Left-Handers in SocietyLeft-Handers in Society
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E M P L O Y E R S |
purpose of page | employers | product
design | misc comments
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e m p l o y e r
se m p l o y e r
se m p l o y e r
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The bottom line: clear a healthy profit. Taking
care of your workers helps you achieve maximum profit: helping them
function at maximum efficency and keeping them free from injury are
basic strategies for good business. Talk to your employees, listen
to them, find ways you can work together to improve the work
environment for left-handers and ambidextrals.
Where can you buy left-handed equipment? A left-hander
on-line maintains a long list of
resources.
b a d e x p e r i e n c e s . .
.
"My husband has a problem at his job. He is being discriminated when he can't keep up on a [manufacturing] machine. He has been written up for not keeping up with the [equipment]. Is there any way to give him some help in dealing with this? He is getting very depressed. He has been trying to explain that some parts are set up for right-handed people, but they don't seem to understand. I'm getting very concerned. I don't want him to lose his job."a d v i c e . . .
Anonymous, USA
I would be pleased to discuss this directly with you, if you will provide your e-mail address."There have been cases in military and police units where left-handed soldiers and officers have been forced to wear their service weapons on the incorrect side. This obviously puts them at increased risk. [see also "firearms"]"
One of the reasons for this page is to inform employers of the difficulties, dangers, and sometimes unreasonable demands placed on left-handers who must work with right-handed equipment. If speed of performance is already an issue, and the explanation of intrinsic mechanical bias has already been broached and ignored, you might consider obtaining a formal letter from a handedness expert and/or a kinesiologist, to help lend further support to the mechanical bias explanation. If the employer could be timed on this equipment, using his/her non-dominant hand, the problem of bias might quickly be made relevant! I advocate making employers aware of these problems, with the hope that reasonable people can find solutions and compromises to problems. However, if all else fails, there is always legal recourse. Discrimination against left-handedness is no different from discrimination based upon ethnicity, gender, or religion. The American Civil Liberties Union might be able to offer some advice. Coren (1992) cites a legal case in which the plantiff was injured by a hazardous machine part. In Campo vs. Scofield (1950) the court ruled that a "concealed danger" or "latent defect" is grounds for establishing liability. Under certain circumstances one might argue that right-handed bias in machinery is a source of concealed danger. There may also be other legal precedents of which I am unaware.
M.K. Holder
Jim, USA
What a truly bad idea. If you know for certain that this is occuring in a specific police department or military unit, let's post a contact NAME and ADDRESS on this page, so that concerned citizens may send letters suggesting that officers could serve us better with their more skilled hand! This is a serious yet simple problem that might be corrected by educating the responsible authorities, reinforced with public/media outcry.
M.K. Holder
"In discussing being left-handed with my co-worker, he mentioned that the military was very poor in relation to tools, equipment and especially, weapons. They are all built and designed for right-handed folks."
John Bruce, Maui, Hawaii, USA"I have found that in my brief work experiences, all of my employers are biased towards righties. My encounters with computer specialists have been horrible, since they give me grief about things such as changing the mouse and rearranging the desk. It would be really nice if I could function in a way that is best for me! "
Anonymous, USA"I am a left-handed secretary. I can adapt to keyboards and use a mouse on the left or right hand side, but in my line of work employers expect employees to conform painfully. They sometimes react negatively to me being left-handed because when I am typing copy has to be place on a different side of the keyboard for me to read it. I have been told that I "look awkward" writing with my left hand. It would be nice to be left-handed in a field where it is seen as a plus, such as music, art or writing, but even left-handers have to earn a living. Bosses, be nice to your left-handed secretaries. If you need a creative problem-solver, look no further than a left-handed secretary."
Anonymous, IRELAND
Among knowledgeable and reasonable people, it is your boss who appears socially "awkward".
M.K. Holder
"I would like to echo the comment about the bias in a computer work environment. When I asked my desk to be switched around to accommodate my left-handedness, the Operations Dept. thought I was nuts, but I felt off balance with the way it had been configured. Also, we just got brand new PCs, complete with an ergonomically designed Microsoft mouse that is completely disfiguring to a leftie -- I got cramps within the first hour! Our kindly Computer Support Manager tried to order a leftie mouse for me, only to be told that they aren't made anymore. That is really disappointing, because it indicates that my fellow lefties are not insisting on equality in tools. So righties get better and better equipment while we are "left" to try and cope with it once again."
