Enhancing email text production for users with motor impairments

People with motor impairments who use a switch device to interface with computers have poor access to affordable software for email communication. The MultiMail email package was developed with government support to provide email access solutions for these users and for others with a range of disabilities. In this paper, the development of accessible on-screen keyboards and a word prediction program which facilitates email text production is discussed. Technology solutions were informed by people with disabilities through focus group and survey data. The resulting cross-disability design of MultiMail provides innovative and cost-free solutions to email text production.