Tool customises computer programs

Nearly every modern computer program has a graphical interface that is implemented using some form of user-interface toolkit. These toolkits provide libraries of widgets and associated frameworks that reduce the time, effort and amount of code required to implement interfaces in computer programs.

Although such toolkits provide many important advantages, they create significant challenges for developers who would like to modify a program’s user interface to make it more accessible to those with disabilities.

A variety of target-aware pointing techniques exist that could make many interfaces easier for people with muscular dystrophy, Parkinson’s disease, cerebral palsy or other motor-control disabilities. One such tool - the bubble cursor - highlights the button closest to it, making it easier for people with disabilities to click a button without having to hit it dead on.

But, despite the promise of such interaction techniques, they are not commonly available in widely used applications. The reason for this is that they are not supported by the existing toolkits. Forgaty’s Prefab tool, however, does allow developers to add such pointing techniques to existing interfaces independently of the toolkits that have been used to implement them.