Sharon S., USA
g o o d e x p e r i e n c e s . . .For practical advice for specific problems, check the Lefty Tips page or the index.
"I'm a systems analyst for a major American railroad. Whenever I am forced to move to a new cubicle, I always insist one that is set up for a left-hander, no matter how difficult it can be to arrange. Anyone who comes in and wishes to use my computer freaks when they see the mouse and pad on the left side, but I make them keep it there. The interesting thing is that I have a similar arrangement at home, but my right-handed wife and ambidextrous four-year-old have learned to adjust to it -- in fact, my wife says she wouldn't feel comfortable using it in a right-handed fashion."
J.S. Morris, USA"I have found that some employers are sympathetic to us "leftys". The grocery store chain that I currently work for actually thought about installing left-handed cash registers with the keyboard and drawers on the left side. They eventually decided it would be too costly but I thought that it was encouraging that they even thought about it."
Jeremy, USA"As a left-handed carpenter, I don't know how many boards I've cut wrong because I had to use a right-handed tape measure. However, my boss took advantage of my left-handedness and gave me the left-handed nailing jobs. One of the more interesting books I've discovered on the subject is Dragons of Eden by Carl Sagan."
Jim Gregory, Colorado, USA
m o r e
c o m m e n t s for e m p l o y e r
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"Recently, while remodeling our kitchen,
I found out that the consumer that is left-handed must be more
demanding when purchasing their appliances. The saleperson made it
as difficult as possible on my insistance for a left-hand
counter-top stove. I don't like being demanding, but I was made
to feel like I had to settle for what was offered and then pay for
something I really did not want. I finally have the kitchen layout
for a left-hander. Now all I have to do is be home long enough
to use the kitchen."
"United Parcel Service recently offered a
book to their customers to allow for package entry. Except for
writing down the weight of the package, this book requires the user
to enter the information all within 2.5 inches of the spine. Of
course the spine is on the left side of the book. This has caused
some problems, but the cure that I have found (so far) is to turn
the book upside down and write in the information (upside down). I
am expecting a call from UPS any day now. I am as mad as hell that
they did this."
"After a lifetime of wrestling with
objects such as right-handed cheque books and cabcharge books
I now turn them upside down and re-edit the format as necessary
to suit my requirements. When comment is made I reply that I will
use them in the conventional (to right-handers) when I am
supplied with left-handed books. I'm still waiting for user
friendly books."
"Attention to all the
banks of the world that still have pens chained to
the righty side of the teller windows! I, as well as many lefties,
have a hard time writing with these pens, especially, since most
tellers are reluctant to let us borrow their unchained pens. It may
seem trivial to you but after waiting in line for my entire lunch
break, the last thing I want to do is wrestle with a pen and
chain."
"Please stop charging us extra for
left-handed items!"
"We need the same things as the
right-handed people do. But at the same price.
Scissors, rulers, mugs, computer keyboards, anything..."
"Please make sporting equipment for
left-handed people. It is really hard to find golf equipment,
of the same quality as made for right-handed people,
in either component parts or pre-made sets."
"I am a HVAC tech and I would like to see
lefty power tools, especially hand saws. Using them is dangerous
and you would not belive the number of left-handers in my field
and other related fields"
"The product I, as a left-hander, have
found most dangerous is the typical portable drill
with a power-lock button. If the bit jams, the handle of the
drill rotates into my hand and locks the power on. By the time I
can react, I usually have a wrenched wrist, a broken bit, and a
damaged work piece. This problem has a simple solution: Recess the
button."
"I have had major problems with
soup and punch ladles, can openers, knives, ice cream
scoops, etc. In elementary school when I worked in the
lunchroom I could never serve the mashed potatoes because this
required using one of the "right-handed" scoops. I am
so grateful for stores that sell left-handed supplies; I just
wish they were more accessible. Why can't you run to Wal-Mart
and buy a lefty ruler with a righty ruler? I was very lucky to find
a store that sells spiral notebooks bound on the right side. Now I
want a day planner. Come on, Franklin
Quest!!!"
