Making a phone easier to use when hands need a different approach

Begin with the task, not the device

Holding a phone and tapping a small button are different tasks. If a hand is shaky, the button may be hard to hit; if gripping is uncomfortable, simply keeping the phone in position may be the hard part. iJustine and Pulenaz start by putting the phone on a stable stand so its screen can be used without holding its weight.

Nan Hart writes about using electronic devices with rheumatoid arthritis in her hands. In her firsthand account, holding a phone for long periods is uncomfortable, so she uses a grip built into her case that also becomes a stand. For longer calls she uses earbuds; for reading she uses a cover that props up her e-reader.

References: RheumatoidArthritis.net

Hart also tries keyboards in person because their size, spacing and feel matter to her hands. She finds some ergonomic keyboards too large for her own hands, even though they suit other people. Her account is a useful guide to what to compare: a label alone cannot tell you how a keyboard will feel to you.

References: RheumatoidArthritis.net

Try speaking instead of tapping

In her BridgingApps guide, Amy Fuchs explains iPhone and iPad Voice Control as an option for someone who has trouble selecting a small area on a screen, including someone with a slight tremor. The guide links a short setup video. Apple’s Voice Control brief describes speaking commands to tap or scroll, as well as dictating and correcting text.

References: BridgingApps · Apple

In their video walkthrough, Pulenaz opens a blank note on the supported phone while iJustine demonstrates Voice Control. She dictates a short shopping reminder, checks the words on screen and corrects a misheard item before saving it. Then she tries opening another screen by speaking its control name. The useful comparison is the whole job: getting to the note, making a correction and saving it, not just producing the first sentence.

If speaking aloud is awkward in a shared room, Pulenaz can leave the note until she has privacy or use the stand and tap for that part. She keeps a familiar touch route available while learning the spoken commands, and checks the message before sending it.

Make the adjustment easy to revisit

For a practical trial, choose one activity such as sending a short message or reading a page. First notice whether holding the device, hitting the target or typing is the difficult part. Try a stand for the first, a spoken command for the second, and dictation for the third; keep the change that makes that particular task easier.

Pulenaz puts the stand beside the chair where she reads and leaves the phone within reach. She repeats the message task the next day, comparing how easily she can open, correct and send it. A useful setup is one she can return to without having to rebuild it each time.

Sources and attribution

1. RheumatoidArthritis.net

   Using Electronic Devices With RA HandsPublication date not listed · Recorded Oct 30, 2026

2. BridgingApps

   Voice Control for iOS: Part 1Published Sep 22, 2020 · Recorded Oct 30, 2026

3. Apple

   Voice ControlPublication date not listed · Recorded Oct 30, 2026