How can I make it easier to use my computer if I have multiple sclerosis?

Computers offer several adaptive programs and devices to make using the computer possible for people with limited physical or sensory abilities such as those with multiple sclerosis (MS), including: Different types of keyboard configurations that allow you to type if you have a limited range of motion. Screen enlargers that enhance the picture from your computer monitor if your vision is limited. Screen-reading software that reads aloud whatever text is displayed on the screen (for example, the newspaper, downloaded from the Internet).

Word prediction software that, once you have typed in the first few letters of a word, fills in a choice of commonly used words or phrases. Features like "sticky keys," which convert two simultaneous keystrokes into two separate, sequential keystrokes on the screen. Voice-activated programs enable you to speak your thoughts directly onto the computer screen, dramatically reducing the time spent typing on a keyboard.

Here are some ways to make it easier to use your home phone if you have multiple sclerosis (MS): Use a phone device that frees your hands during extended conversations. A shoulder rest attaches to a standard phone receiver and allows the receiver to rest on the shoulder, or you might use a headset that looks like a headband with a microphone and earphone attached, or a "big button" telephone with large buttons and raised or enlarged numbers and letters. Look for telephones with a volume control in the receiver and/or "talk-back" devices that repeat the digits aloud after each key-press.

Hands-free phones with built-in speakers and automatic dialing can be fitted with headsets and special on-off switches. Try using a speakerphone or preprogramming your telephone to eliminate the need to dial frequently used numbers. You might find a cordless telephone with speakerphone, speed dialing, and intercom capabilities particularly helpful.

Be sure to try out the buttons of touch-tone phones before buying one -- some are easier to use than others. Also consider the weight and shape of the receiver because they vary greatly from model to model. If you have trouble locating telephones with these features, contact your local phone company's special-needs center.

Cordless telephones allow you to move the telephone to all parts of the room or house; however, they do not work when the electricity goes out, so make sure that you have a hardwired or cell phone for emergencies. An extra-long telephone cord (or installing several telephone jack plugs in convenient locations), will keep your phone within easy reach and eliminate hurried steps. You also can let an answering machine pick up the call, allowing you to screen phone calls or take messages while you rest.

You may be able to use your home telephone as an intercom. Here's how: dial your telephone number, wait for the busy signal, and then hang up the receiver. All the phones in your house will start ringing; when someone in the house picks up the call, you pick up the phone and speak to them.

This "revertive calling" is available (free) in some areas of the country; call your local telephone company and find out if this useful feature is available to you. Use a photo cube to keep your most frequently used telephone numbers handy. Jot down the numbers and slide them into the cube between the sponge and outside of the cube.

The cube is easy to locate, and the plastic keeps the numbers clean.

If you have multiple sclerosis (MS), here are some ways to make it easier to navigate doors and doorways: Replace regular doorknobs with lever handles, or purchase a rubber lever that fits over any standard doorknob. Lever handles are easy to operate -- just push down with your hand, arm, or elbow. Lever handles are available at most home improvement stores.

(Another way to make doorknobs easier to grasp and turn is by wrapping several rubber bands around the largest part of the doorknob to increase its diameter.) If you use a wheelchair in the house, install U-shaped handles on every doorway. Use them to help you pull yourself through the doorway. If the bathroom doorway is too narrow to accommodate a scooter or wheelchair, remove the door.

Replace it with a tension rod and an opaque (or black) shower curtain for privacy. Hanging a couple of colorful beach towels is another inexpensive solution for a temporary mobility challenge. If you need to get around your home in a wheelchair, widen doorways by 1/2- to 3/4-inch by carefully prying off the door jamb strips on one or both sides of the door.

Or, you can install offset hinges that allow the door to swing out and away from the doorway opening, increasing the door opening by 2 to 3 inches. To find out how to purchase offset hinges, contact a hospital's occupational therapy (OT) or physical therapy (PT) department. Keep door hinges well oiled.

If a door scrapes along a rug, plane the bottom to make it open and close more easily. One way to plane the bottom of a door, without the bother of removing it, is to put a large piece of coarse sandpaper on the floor under the door (padding it with newspaper if necessary to create a good contact surface) and then move the door back and forth a few times until it swings easily. Protect your doors from wheelchair scratches by installing a clear plastic, chrome, or brass kick plate at their base.

These are available wherever building supplies are sold or through home decorating catalogs.

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