"My current pet hate is computer drawing
programs which have the drawing tools angled "/", and no
way of changing them to "\". This makes accurate drawing
very difficult. Microsoft has introduced this laterality in the
Windows 95 Paint program. I have written to JASC about
PaintShopPro, but this problem applies to all programs. At least
10% of their customers are lefties.... And why are touchballs
always on the right side of keyboards and laptops?
"
"I'm a computer programmer, and I have
problems with the right-handed computer keyboard. I'd love to
have a keypad on the left instead of the right, like Apple used to
make, only for a PC. I have found that an Alps Glidepoint mouse is
useful for taking some of the load off the right hand, but arrow
keys would be even nicer."
"Why aren't there more computers out there
geared toward the the left-hander? The disks go in on the right
side, the numbers that are of to the side of the main keyboard are
located on the right-hand side, and even the arrow keys are
located on the right-hand side... The left-hander needs the
keyboard to be rearranged to accommodate the left-handed person
for comfort."
"Computer joysticks should be
left-handed as well as right-handed or like
reversable."
"If 10% of the population is
left-handed then why aren't 10% of products manufactured
left-handed. I'm 14 and all my life I've had to purchase some
left-handed products for much more if they even have them.
Baseball gloves, Batting Gloves, golf clubs, rifles, shotguns,
notebooks, computer equipment, knives, and fishing equipment. I
don't use or have all of these but what if I want them. When I was
young, my grandfather used to tell me I was special because I was
left-handed. In the military he was forced to use his right
hand. In school if people say anything to me I say a few choice
expletives and continue smearing my hand in the ink."
"Don't forget about firearms, few of which
can be operated well by left-hand, left-eye dominant
persons. Even many that are proffered as "ambidextrous"
in operation still eject hot gas, particles, and hot brass or
shells into your face or across your line of sight. One
manufacturer (Ruger) takes positive steps to supply lefties with a
good selection of sporting arms -- they even feature them
in advertisements! Most, however, dismiss us as insignificant
-- something they wouldn't dare do to other minorities!
[see also "military &
police job discrimination"]"
"My only wish is that
manufacturers provide better tooling for lefties. I have nearly 20
years in electronics assembly, and alot of businesses just now are
getting ergonomically correct. Proper tools for the job and
employee's abilities are key here. People need to recognize the
creative inspiration that most lefties have to express to feel
valued and appreciated. I feel strongly that way myself."
"I would like my comments brought to the
attention of educators who teach ten-key adding machines and to
manufacturers of said machines. I'm a left-hander who has been
taking a Business Math class. Most of the semester has been okay.
But I absolutely hate taking the ten-key tests that we are
required to do! The ten-key instruction book barely mentions
lefties, and does not give us any special guidance for the machine
(which I am in need of -- my grades for the ten-key
tests stink!) My name is Gail Anderson and my e-mail address
is: anders1@hub.ofthe.net Feel free to e-mail
me."
"This is about spiral notebooks, planners,
etc. I like them but since I'm a lefty, I have to bend my hand in
such a form that the wrist is at the spiral itself, so my hand can
get past it. Then I have to somehow bend what's left of my hand so
make something legible. I think that you could make a part of your
line of writing supplies open on the right because it truly is
uncomfortable, and left-handers, though a minority, are very
much existant."
"I would like to make a suggestion for
desk manufacturers. I am 12 years old and in junior high. I can't
stand using the desks for they are right-handed desks with the
bar on the right I would really like you to make a leftie desk with
the bar on the left side. It is a real pain to have to turn myself
so my arm is on the desk instead of hanging off into the open air.
Please Please Please Please consider making one. Thank you and
please consider it."
"I recently was going to the beach and
while some friends and I had stopped into a sporting goods store I
saw a really cool looking Nerf football that had
fins on the back to give you that perfect spiral. I bought it, took
it outside to throw around the parking lot with my two righty
friends and I, who can normally throw a pretty good spiral could
barely get it to them whereas they were throwing it perfectly. At
closer inspection I found that it only spiraled in the direction
which a right-hander could throw. Needless to say I took the
thing back and got my money back. Bad idea Nerf."
