Left-Handers School Experiences Survey
Analysis

This is the full list of comments people made about problems that had with tools and equipment at school because they were left-handed. We have taken out a lot of the duplicates.

3 ring binders, spiral notebooks

A bit odd, but the rota-cutter. It would cut right to left so it was a bit of a pain to cross my left hand over to use it.

A paper cutter is not designed for a lefty at all.

a ruler! the measurements are upside down! Pertractor, I measure from the wrong side!

Actually at university, in lecture halls they have desks attached to the chair that are ont he right hand side to take notes and put your files. It is impossible as they are connected to write. You have to sit totally side on and then you can’t see the lecturer, you can’t move your chair as it is part of the contracption. We worked out how to lift off the desk part and I just wrote on my lap – not good for my back. Horrible, I hated all my lectures in those rooms because of it. I lived in NYC for a few years and they have those chair/desks things in school rooms, but apparently they do make lefty versions now.

adding machines.

Again, mum bought equipment from your company – rulers, scissors, rubber, pens, pencil grips etc., etc., etc

All my school had were right handed guitars, so in music, I learned how to play the guitar right handed…I was pretty mad.

All of the standard machinery in the Design & Technology workshop; the tools like pillar drills and bandsaws even have all the emergency stop buttons in inaccessable places. the other tools like tin snips and guillotines aren’t so deadly to misuse, but it’s still awkward.

All the tools in d.t

all the wood/metal work tools were right handed.

All those right handed cut desks

Almost everything used in a classroom is designed for right handed use

Always have problems using scissors

Always, from ring binders to doors!

anything I could get my hands on was crazy to use

Anything. Pencil sharpener, right-handed desks, computer stations

Appliances in home economics eg. tin openers, peelers

art supplies and desks that are made for righties

As a professional picture framer I found that most of the mat cutters were made for right handed persons.

At first the computer.
Some filing folders.

At least the manual urinals have flush handle on the left.

at my job now there isn’t anything such as left handed anything..but I know as soon as I open my business, I will definatelly have alot of my equiptment adaptable to me. But you know, since I ‘ve had to adapt to the right handed world, I ‘m not sure I could get used to using my left hand more for daily tasks it might make it even harder… I ‘d have to start all over again, but I know for a fact, that when and if I have children and one of mine is left handed, I defintally am going to get them all the right tools I wasn’t able to have.

At work, using a guillotine or paper cutter.

Baseball gloves: my mom had to buy a special one for me.

Being an A level textile student, I have to provide my own fabric scissors, or get someone else to cut fabric for me, as it is practically impossible to cut with the provided scissors.

BINDERS BINDERS BINDERS BINDERS BINDERS BINDERS

binders rulers

Binders, desks with a right hand extension to write on.

Binders, seats in lecture halls (because the desk that you can bring up from the side is for right-handed people only), the computer mouse, calligraphy pens, power tools, etc. The list goes on for a long time

Black board, scissors

blackboard

Blades in disection in biology classes

Bunson burner cables, Ink wells

Burets, Computer mice, paper cutters

Calculators, with the plus and minus sign on the side

Cameras, musical instruments

Can get annoying with ruler and some DT equipment but just get used to it and use my right hand – also with computer mice its hard as there isnt always enough cable to move it.

can not remember

Can opener in food production

can opener, corkscrews, irons,

Can openers, sharpeners

can’t remember

Can’t remember specifically, but we had guillotine paper cutters with the blade on the right. No wonder lefties are said to be more accident prone!

certain desks we had where the desk was attached to the chair. The desk part was small and positioned on the right hand side of the desk, so I had to sit almost sideways to use them

chairs that have writing surfaces you can pull up and lay flat to write on. They were always on the right side. Sometimes you might find one for lefthanders that allowed you to rest your arm while you write. Mostly I had to suspend my arm in mid-air to write because there were so few left-handed chairs.

chairs with arm-support for lefties are not available

Chalk and dry erase markers are nearly impossible to use. Also, albeit a little silly, I always had trouble tying shoes until a left-handed person showed me how they did it. Shoe-tying proficiency tests in the earliest school years were always dreadful.

chalk boards, sissors,bathroom stall doors, desks. Anything contoured for right handed ease.

chalk boards/white boards, as you smudge as you go. also not having the option to turn the right-handed mouse over to left-handed option as school computers are networked. as an artist I feel other approaches should be taught in painting etc

chalk on the chalkboard, as you write , your hand smudges it off.

