There was a time when I used to play a lot driving and racing games on my computer and I had a lot of fun playing them. I was never really that good at driving the cars but even crashing them and flipping them over was fun in itself. The difficulty came when I started having trouble using the keyboard to play. I solved that for a while with a gamepad with dual analog joysticks but after a while that type of controller stopped working for me as well due to the weakening of my hands and the tightness in their tendons.

I pretty much gave up on the racing games and focused on things I could play with my mouse. While there are plenty of games that work with only a mouse, none of them were in the driving genre that I have enjoyed the most. The solution I have found not only works for driving games but also first person shooters and most other genres of video games.

A few weeks ago I started thinking about trying to find a way to resume playing driving games on my computer by using just a mouse (and by mouse I mean my SmartNav head mouse). I had heard about joystick emulators in the past that can be operated by a mouse but I hadn’t put much thought into it until now. After doing a web search I came across a program called PPJoy that allows you to use your mouse a proportional joystick. When paired with another program called GlovePie you can then bind mouse buttons to buttons on the virtual joystick. I thought, “Perfect, this will work!”

However, it was not working out for me because PPJoy is not easily compatible with my 64-bit version of Windows 7.  To get it working you have to put Windows 7 64 in an unsafe test mode so the unsigned drivers will install. To make it worse every time I tried to even download the program my anti-virus program mistakenly thinks PPJoy is a Trojan horse computer virus and would remove it immediately. Anyway, I made the changes to Windows and disabled my anti-virus program to install it and I couldn’t figure out how to set it up with GlovePie. I was uneasy with leaving my computer at risk for the sake of playing a game so I removed the software and reverted my computer back to normal. If you have  a 32 bit version of Windows 7 or an earlier version of Windows like XP or Vista then PPJoy and GlovePie may very well work for you but just know that it is not easy to set up.

After I gave up on PPJoy, it occurred to me that maybe I had gone about this all wrong. Most of the driving games can be controlled by a keyboard which is not a proportional joystick-like controller. So I searched for a keyboard emulator that could be operated by a mouse and in no time at all I stumbled upon a program called Alt Controller created by a guy for the exact purpose I was looking for and the best part is, it is freeware and completely compatible with nearly all versions of Windows.

I thought I would give Alt Controller a try with the demo of Need for Speed: Most Wanted I had downloaded. Alt Controller hand a profile for this game already which is great. By default it was only setup for just turning and accelerate and brake. But after studying the program I have added the ability to control every part of the game. Alt Controller works by creating invisible hotspots on the screen that activate a key on the keyboard when you hover the cursor over each particular hotspot. You can also assign mouse buttons to activate other keyboard keys. After Alt Controller was set up the way I wanted it, I gave it a try and it works great. After several tweaks I am able to play the game with no limitations. Well… that is to say no physical limitations, I‘m still not a good driver but there are still the awesome crashes and flips!

To learn more about Alt Controller, see it’s official web page on SpecialEffect's accessible GameBase.

I browse through the catalog of e-books on Amazon.com, find a book I want and download it to my kindle reader on my PC. In a matter of seconds, the book is on my computer and ready to be read.

It is so convenient, and for a person with a disability, like me, it makes reading a lot easier. I don't have to ask someone to get a book out of the bookshelf for me, and since I can no longer turn the pages of a book, the click of the mouse, or in my case a hands-free mouse, is all it takes to turn pages. If not for e-books, I would have to listen to audio books or have someone read to me. Listening to audio books can be enjoyable, but it is not the same as reading the written word on a page.

Though e-books are a great benefit to me and many others, I still miss the old-fashioned book. I remember going to the book store, perusing the stacks and buying a pile of books. The alluring smell of new books filled the store. I recall the crack of the spine of a new book as I opened it for the first time, and the sound of pages flipping as I moved through the book. The sight of various books filling a bookshelf was always a pleasant sight and much preferable to a shelf of knick-knacks.

I enjoyed going into used bookstores and looking for low-priced treasures and coming out with a bag full of books. The dusty smell of old books reminded me of neglected relics of the past. Or going to the library and roaming through the stacks and being overwhelmed with so many choices of books to check out. There were so many ways to interact with books.

I look at my once crowded bookshelves, and now see a paltry selection of books. It's like losing friends. Books were a tangible thing that could be touched, held, smelled. An e-book is a file on a computer, which you interact with in a more sterile way.

Though I may miss these things, I have learned to embrace this new technology. Without it, I would be unable to continue my love of reading.

It’s not a surprise that finding fulfilling hobbies is a challenge for those of us with severe mobility impairments.   This August marks a year since I took the giant leap into the world of digital photography.   I took this leap not only because of my desire to become a well rounded journalist but for a recreational outlet as well.

The most difficult part of this  process was finding suitable  adaptations so I could  operate the camera with as little assistance as possible.  I first started by tackling how I could activate the shutter of the camera when I wanted to take a picture.

I first ordered a remote shutter release from Nikon.  This would have enabled me to push a button to take a picture but it turned out not to be that simple.   My hand strength unfortunately wasn’t enough to make this work.    I then resorted to searching the net for other options and I stumbled across something perfect for my needs.

I found a company in Arizona called Conceptus and they specialize in skydiving photography equipment.   They have a product called the  Bite Switch and it allows the user to activate the shutter by simply biting down.   The owner sent me a complimentary switch and it’s what I’ve used ever since.

Now that my shutter issue was solved, my next step was to find something that I could mount my camera to.   I visited my local camera shop and checked out the professional tripods they had in stock.   Luckily I found one that not only held the camera in a variety of positions but also allowed me to drive my chair up to it.   I was now setup  to begin my work as an amateur photographer.

My total immersion into photography took place last February when I enrolled in a photojournalism class.  This class was great because it taught me the technical skills needed to capture great images.   The class also required us to  get out shooting in the world around us.  The variety of assignments really tested me but the hardest part was walking up to total strangers and asking if I could photograph them.   Most people were gracious and cooperative but a few wanted no part of being on film.

The class ended with a final project where we had to cover a subject in great depth.  My choice was to follow the life of a local glass blower.   I not only covered the entire glass blowing process but I also included his life as a family man.   It was great fun taking pictures of his active boys who were 1 and 6 years old.   The project was quite involved but it helped me secure a B in a very challenging class.

Since taking this class, confidence in my photography has increased and I’ve had a couple opportunities this summer to do some photo shoots.   This fall,  I’ll be taking a multi-media journalism class and this should be a great chance to put my skills to use in a professional setting.   I couldn’t imagine being at this point when I  started this journey one year ago.

I have learned a very valuable lesson in this whole experience.   That lesson is that even though I have a severe disability, it doesn’t mean I can’t push the envelope in what’s possible.   There are so many people that are quite surprised to see me taking pictures and yes I suppose it is a bit of novelty to them.  I just smile and think I’m just glad to be doing what every other photographer does.