"I am a 34-year-old woman that has
always been strongly left-handed. For most of my life this has
not been a real problem for me, although it did make me do certain
things more clumisily, making me fair game for a lot of teasing. It
is only now that I am a bit older that I begin to realize how much
extra hassle I have to go through just to get to the where a
right-hander would start to do a project. I have to spend a
certain amount of time just figuring out how best to use the tool
I need without injuring myself. Looking back on my life I realize
that a lot of my "clutziness" came from never, ever using
a tool or implement designed for people like me."
"Being left-handed has only posed a
problem for me when I was a kid and wanted to play baseball and all
that was available was right-handed gloves. I throw left, bat
right -- no big deal but was a little frustrating. I have
realized that being a woman also poses some significant problems,
especially in the kitchen. I would love to have
left-handed pots, pans, egg beaters, the whole lot and a
left-handed mixer (the bowl and the switches face left instead
of having to turn the machine around. Also,
left-handed people are incredibly creative, intuitive and
caring. Wish the rest of the world would respect us."
"I am left-handed and also blind. It
is impossible to find watches, rulers, and other items adapted for
my disability and for my handedness at the same time. In fact, I
have been able to find no items for disabled persons that are also
for use with the left hand. My suggestion is that you make a
Braille ruler or a fat spoon that eases the pain of eating with an
arthritic left hand, and place the item in a catalogue for disabled
persons (we're not used to finding adapted items sold "in the
real world"). If they sell, try adapting other acsessable
items for left-handed users."
"I am left-handed and I wear my
watch on my right wrist. Is it *THAT* difficult to
make a watch, that is operable by a left-handed individual
without removing it from the wrist? Analog watches have the
set-screw on the right side -- not only must I remove
it from my wrist to set it, but I now bear a permanent scar and
callous on my right forearm from where the set-screw constantly
rubs and irritates my wrist. Digital watches fare only slightly
better on a left-handed scale of usefulness."
"There is an absolute pausity of
left-handed surgical instruments availiable..."
"I am from Canada and would just like to
let all lefties out there that they are not alone. I would like to
mention the incovenience of erasable pens. The
erasable ink is also very smudgable. It gets all over my hand and
my paper. Tilting the page, writing below the line and using
loose-leaf are some suggestions for this problem."
"In these days of diversity and
sensititity to different groups why has virtually nothing been done
by manufacterers to accomodate left handed-people? We comprise
approximately 11% of America's population. However, virtually
nothing has been done by manufacturers from everything from
firearms to ice cream scoops to manufacture left-handed items.
They could count on us to purchase these items if they made
them."
c o m m e n t s . . .
"The best advantage to being
left-handed is using drive up ATM's, Fast Food and Banks. The
downside is everyone expects you to be creative and
musically-inclined just because you're left-handed."
"GREAT SITE! I do a morning talk show on
KSL-1160 AM, Salt Lake City Utah, and we will discuss the
information you have so generously provided to us, tomorrow (Aug
13) on the air. Sites like yours are WHY the INTERNET is
GREAT!....sincerely,
"I am a very unusual left-hander. I am
left-handed, right dominant. I eat and write left-handed,
but do most everything else right-handed. I can play tennis and
racquet ball right- or left-handed but can't even hold a
pair of scissors correctly in my left hand... I can write backwards
-- mirror image of left-handed writing. I can also
write upside down and upside down and backwards. I can also write
on a chalk board with each hand and have it come out mirror image
with the other. Is there anyone else like me out there? It comes naturally to me but
some of the things require some thought process and/or practice. I
write backwards as fast as I can write forwards. I even had the
handwriting analyzed and the degree of slant and flair was so close
you couldn't tell. If you read my notes in the mirror it is like I
wrote in the "regular" way."
"Searching for left-handed
buildings!"
"school desks at college. simiautomatic
guns spit the hot shell out on your arm. verner callibers,
micrometers, mills, laythes. drafting machines."