Chalkboards, whiteboards, overheards…anything that’s made by a right-handed person for the masses, that either is awkward to use or is messy.

Compases

Computer mice- they are contoured to the right hand so they cannot be switched to the left side.

Computer mice, but I am too used to useing it with my right hand.

Computer mice, the buttons seem to be the wrong way around and I would prefer to use it with my left hand

computer mouse

computer mouse scissors writing at my table writing in my school journel.

computer mouse, blackboard

computer mouse, pencil sharpener

computer mouse, scissors

computer mouses;the way the computer room is set upwhen taking notes there iis no room because youll bump into someone

computers

Computers were hard at first because the mouse is always on the right side.

computers, set ups for desk sometimes have right arm rests and none have left arm rests

computers-number pad and mouse,
scissors

could not write on the chalk board.

Craft knives in Design Technology.

crazy scissors and normal scissors and writing in binders and measuring with a ruler

crosswords are laid out for right-handers … accidentally this summer I learned I am MUCH more efficient working “down” than across

cutting and writing and painting can be very difficult

cutting board in art class

Cutting knifes in home economics

cutting with scissors was always a problem these days I can only work my computor mouse right handed

D & T equipment

Design technology items eg saws and plains

desk

desk attached to chair- wrong side microscope dial- wrong side

desk, scissors, computer keyboard

desk-chairs are made for right handed people

Desks (all are designed for the right handed person, potters wheel (controls on right side)

Desks always cut off cirulation because my arm always hangs off of the small right hand desks.

Desks attached to chairs.

desks built for right-handers, rulers

desks that have the writing section on the right side

Desks were number one. Scissors.

Desks with Ink Wells on the right. Chairs that only accomodated right handed writing. Pencil sharpeners that didn’t sharpen if you did it left handed. Smearing chalk boards. 3-ring binders that dug into my left arm. There is probably more, but it was too long ago to remember it all.

Desks with only a right hand rest

desks with the chairs attatched don’t provide the space I need to write.

Desks with the writing platform on the right.

desks, composition notebooks, scissors, rulers,

desks, if any there would only be one or two desks for left handers and they were always in the back corner so I wouldnt be able to see the board very well or sometimes hear the teacher.

Desks, notebooks.

Desks, pencil sharpeners,

desks, pencil sharpeners, limited left handed eqipment.

Difficulty with measuring.

Doors in general are made for Righties. But not much I can do about that.

Drafting equipment would not work left handed. Sometimes it works if you do your maps and desing upside down and backwards.

drills and other equipment in the technology department I .e. tin openers

Dry Erase Markers. As you know schools don’t really use chalk anymore (though I used to smudge that too). Most school now use dry-erase boards. It’s hard to write on because it was obviously created for a right handed person.

Dt equipment (design and Technology)

DT equipment and machinery, Scissors

DT, general cutting saws, disk sanders, vices.

Edward’s primary school also provides left-handed saws although children who are right-handed also use these as they forget that there is a difference between the saws. Sometimes the teachers forget to remind the children which coloured handle saws are for which handedness.

Equipment I find hard to use is pencil sharpners scissors (sometimes) notebooks and binders with the spring and bind on the right side it does not give me enough room to write with the springs and bind right there.

ergonomicComputer-mouse, pliers, musical instruments

especially at art and craft class… right-handed tools drove me crazy 🙂

Especially in computer classroom in which the computers are next to each other.

Even the lefty scissors are old and crappy and alot of the other school supplies are for right-handed people but I’v gotten used to them.

everything

Everything in shop classes, staplers, right-handed desks, rulers…

everything is designed for righties and lefties just have to adjust because we are the minority

EVERYTHING was difficult when I was at Junior school (1976-1983), as they didn’t “cater” for lefties…

Everything was hard

everything, right down to door knobs were difficult when I was little.

