When you type on a Mac, how attentive are you to the characters your computer spits out? If you touch type, are your fingers aware of the pips that help them find their home on the keyboard?

The Home Row

On a U.S. English QWERTY keyboard layout, typing professionals encourage users to place their eight fingers from left to right on ASDF and JKL;. These eight keys are central to the keyboard and enable most fingers to effectively reach the characters around them.

As far as typing is concerned, this keyboard layout does not necessarily result in the most efficient experience. However, for the purpose of this article, we won’t go down that road.

Orienting Pips

In case you haven’t noticed, keyboards often have a raised dot or dash on the F and J keys. These guide index fingers to know where to land when they seek to return to the home row.

If your fingers aren’t aware of this, they might end up one key off and type something like this:

Ywa, qw xN. LWR’A im doe 11 a.m.

Can you decipher this? It was in response to my request to push back a 10:00 meeting to 10:30 or 11. It took me a moment to figure out that the intended note was, “Yes, we can. Let’s do 11 a.m.”

Custom Locator Dots

If you want to add your own bumps, consider Loc Dots or Loc Dots & Dashes from Independent Living Aids. (Thanks, David, for the lead!) These clear plastic, adhesive-backed pips come in a 6-pack of dots for about $2 or a 12-pack of assorted dots and dashes for about $5.

They serve as “tactile reference points on the keyboard, telephones, washing machine settings, stove, or oven knobs” — or really any appliance where you need a reminder about a specific position or setting.

Do you have a disability that prevents you from easily discovering where on the keyboard to place your fingers? Do you have another suggestion for how to remind them where to go, short of buying a new keyboard?