Track balls, keyboards and touch screens all have limitations, but I prefer and have most success with touch screens.   When we used track balls, we had to screw down the holding ring to the unit because our visitors were taking apart the peripheral and taking the balls (Ok, so
they're nice and smooth and make great devices for introspection!).    When we used keyboards, the key covers would disappear, keys would become gummy or sticky, and  the keyboards seemed to be an invitation to "play" the computer like a keyboard OR to "punch" the keys: longevity
became an issue.    The touchscreens we are using currently are on IMACS and seem to work fairly well IF the guest does not move too rapidly over the screen....poor little thing becomes confused!    But our guests - young and old - seem to be less intimidated to use them and the
software and system itself seems more sturdy.    In order to accomodate younger visitors and persons in wheelchairs we have a unit mounted on a protruding "counter" at a height that most wheelchair-positioned legs and laps can move under thereby enabling the guest to move within
touching range of the monitor.



Cheryl Maslin wrote:

> what have other museums done for those folks who have limited physical
> mobility in cases such as this?
>
> -Cheryl Maslin
>
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