Fabric scissors in textiles! They are only right handed and my fabric snags!! Grrr

Fabric Scissors, Glue – pritt stick and glue spreaders

Fountain pens, dry-wipe markers and scissors

Fountain pens, scissors, compass,

Fountain pens. I think that as a teacher I confused pupils and students alike with my left handedness. I think it was a distraction for them.

generally scissors and any type of tools being used in D.T

gloves for the softball team. There were no left-handed ones and I learned to catch the ball, take off the glove and throw the ball faster than any kid in my grade. You adapt!

graphic communications board. ruler. scissors

graphics tables

Guillotine

Gulitine

Had a hard time using a mouse, now that I am used to using it Right handed, I would be compleatly lost with a left handed mouse. But I can not use the mouse to creat a signature because of it being Right handed.

Hockey stick

Hockey sticks

hockey sticks, scissors

hocky due to only having right handed sticks

I absolutly hate using spiral notebooks. They dig into your wrist and you always smudge your writing a lot.

I always had difficulty using potato peelers and tin openers in cookery classes, my teacher did not find this to be a valid excuse if I was sometimes slower at completing tasks

I always had trouble using scissors and composition notebook with a bound edge

I always struggled with food technology (which I took through to A level) because of a total lack of equipment of left handed equipment, knives in particular. Scissors were another problem, in five years at secondary school and two in sixth form I never once came across a pair for left handers.

I am not a student anymore but I work at a school. Throughout my life I have had to adjust.

i can’t drum on a right-handed setup drum kit.

i cant think of them at this moment

I couldn’t use the potters wheel as it only went the correct way for a r/hder

i don’t think so

I dont think there is.

I find it hard to use the pencil sharpener. Also, even though I am left handed, I am unable to use the left handed scissors that are offered.

i find it hard using some saws in d.t and scissors. rulers can sometimes be hard to. peelers are really hard to use

I find using pencil sharpeners hard. They are usually situated on desk or walls and it is hard to work with them.

I find using white boards in my day black boards) difficult as smudging still happens – I use these at work!

I FOUND EVERTHING HARD. EVEN OPENING CUPBOARDS. IM STILL LIKE IT NOW

I found it very hard to use right handed scissors. We also used to have singluar desks that would fold up, they were right handed. Sewing was a nightmare because the teacher would do it right handed and I would ask her how do I do it left handed and she would just tell me to work it out myself!

I found shorthand to be quite difficult because it wasn’t natural and had to be learned by rote rather than logical.

I found some projects difficult in a Fiber Arts class b/c I was left handed.

I had a hard time with a lot of things. When we did activities in gym we were always taught to do them right handed, which seemed awkard but eventually worked. Any type of cutting or arts and crafts were difficult because the left handed supplies they provided did not work well. By high school I started teaching myself to function with what was provided but as a child it was almost embarrasing to be left handed.

I had to learn to play the flute as a right-hander

I hate margins on the left, and excersise books are annoying too.

I hate right handed rulers. They are all backwards. Now, as an adult, I bought my own for my office!!

I hate sprial notebooks because in order for them to be comfortable for a lefty, they need to be turned upside-down. I always had problems with laying my hand on the metal spiral It made notetaking very difficult.

I hated shop/construction class, because everything was set up for right handers, espeically the radial saw, I was scarred to dealth of that thing, just cuz there was no shield on the left hand side

I have always been a bit of an ambidextrous person, so I never had difficulty adapting to right handed tools etc.

I have problems using the school’s scissors and I always smudge my writing. The smudging gets even worse when the school has this very good-looking, but smooth paper.

i have to bring my lefty scissors to school if I need it, which is very troublesom

I just learnt to adapt.

I just usually turn the right handed scissors upside down and use them

I know it sounds crazy but I’ve always had issues with hole punches.

I know that every now and then I come across something but since I’m used to it it’s become no big deal to me and I cease to pay it much attention (except the occasional complaint to a classmate). (i.e. the blade of the scalpel in a dissecting kit was on a side that made it difficult to cut with in the left hand).

i learn to use my right hand alot . I use my left my for use write and throwing a ball

I like the idea of rulers

I need left-handed’teacher’ scissors or right-handed ones press into my hand. I can’t use manual desk pencil sharpeners 9the type that have a handle to turn.) I’ve never got my head around why they’re such a problem, I just can’t do it.

