alphanumeric section.
3. Comma (,), Period (.), and Slash (/) Keys: Found to the right of the M key. When combined with Shift, they produce the symbols <, >, and ? respectively.
4. Right Shift Key: Located to the right of the slash key; functions similarly to the left Shift key.

Middle Row

1. Caps Lock Key: Situated above the left Shift key; toggles uppercase typing on and off. NVDA users may also use it as a modifier key.
2. Letter keys A, S, D, F, G, H, J, K, L: These form the middle row. Notably, the F and J keys have tactile markers to help position your index fingers correctly.
3. Semicolon (;) Key: Located to the right of the L key. When combined with Shift, it types a colon (:).
4. Apostrophe (’) Key: Found next to the semicolon key.

Top Row

1. Enter Key: Found at the far right of the alphanumeric section. It executes commands or creates a new line in text.

Above the Letters

1. Tab Key: Located to the left of the Q key. It is used for navigation, and when combined with Shift, moves focus backward through items.
2. Letter keys Q, W, E, R, T, Y, U, I, O, P: These form the top row of the alphanumeric section.
3. Left and Right Brackets ([ and ]): Found to the right of the P key. When used with Shift, they type curly braces ({ and }).
4. Backslash (\) Key: Located next to the right bracket key. When combined with Shift, it types the pipe symbol (|).

Above the Tab Key

1. Grave Accent Key (`): Found above the Tab key. When used with Shift, it types the tilde (~).

Number Row

1. Number Keys (1-0): Located above the letters, these keys type numbers. When combined with Shift, they access symbols such as !, @, #, etc.
2. Dash/Minus (-) Key: Located to the right of the 0 key. With Shift, it types an underscore (_).
3. Equals (=) Key: Found to the right of the minus key. With Shift, it types a plus (+).
4. Backspace Key: Located at the far right of the number row; deletes characters to the left of the cursor.

Function Keys

1. Escape (Esc) Key: Located at the top-left corner of the keyboard. It exits menus, closes dialogues, and switches NVDA from focus mode.
2. Function Keys (F1-F12): Positioned above the number row; these keys perform various functions depending on the application.

Editing and Navigation Keys

This section covers keys used for moving around and editing text:

1. Arrow Keys: Found in an inverted T shape at the bottom-right corner. The left and right arrows move the cursor or screen reader focus horizontally. When combined with Ctrl, they read text word by word; with Ctrl + Shift, they select text word by word. The up and down arrows move the cursor vertically, and when used with Shift, select text line by line.
2. Insert Key: Often located above the Delete key; used as an NVDA modifier key.
3. Delete Key: Positioned below the Insert key; deletes selected text or icons.
4. Home and End Keys: Located near the Delete key. Home moves the cursor to the beginning of a line, while End moves it to the end.
5. Page Up and Page Down Keys: Found above the arrow keys; these scroll the view up or down one page at a time.

Numpad Section

The numpad is typically found on the right side of desktop keyboards:

1. Num Lock Key: Located at the top-left corner of the numpad; when activated, the numpad inputs numbers, and when deactivated, it functions as navigation keys.
2. Numpad 0: Usually found adjacent to the right arrow key.
3. Numpad Period: Positioned next to the 0 key.
4. Numpad Enter: Found to the right of the period key; functions like the main Enter key.
5. Numpad Numbers: Arranged in a grid format. For example:
   • Bottom row: 0, period, Enter.
   • Middle row: 1, 2, 3, and the plus sign (+).
   • Top row: 4, 5, 6.
   • Highest row: 7, 8, 9.

Final Thoughts

This article provides a general overview of the computer keyboard, explaining the basic layout and functions of its keys. While listing every NVDA or JAWS combination would take days, this guide should help you understand the essentials.

Feel free to share this article with your friends and start your journey into learning computer usage today. See you in the next article. Until then, take care and have a wonderful day!