Microsoft Surface Adaptive Kit Box
Unfamiliar keyboards present unique challenges for people who have poor vision (for example from aging, heredity, injury, or disability). Even proficient typists can have difficulty accurately typing on unfamiliar keyboards. Professionals who move between devices, like doctors, nurses, sys admins, and developers find themselves reverting to hunt-and-peck – especially when moving between a laptop and a desktop. The Microsoft Surface Adaptive Kit makes using laptop keyboard (or any keyboard) easier. I’ve been using the Surface Adaptive Kit for 6 months and want to share my tips. If you purchase a kit for yourself or a coworker this guide should help you make typing much easier and more accurate- without interfering with others’ ability to use the device.
The Surface Adaptive Kit is a flexible set of tactile tools. While this guide has suggestions that work for me, you or your coworkers might find ways that work better for you.
I use 3 keyboards daily. I used a single adaptive kit for all 3 keyboards.
My most difficult transition is between a full size keyboard and my Surface keyboard. I placed stickers on the most difficult to find keys:
This is a picture of my Surface Laptop, I use it in meetings, when I travel, or when I want to work anywhere.
Image of a Surface Laptop 4 marked with Surface Adaptive Kit
I have two full sized keyboards I use on a daily basis. These don’t require the same labeling as my Surface because the keys tend to be shaped different.
This is a mechanical keyboard I use when my Surface is docked. I consider this my primary keyboard.
Image of a Mechanical Keyboard Laptop 4 marked with Surface Adaptive Kit. Keyboard does not have a num pad, and is marked with an X on the Capslock key and a dot on the "C" key
This is a high visibility keyboard I use with a desktop I use for personal use.
Image of a High Contrast Keyboard Laptop 4 marked with Surface Adaptive Kit. Keyboard does not have a num pad, and is marked with an X on the Capslock key and a dot on the "C" key
Anyone who can benefit from tactile guidance on key locations can benefit from the kit.
In particular, if you often work with gloved hands, or work on multiple keyboards and have to hit specific combinations it would probably benefit you to mark those keys. Above I outlined my use of the Magnifier keys, but you could mark keys you often use for industry specific software (ex: EMRs, IDEs, Excel).
In summary- if you’re reading this you’d likely benefit from the Surface Adaptive Kit. If you find yourself using a keyboard that someone else has marked with an Adaptive Kit I doubt you’ll find the labels to be a problem. In fact, I think the first time you use a keyboard that has been marked you’ll find it much easier and never want to go back!
Make sure your keyboard markers are consistent between keyboards. This might seem small but the ability to jump between keyboards will dramatically decrease the context switching time required when you come back to any keyboard- keeping you productive and speedy- regardless of your vision.
Only mark the keys that make you productive. The Adaptive kit comes with many markers. I was tempted to mark every row with some keys, but I found that marking just what I needed helped make the marked keys stand out. On my Surface I marked 0,-,+ even though they are next to each other because when I need to hit any of those keys I don’t want to “scan” across the keyboard. Contrast that with the 6 key- where a half second delay in finding the key won’t is acceptable.
There are many ways to use the Adaptive Kit. This guide shows alternate ways to find keys, how to use the port finders (to make it easier to find ports), and openers (to make it easier to open a device lid).
You must be a registered user to add a comment. If you've already registered, sign in. Otherwise, register and sign in.