I remember in home ec. not being able to do knitting; there were problems with cooking in home ec

I say no because I just learned to use whatever was available.

I used to find needlework very hard becaus eof the scissors – also my teacher didn;t like the reversed angle of my hem stiches

I used to sit on a desk which has an arm rest/arm support for right-handers. I had trouble writing as my elbow has got no support.

I wanted to learn to play the drums but they wouldn’t change them to suit a left hander so I gave up.

I was always expected to just accommodate myself to all things right-handed,and when I explained how awkward this was,I was just told that it “…couldn’t be that difficult”,and told to get on with it.

I work in files for I.C.T, R.E, and maths and I find that difficult.

i would always get confused with the pencil sharperners

Ib cooking classes, peelers were difficult

I’m training to be a teacher, and the interactive whiteboards all seem to suit a right hander more because of their position in the rooom

in college the desks are a nightmare. there is usually only 3 or 4 left handed desks in a class of 400. (the pull up kind).

In anatomy class, all the kits are for right-handers, scissors, scalpels, speciel dissecting blades.

In college, the desks were all’half desks,’ and were all right handed.

In cooking class I could never work the manual can opener, I just got someong else to do it fr me. The teacher was left-handed though… I guess it’s just a skill I have yet to master.

In design technology, the table-mounted vices are positioned to satisfy right handers

In food technology it is sometimes hard to cut up certain foods or peel things like potatoes as all of the knives are right handed. Sometimes it is also difficult to use the school computers as the mouse is always on the right hand side, and sometimes they are difficult to move to the other side, as the wires are too short or trapped under the computer.

In Home Economics in School, I could never use the peelers, the were the older style ones, with the blade made for a right hand! Wiping off what I wrote on tehe boards, and also blocking the board sometimes trying to rectify that.

in my daughter’s class all the computer mouse’s are set up for right handed children so my left handed daughter has had to learn to use it the “wrong”way

In my day&age- scissors, desks, spirals

In my math classes we used a compass and a protractor and I could not figure out how to draw the circles with the pencil in my left hand so I always had someone else draw my circles for me. In middle school you are required to take an industrial tech class were you learn how to use hand tools, saws and other large tools. All of the tools were built for the right-handed individual so I had to watch other students make thier projects or had to have someone else cut, burn or drill my project for me.

In one of my classrooms they have desks that fold down (they are attached to the desk) and they are on the right side. The desks are not very big either, so it is really hard for leftys to use them.

IN P.E THINGS LIKE HOCKEY STICKS I HAVE TO PRETEND TO BE RIGHT HANDED

In photography when you have to develope pictures it is very hard for a lefty because everything is on the right side of the equipment. Inserting film and focusing the picture becomes a huge task.

In some ways it’s great cause I can now supply my daughter with things I had problems with e.g. sharpeners, rulers, scissors etc

in textiles there are no left-handed scissors, and cutting fabric is very difficult and takes a long time.

in wood working we have to draw blueprints with T squares and they are very hard to use when you are a lefty. Rulers are tricky too because they are always upside down when I feel they should be made diffrently.

In Woodshop I had a lot of trouble learning to saw and use machines. Also in Textiles I had trouble with sowing machines.

in woodshop most or the tools were for right-handed people and I was always afraid that I was going to hurt myself.

It isn’t a specifically left-handed problem, but flat writing surfaces are a problem so the school got me a sloping writing board.

It’s been a long time, but everything was backwards for me!

It’s hard to use the boxcutter.

It’s hard writing on a white board because of smudging.

I’ve always considered myself very fortunate to be left handed in a right handed world because it has helped me to be very adaptable to adverse things

I’ve learned to adapt due to lack of left handed equipment

I’ve learned to use both hands for 99% of the tasks/activities I’m involved in.

I’ve naturally adapted to using some tools with my right hand. Otherwise, for example, some of the scissors available would not cut through anything when used from the left hand.

just about everything. the desks were backwards, pencil sharpeners, the mouse on the computer was always on the right hand side

Just scissors is all that I can think of right off.

