Limb Loss
Persona: Victor
Victor, 55, Ukranian, owns a home and runs a small landscaping business. Uses voice control and adaptive keyboards daily after losing his right hand in a combat injury.
About This Condition
The absence of a limb reshapes every interaction with a keyboard, trackpad, or touchscreen. Workflows designed around two-handed input, standard mouse use, or precise pointer control may become unusable without voice input, switch access, or single-handed keyboard alternatives.
Digital Challenges
Multi-key shortcuts, drag-and-drop interactions, and interfaces requiring simultaneous inputs create hard stops for people with limb loss. When voice and keyboard alternatives are missing or untested, entire workflows become inaccessible regardless of motivation or technical ability.
Assistive Technologies
- Voice control
- single-switch access
- keyboard navigation
Design Considerations
Ensure every interaction is operable by keyboard or voice alone. Replace drag-and-drop with button alternatives. Test all critical flows using a single input device and confirm that focus order is logical and complete throughout.
Clinical Examples
Traumatic amputation, congenital limb difference, diabetes-related amputation