Cursor Assistance

Software techniques that modify cursor behavior to make pointing and clicking easier for users with motor impairments. Cursor assistance encompasses a range of approaches including enlarging the effective target area (area cursors, bubble cursors), making targets "sticky" so the cursor gravitates toward them, freezing the cursor during clicks to prevent slipping, filtering out unintentional movements, and adjusting cursor speed or acceleration. These techniques can be applied at the operating system level to benefit all applications without requiring changes to individual programs. Research has shown that different types of cursor assistance address different phases of the pointing-and-clicking interaction cycle, and combining multiple techniques can address all major sources of mouse errors for users with motor disabilities.