"I would like to object in the way that I,
as a LEFT-HANDED individual, am being refered to as a
"non-right hander.". That has turned my positive
attribute of left-handedness into a negative attribute. I am a
LEFTY and PROUD of it!"
"Hello from a "righty".
Actually, I have no comment, but I do have a basic question. A
person I met recently, who is left-handed, INSIST that all
left-handed people are overall more intelligent and talented
than righties. I'd like to argue back but I'm not quite sure what
to say. Any comment?"
"This is a beautiful website and filled
with wonderful information, however trying to read it with the
chosen background and text size is a chore even for a
southpaw."
"I was wondering if you know of any
left-hand scholarships for college students majoring in
computer science and mathematics. Please write me at: 712 S.
Caswell Avenue, Compton, CA 90220.
"I feel sorry for exclusively
right-handed people. They are truly limited in comparison to
the person who is ambidextrous and tending toward
left-handedness. Left handers know another world that the
right-hander can only guess at and appear incapable of
appreciating with their most common attribute of ignorance when
they meet left-handers. Consequently their majority rule
practices make them miss out on the need for sensitivity in this
world."
"Left-handedness is not a handicap,
things in life are tough, but things in life are tough for many
people, by treating left-handedness like a problem, you have
said that it is a handicap, not just something that makes you
unique. I've never had any problems with being left-handed,
sometimes things get annoying, but you find a different way to do
it and it works out fine. Complaining won't solve anything, and
many of these posts seem to have been complaining."
"My comments are directed towards the
creator of this page. Though I am a left-handed (slightly
ambidextrous) individual, I, for the most part, have no idea what
you're talking about when you speak of all these biases in society.
Scissors are meant to be used by right-handed inidividuals?
What? I've been using scissors with my left hand since the age of
three and I have yet to encounter any problems in using them. A
rotary-dial phone is hard for left-handers to use? What in
the world are you talking about? *Calculators and push-button
phones?!* Might the left-to-right array have more to do
with the fact that most people read left to right than that most
people are right-handed?
"I hate how society sees us
left-hander's. The people at my school see us as the odd ones
out. Why? Sure, I have a few of the "lefty" traits
(namely illegible handwriting), but I make do. I don't
see many right-handers able to use a mouse AND drink at the
same time."
"I just wanted to say that I don't
understand why bad handwriting is considered to be a
left-handed problem. I have plenty of right-handed friends
with atrocious writing, and I, a lefty, have completely legible and
even pretty handwriting."
"The way that I pick up a telephone
eventually coils the cord, and my mother always made a big deal
about where I was to sit at the table even though I used the
utensils in the same hand as hers. Society has so many self
interest groups yet so little is directed at the plight of the
left-hander. I am not awkward, have good handwriting, etc. yet
no one thought about the soup ladle or the potato peeler. It's nice
to be recognized as special finally and not odd."
"I am 16 and sure wish I had found this
place a long, long time ago. I went through elementary school with
teachers that would draw slanted lines on a piece of paper to which
I was to write along. The only thing was I couldn't get my hand to
slant towards the right.... I thought until now that I was simply
strange for I have a hard time telling left from right and recently
during my driving exam I was asked to turn right and actually
turned left.... I am a figure skater and... When I was little I
wanted to jump the other way but my coach had no idea how to teach
me and so I learned how to jump to my left.... I...have trouble
using a sewing machine as I want to sit behind the sewing machine
to sew. My mother will not let me do this as she says it is wrong
and I will probably break the sewing machine (I think she is
right). Why are left-handed scissors so expensive? I have had
the same scissors since kindergarten as my mother said never to
loose then as they are expensive. My brother who is
right-handed would get a new pair of scissors every
September...."
"You need something on handedness in
primates."
"I am a lefty, have been paid to do
calligraphy (bad handwriting - the myth!), and have adapted to
this right-handed world fairly well. Other than scissors and my
mouse, I can use "regular" items. I preferred to switch
the mouse on my computer to "lefty" as it is more
comfortable for me, and lefty scissors just make more sense. You
are cutting on the side you SEE rather than looking OVER the
scissors themselves.