Just sports in general

just the metal scissors sometimes

kitchen knives – blades on the wrong side. those chairs with the table built onto the side – they’re designed for right handed people so the table is o nthe wrong side.

kitchen utensils in cookery classes

knitting needles, scissors,lecture-hall desks, computer mouses.

Knitting was difficult

Knitting! The teacher went around to everyone helping and didn’t help me to start off and finish off. To this day, I have to get a right-hander to start me off.

Knives in Food technology

knives in the canteen and in cooking classes

knives spoons – angles

ladles

Large paper cutter

learned to become ambidextrious.

learning to play games, I .e. baseball, etc.

learning to write on the blackboard

left handed desks

Like tools for woodwork

looseleaf notebooks

Lots of Art and Photo equipment

mainly just scissors

Mainly right handed desks

manual pencil sharpeners

Manual pencil sharpeners are awful to deal with.

Markers – they also smear. Paint bushes.

measures in science.

measuring beakers in science & can openers in cafeteria; bulbs in overhead projectors

Measuring because the hand covers up the measure while drawing and someone stole my left handed rule. Although protractors go both sides the left handed side is on the inside. Writing in a book, holding the page open and writing at the same time meant arms were crossed, it would be easier if left handers could write from the back of the book!

Micrometers, watches, the formatting of classrooms and woodworking tools cam become a problem

more desks.

Most DT and cutting equipment

Most of the equpiment in my wood work/metal work class and pe equipment

most of the sports equipment. Workstations and desks all set up for RH

most of the tools in the technology department

most practical resistant material tools

most things I .e ring binders the thing you put your paper in gets in the way and sissirs urt ma hand

mostly scissors

Mostly the scissors they use to hurt my hand.

mouse

mouse on the computer had to ask for the lead to be fed around the monitor so that I could use it with my left hand.

mouses

Mouses, right handed scissors

musical instruments

My agenda, too small and full of smudges. That is the reason why I never use an agenda.

N/A

never

never where enough desk for left handed

No difficulties seen as a teacher.

Non electric pencil sharpeners, spiral notebooks, binders, chemisty pour spoons

Normal rulers and the “blackboard right-angled triangle”

not really, but it would just take a little longer to figure things out if I watched a right handed teacher showing how things worked.

notebooks

notebooks, binders, scissors, pens

Notebooks, I get the wire binding imprinted on my habnd.

Notebooks, pencil sharpeners, binders,

Now I have moved to high school it is tricky using the wood working tools

Occasionally we had to use a big paper guillotine that was set up for right handed use. I used to find it difficult to use. When I first started using a computer it was annoying having to use the mouse right handed but now I’m used to it it’s very useful being able to write at the same time.

only at work, they would just put me doing something else

only scissors

Only the scissors

Our desks are called tablet-arm chairs. It is a seat with a writing surface attached. There was not a single left handed one in a school with a 1200 student population

overhead projectors,

business type telephones

overhead, dry erase boards; equipment in chemistry can be challenging

paper cutters

Paper cutters, prpjectors, things like that are all set up for right handed people.

Papercutters, the blackboard

PAPERMATE PENS. they are terrible for lefties, they smudge everywhere and more often than not, they don’t work at all

Particularly equipnent in Chemistry lab

Peelers – pastry forks and I seem to struggle cutting meat. Even now, despite my mum and dad showing me time and time again – I still sometimes ask people to cut it up if it is a bit tough ! (I also have bending finger joints so pressure on them tends to make them bend rather than gain strength).

pencil sharpener

Pencil sharpener mounted on the wall.

Pencil sharpener was backwards

Pencil sharpener, rulers, ring binders,

Pencil sharpeners and the desks in general.

Pencil Sharpeners

Scissors, Desks with the opening on the left side instead the right.

Pencil sharpeners, hockey sticks in gym class

Pencil sharpeners, I naturally turn anti clockwise

pencil sharpeners, manual

Pencil sharpeners. Paper cutters.

pencil sharperner, you had to use your right hand to work it – sissors – notebooks – desks were shaped for right-handed writing

pencil sharpners especially (and scissors of course)

pencil sharpners, rulers

pencils pen

pencils, spiral notebooks!

