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Equipment and workstation

There are a number of way in which you can adapt your equipment, workspace and work habits for your accessibility needs.

Find out more below about:

Optimum environment and equipment set up 

Ergonomic and workstation health and safety is key to supporting effective digital accessibility. 

Ergonomics is the science behind how we interact with our work/study environment. It can help prevent injuries and limit secondary injuries as well as accommodate individuals with various disabilities, including those with Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI) and musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). 

DSE assessment

A DSE assessment is an assessment of risks associated with the use of Display Screen Equipment (DSE) such as computers, laptops, tablets, and other display screens at work. It is essential for anyone who uses display screen equipment as part of their job and the guidance provided is also relevant to anyone using DSE in a personal setting (including students). Check for details:

Desktop settings

Check the guidance for adjusting your settings, refer to our How To guides:

Also refers to our list of assistive software technology which includes programmes to help with visual displays (colour overlays and zoom options).

Ergonomic equipment testing and loan scheme

If you want some advice on ergonomic equipment or wish to try out a different kind of keyboard, mouse or other assistive technology, please contact the Disability Accessibility Technologist/Support Officer - digitalaccessibility@ucl.ac.uk.

For staff, we have a range of equipment available for short-term loan to "try before you buy". 

Useful resources

Check Posturite advice sheets for guidance on healthy working habits, including useful tips on ergonomics, posture, healthy working from home and other health-related topics.

There are many types of hardware that can support digital accessibility, from basic acrylic sheet magnifiers through to portable CCTV devices. You can view a selection on the links below:  

  • Sight and Sound Technology - provider of hardware and software for the blind, visually impaired and those with learning and reading difficulties  
  • RNIB Shop - equipment for the blind and partially sighted 
  • Posturite - DSE assessments, ergonomic product provision, training and consulting

Managing the time spent on your computer 

For Windows and Linux 

Students and staff can download the free Workrave software onto their own laptops or home computers. 

This program has been specifically designed to remind the User to stop working on their computer, after a certain amount of time has elapsed, and to do some exercises by following a screen avatar. Workrave can be configured to the user's own requirements and there are clear instructions on how to do this (including screenshot) on the Workrave website.

This is also available on Desktop @ UCL under: Start > Programs > Software S-Z > Workrave 

For Macintosh 

Time Out (Break Reminders) is available free from the Apple Store.

Reducing Mouse Usage 

Keyboard Shortcuts 

There are a huge number of keyboard shortcuts that can be used in any Windows program many of which you may well already know, i.e. [Ctrl+B] for 'bold'. You might find the following links useful: 

Sticky Keys (Windows) 

This is a name given to a setting that can be done within the Windows/Mac environment which allows the User to press one key at a time for "combination keys" such as [Ctrl+b], [Alt-f] or [Ctrl+Alt+Del]. 

Sticky Keys is particularly useful if you are suffering from RSI when using a mouse. If you want to use a keyboard shortcut but find it difficult to hold down two or three keys at the same time, Sticky Keys makes it easy.

Digital Accessibility Hubs