When Jara Helmes was a toddler walking around in a heavy, stiff leg brace, her dad made her a lighter, softer 3D printed pair in her favorite color, pink. When Jara started using computers at school and couldn’t control the mouse, her father envisioned building another custom device for his daughter, who has cerebral palsy.

This time, however, John Helmes, an industrial designer at Microsoft, has a bigger project in mind. He brought his idea, a customizable mouse for people who can’t use a traditional mouse, to the company’s Hackathon, an annual innovation event for employees. He put together a great team to create a prototype of a Microsoft Arc mouse which they cut and glued onto a 3D printed part designed for finger support and control. The device reduced unwanted clicks and helped Jara, then 5 years old, control her computer’s cursor for the first time.

Two years and many iterations later, that initial prototype evolved into a new one Microsoft Adaptive Accessory (Microsoft Adaptive Accessories), a highly adaptive ecosystem that allows users to customize their mouse, keyboard input, and shortcuts. Accessories include an Adaptive Mouse, an Adaptive Hub, and an Adaptive Button and are commonly available now.

“Initially, ‘Jara can’t use the PC. I’m your father. You have to hack a way so he can use the PC,” said Helmes, who lives in the Netherlands. “But very quickly, I thought, ‘Wait. If it works for him, it could have the same effect for many others.”

Wireless accessories can replace or enhance traditional mice and keyboards for users with limited mobility or anyone who wants to use their PC more easily and efficiently. Users can customize the Adaptive Mouse with a variety of accessories, including a mouse tail extension and configurable left or right hand thumb rests. They can create custom inputs without a keyboard via the Adaptive Hub and Adaptive Button, which are available as dual D-pads, joysticks, and buttons. Mouse and buttons can be further customized Complementary accessory for 3D printing from the Shapeways company.

“Microsoft Adaptive Accessories are intended to break down the barriers that traditional mice and keyboards can present for people with reduced mobility,” said Gabi Michel, director of Accessible Accessories at Microsoft. “No two people are the same, and empowering people to set up their own systems that work for them is definitely the goal.”

Buttons and hubs have helped graphic designer and North Carolina broadcaster Mandy Pursley work faster and with less shoulder pain. Born without a right hand or forearm, Pursley typed and moved the mouse with his left. With adaptive products, you can program buttons with task-switching macros and repetitive mouse and keyboard actions that require you to press multiple keys at once.

“The button is the most extraordinary. It’s like they did it just for me,” says Pursley, who recently timed himself while working on a 500-page project with easy-to-press buttons. He found that he could work 30% faster, saving hours of time.

“This is going to make a big difference to a lot of people,” he said. “People with disabilities already have a lot of creativity and ingenuity because we have to learn to function in the world and adapt to technology. Having the technology that actually works for us is only going to take our productivity to the next level.”