The objective of this website
is to communicate accurate information and simple coping strategies
pertainent to left-handers living in a right-biased
society.
p r o d u c t
d e s i g n
m a n u f a c t u r e r
s
s e r v i c e
s e c t o r
s e r v i c e s e c t o
r
Design engineers and manufacturers, a substantial
percentage of the population is left-handed; if you fail to
design products for them, you are truly missing a lucrative and
sustainable marketing opportunity.
Service sector managers, you would not believe how
some very simple (and usually inexpensive) changes could gain the
loyality of left-handed customers and clients.
Viewers, add your comments to manufacturers
with ideas for product design, and to the service sector with
specific suggestions for improving their service for
left-handed clients and customers. (Please do not ask
where to locate a specific left-handed item; a left-hander
on-line maintains a long list of
retailers for left-handed merchandise and equipment (thanks
Janis); you may refer to this in your search for items.
"I can not find a left-handed mouse.
Logitech no longer makes one. I could really use a left-handed
keyboard. At least I think I could. I've never had one. When I
first asked for a left- handed mouse, the young man waiting on
me said I could get used to a right-handed mouse. I told him to
send back all the right-handed mice and all you
right-handed people could get a left-handed one and just
get used to it."
Kaye Osburn,
USA
TuttleD, Kokomo, Indiana,
USA
David C.
Schmarder
Lindsay Hope, South
Australia
Anonymous,
USA
p r o d u c t d e s i g
n
"Weed whackers, I have one by Toro, are
notorious for an unprotected area that will cut up the legs of
left-handers. The only way I know of is to wear pants and socks
that are HEAVY enough to stop the debris that flies up on you legs.
Right now I have scars in various stages of healing due to
this."
Carolyn Meehan,
USA
Anonymous,
USA
Anonymous, PUERTO
RICO
Steven R. Filbert,
USA
Mike Bussy,
USA
Gary Griffin,
USA
Regan Bryan, California,
USA
Fran Myers,
AUSTRALIA
Scott Helmke,
USA
Anonymous,
USA
Anonymous,
USA
AVW, Mathews, VA,
USA
Jim, USA
J. Basta, Rochester, NY,
USA
Gail Anderson,
USA
Delaina, MONTE
CARLO
Octospider,
USA
Greg Greene, USA (living in
Trinidad)
Nancy,
USA
Anonymous
Alyson Perry,
USA
A. Downey,
USA
Patrick Flynn D.V.M., USA
S.W.,
CANADA
Anonymous,
USA
m o r e
c o m m e n t s for m a n u f a c t u r e r
s
o n b e i n g
l e f t - h a n d e d
o n b e i n g l e f
t - h a n d e d
o n b e i n g
l e f t - h a n d e d
Although this forum is intended to provide information /
suggestions for the target groups of parents, educators, employers,
manufacturers, and service providers, some just want to comment
generally on being left-handed. Due to size limitations,
extraneous comments are discouraged.
"No one really knows what discrimination
is unless they are left-handed. Just look around. Every
appliance is geared for right-handers. The reason most
countries chose left hand drive for automobiles was for the
convenience of right-handers to shift gears. Apparently even
God is prejudiced as the Bible refers to "The right hand of
God" to be the good side. This prejudice goes from womb to
tomb. The sad part is that most people don't even realize that this
prejudice exists. Unless you are left-handed, that is."
WRH, USA
Peter Mendall,
USA
Chere Wood, USA
(Chere.Wood@KSL.com)
(13 August is International Left-Hander's Day) Thanks for
spreading the word on-air, Chere; better communication helps
debunk myths and prejudices against left-handedness, and
increase awareness and understanding among
non-left-handers.
M.K.
Holder
Elaine Borden,
USA
Michael Baxter,
AUSTRALIA
Mike Chaney,
USA
Jennifer,
USA
The term "non-right-hander" is not indented as a
slur, rather a concise way to say "left-handers and
ambidextrals". For those researchers that analyze handedness
data by grouping left-handers and ambidextrals together, this
is a convenient label. Nonetheless, I agree with you, and only use
the term "non-right-handers" on my web pages when
I wish to imply a right-biased perspective. (I also employ the
term "non-left-hander" for the same effect.)
