About Switches

Clipboard has been designed with switch users in mind; however, touchscreen, mouse, keyboard, joystick and any other users are more than welcome to use the software too!

What is a Switch?

A switch is a specialised button that enables physically disabled individuals to engage with a switch-adapted toy, or technological devices (for example: a desktop computer or a communication device. They can be activated by any body part and come in lots of different shapes and sizes.

How to use a Switch?

To use a switch, you will need a way of connecting it to the device you are using. This can be wirelessly (i.e. Bluetooth) or wired, using a Joy Cable or similar. Clipboard is ‘plug and play’, so once the switches are connected to the device, you will be able to use Clipboard. *Please note: for some switch accessible software, you will need Switch Driver 6 to be installed.

Clipboard Access Modes

• Access Modes – the way that the switches control the software (types of access modes include: press and hold, timed and scan and select)

• Press and Hold – the clip will play while the switch is being activated; the clip will pause when the switch is released

• Timed – a switch press will play the clip for the set ‘play time’. The clip will then pause and require another switch press to resume playing.

• Latched – a switch press will start the clip, another switch press will pause the clip

• Autoscan – the scan time will be set and this will determine how quickly the options are scanned over. A timed switch press is required to select the desired block.

• Scan and Select – The ‘scan’ switch will scan through the blocks; the ‘select’ switch will select the desired block. (this may also be referred to as ‘move and choose’).