Pensil sharpener

Playing hockey was a nightmare.

Portfolios with the note pads on the right side.

potato peelers in cooking, some tools in woodwork

power tool tend to lock in the on position

premade modular desks usually provide more room on the right side

protator,doing homework out of text books,coping out of text books

protracter.

protractor, ruler,

Protractors and art equipment

protractors are a pain. The chairs with the little tables are always on the right. Makes one sit at an angle.

Protractors, and other geometry equiptment along with some drinking fountains

RH scissors

Right handed desk in High School. Chalkboard.

Right handed desks are a challenge as I had to turn to get to the desktop. This in turn made it challenging to sit in a certain part of the room so I could still see the board and the teacher. I also have trouble with spiral bound notebooks, and if using a three ring binder, must take the pages out for writing. Because the left handed scissors provided were too dull to work with, I managed by using right handed scissors upside down in my left hand.

Right handed notebooks

Right handed scissors

Right handed scissors if there aren’t any left handed ones

right handed-scissors, I carry my own left-handed ones now.

Right-handed sewing scissors, hockey sticks and cricket bats!

Ring binders. If we’re not allowed to take the pages out I can’t write in them.

ruler, tools in woodwork etc

Rulers are for right handed people. I always had to read the numbers upside down.

rulers would work easier if numbered from right to left. In the brass band I had to learn to use the right hand to work the valves and not the left which was unnatural to me

rulers, pencil sharpeners

Rulers, because they’re backwards.

rulers, but parent bought left handed ruler

rulers, fish knives, anything with a shaped handle. woodwork tools

rulers, hockey sticks,sharpeners

Rulers, I find them vey hard to use even nowI usually turn them round the other way.

Rulers, paper cutters

rulers, pencil sharperners, wipe-off boards, protractors.

rulers, pens,

rulers, protractors,

RULERS, SCISSORS, CAN OPENERS, WE JUST LEARN AT AN EARLY AGE TO ADAPT

rulers, sharpeners, protractors, glue pots with slopey tops,

rulers, side-spiral bound notepads

rulers, whiteboard, keyboard and mice which are designed for righthanded

Rulers,paper, scissors

rulers; pencil sharpeners in classroom, card-swipe in cafeteria

rulers;everything in tech. ed or shop class

saws in creative design and technology and the mouse mat in computer lesson

Saws in technical,

saws in technology

saws in woodwork

saws, scissors, Computers, sewing machines

school desks coming around from right side

Scissors

Scissors & other equipment in technology lessons

Scissors (see above)

Scissors and chemistry equipment

Scissors and hand tools

scissors and knives with one sided blades.

scissors and rulers

Scissors and rulers, pencil sharpeners.

Scissors and scalpels (Biology teacher)

Scissors and technical drawing equipment

scissors and the computer mouse

Scissors and using computers are hard because in my school we aren’t allowed to move the mouse to the left side.

scissors and white board and pens

scissors do not cut when uesed in the left hand and feel so uncomfortable in the right hand. When writing my hand get dirty from the smug and the same with drawing.

scissors potato peelers craft and design equipment

Scissors!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Techniques which required doing a mannual thing with your hands, I could never get the hang of them because I couldn’t figure out where to put my hands! Sewing machines are a menice as well. Throwing a javalin was difficult; in some sporting situations the teacher asked if there were any left handers, I found it really embarrassing to say yes because I was going to be treated differently and people used to look at me.

Scissors, and the pencil sharpner.

Scissors, books with binds (those round things holding the books together)

scissors, can openers and peelers in the cooking suite, many of the machines in the design centre would involve me having to lean over the moving machine to depress the stop button with my left hand (dominent hand – which I would automatically use to hit the button), some of the tools had specially designed handles that made it impossible to use with your left hand.

Scissors, can openers. Everyone laughed at me in home ec because I could NEVER figure those stupid can openeners out.

scissors, desks,

scissors, fountain pens.

cameras (hard to hold my hand still)

Scissors, hockey sticks (they’re only right handed).

