AbilityNet, a charity providing expertise on computing and disability, has launched My Computer My Way!, a service to educate and inform people across the UK about how they - and people who support them such as IT and HR staff – can customise their computers to suit their individual needs.
Employees who perform keyboard tasks for at least six hours a day increase the chances of potential work-related musculoskeletal disorders.
In many cases, repetitive strain injury (RSI) related symptoms are caused by repetitive movements and fatigue resulting from natural stresses and strains on the body which can often be prevented by adapting their computer setup.
"Everyone using a computer has a different set of needs based on variables such as their height, weight, age and any disabilities they may have, yet the computer that they spend hours on every day may be set up with standard settings, and not use some of the many customisation features that are readily available," said Shuna Kennedy, AbilityNet's CEO.
Employers should be aware of their potential liability for failing to deal with RSI in the workplace.
A few years ago, a court ordered Barclays Bank to pay compensation of £244,000 to a former employee who was forced to give up work as a result of pain in her right hand. Fiona Conaty had worked as a bank clerk and argued that a defective work station caused her to carry out keyboard work with an unsuitable posture.
Her symptoms developed over two years, after which time Miss Conaty was unable to tie her shoes or even comb her hair. She was only 28 years old at the time of the case.
My Computer, My Way! introduces the options available - to Windows users only - that help personalise their computer to visual, physical and communications needs. "Even the simplest of adjustments can make computer use easier for the individual," explains Shuna Kennedy.
Accordingly, the web site explains, for instance, voice recognition options, how to slow down the double-click speed of your mouse and tuning the response time and shortcut options on your keyboard.
The service has been developed by AbilityNet and is supported by Microsoft.
Kennedy concludes, "People don't come in one-size-fits-all packages. My Computer My Way! has been created to make it incredibly easy for everyone, able bodied and disabled, to find their way round the computer adjustments that already exist."