M.K.
Holder
Jeff Barbera,
USA
You might tell your friend that no generalization that broad is
correct or convincing. Rather, this is how predjudice is born.
ALL of any group (lefties / tall people /
Americans / etc.) are made up of individual people, who vary
considerably in their talents, abilities, personality traits,
intelligence, etc. The range of diversity among left-handers,
as among any other group you might name, is staggering.
M.K.
Holder
Eric Herren,
USA
My pages are designed to work best with Netscape Navigator 3. You can reset your
default text and background colors (and type size) in your browser
Options menu. I prefer not to change my format because it
looks swell for the rest of us!
"There was nothing more exciting when I
was in boot camp in the army, experiecing my first encounters with
the rifles that ejected the shell casings directly over my right
ear, as I was also sighting with my left eye. I was the black face
recruit, with black powder forming interesting patterns."
M.K.
Holder
J. Lyons, California,
USA
Tamanu Lowkie,
USA
I do not know of any scholarships for left-handers, but will
post this in case others might help you.
M.K.
Holder
Victor Fletcher, CANADA
(zpflet@sultech.com)
Becky Anne Christensen, Fresno,
CA, USA
I have encountered some difficulties as
a result of being left-handed -- yes, drills are hard
for me to use, and yes, I had trouble learning to work the gear
shift on my car. But to suggest that the designs of clocks and
telephones require redress in the interest of left-handers is,
in my opinion, absurd."
Yoss,
USA
I do not advocate the redesign of clocks or
telephones. Congratulations on your successful use of scissors; I
presume you have not read other comments on this page related to scissor or calculator use? In my opening comments I
noted that problems associated with being left-handed in a
right-biased society range from mild annoyance (your
experience) to serious life-long problems (other's experience);
the purpose of this page is to help
right-handers appreciate the difficulties and
annoyances that left-handers face (especially children), and to
offer simple coping strategies so that a few folks might avoid some
of the more serious problems that are easily prevented armed with
accurate information.
M.K.
Holder
Anonymous
Amanda P.,
USA
S. Symes,
CANADA
MAM, Kitimat, British Columbia,
CANADA
Please keep your comments short; long comments
will be edited for space.
Anonymous,
USA
My research considers "handedness"
across the Order Primates (which includes humans, monkeys and apes). I have not
provided information on non-human hand preferences on-line
(nor much on human handedness) because, like human handedness
research, the field is controversial, with much disagreement among
investigators. Although I have my own results and theories, I think
it best not to post contradictory theories and findings for public
consumption, for it can generate confusion and misinformation in
the public press, when the goal of my websites is to offer accurate
information. As with any topic, I recommend the best way to delve
further into it is to do a little library research. (See also my
comments on the Scientific American Ask
the Experts page.)
"Well not to seem critical but, is that a
right hand on the front of this web page? It just stuck out and I
wanted to know if it was meant to be like that."
M.K.
Holder
Essope,
USA
The icon for this page is the palm print made by inked a
LEFT hand.
M.K.
Holder
I feel that the reason some
of "us" feel we are brighter than non-lefties, is
that we HAVE adapted, and this need to overcome certain obstacles
(without doing it consciously half the time) has enabled us to view
problems from totally different angles.
I am a senior citizen and
still get upset when I think of those college seats (I used to use
TWO)..."
Alice, NY,
USA
m o r e
m i s c. c o m m e n t s
p u r p o s e
o f p a g e
p u r p o s e o f
p a g e
r a i s o n
d' ê t r e
The author is a biological
anthropologist who does primary research into handedness. This site
is collaboratively built, incorporating comments from
left-handers worldwide. I ask that
comments be directed to
target groups (for this page, employers, manufacturers, design
engineers, and the service sector), so that right-handers can
have a better appreciation of the problems encountered by their
left-handed co-workers, employees, customers, and
clients.
Employees, if your supervisor
fails to understand your situation, give him/her this URL and ask
them to read it:
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contact information
NOTE: Unsolicted mail is answered once a month. Please do not ask for help with homework, see instead my online Research Guide or or this page's bibliography