Scissors, lockers (I like to carry all my books in my right so I can open doors, etc. with my left hand, and it’s obnoxious to have the lockers the other way because I have to switch around my load)

Scissors, pens, pencils, pipetman,certain other specialized tools

scissors, rulers

SCISSORS, RULERS, FOUNTAIN PENS

Scissors, rulers, pens, pencils, notebooks, binders, etc.

Scissors, sewing machines, lab equipment, sports equipment.

Scissors, sharpie markers, gel pens

scissors, sometimes rulers, I can’t sew very well so fail in d&t

Scissors, they never cut the paper nice, it is like it just rips it.

scissors, wire-bound notebooks

scissors, yep, and all the cutting things, adn the rulers (number not on right sense)

scissors,can openers,chopping knives,hand mixers

Scissors…hard to keep on the lines

Scissors/Rulers

Scissors–I never cut as straight as my right-handed classmates.

sewing and embroidery

Simple things like blackboards, rulers and things

so many cant say which one exactly

some cooking utensils eg Knives

some machines in the DT lessons, e.g. the drilling machines where the thing to move the drill down was on the right side, etc …

Some of the tools in shop class were a little hard to use because I had to use my right hand

Some rulers are hard to measure with and cutting tools in art & design are not easy to use.

some scissors

Sometimes computers are laid out backwards.

Sometimes scissors

Sometimes when you are writing in a folder, the metal bit in the middle of the folder gets in the way so you have to take the paper out to write on it.

Sometimes, when I am learning a new art method (pottery wheel) I will have a difficult time trying to do something left handed when the demonstration is right handed. I will get confused and end up not being able to learn either hand. This has been true with crocheting and a pottery wheel.

SPIRAL BOOKS, SHARPENERS, SCISSORS

Spiral Notebooks

Spiral notebooks are often a requirement in classes, and I have yet to locate a left-handed spiral in any common office supply store.

spiral notebooks, felt tip, some ink pens, desks, etc.

Spirals, desks that are designed for right-handed people, and scissors.

Sports equipment

Sports equipment – eg forced to play tennis right-handed, etc

Stanley Knives & Guillotines

table, there’s a type of table that support righties’ arm but not lefties’, so after your wrist suspend in the air for a while the whole arm start to ach. since there’s a supporter on the right, there is no room to lean against for comfort.

That big paper cutter that cut like twenty sheets at a time. And all the projector equipment was hard to use when I was on the Audio/Visual squad.

The arm desks are a pain! There’s nowhere to rest my arm when I’m writing.

The carpenters benches; the position of the vice for right handers, and the bench block for holding a piece of wood when planing.Pay_phones -desk is to the right of the phone.

the chalk board writing. also not had enough lefthanded guitars to go around in music lesson – leaving me with a righthanded one that I couldn’t play on properly. also the flutes we used were shaped to fit righthanders – luckily I got an older one that you could change to fit handedness

The computer mouse, they wouldnt let me switch the controls to the same format that I usd at home

The desk, because I had to turn sideways to write left-handed.

the desks even in college are not made for left handed people there might be 1 if any in a class and there are numerous lefties

The desks that are connected to chairs are mostly for right handers and this creates difficulties. There are NOT enough left-handed desks in schools.

The desks that are designed for righthanded people. Even at a local university there is limited number of left handed desks and there are positioned to the back of the class and on the right side of the classroom and other students complain about them.

The desks with the chairs attached – on the right side.

the desks with the tops attached. made for right handed people. hard to get in and outand also to write. arm and hand would get tired from having to hold it up. there were a few left handed desksbut those were always off to the side of the classroom to where you couldnt really see.

the double seated tables at primary school, but high school made me adapt to single seated tables so you don’t bump elbows with people when they are pushed together because you are use to the limited space.

the flip-up desks in college. I had to use the one from the desk next to me on my left.

The hardest thing was I always had the right handed desk and would normally do my work on my lap. Slumped in a chair. I still slump today posture is a big issue.

The hockey stick

The hockey sticks are hard to use because they are for right handers

The left-handed scissors were very blunt therefore difficult to use and during textiles I sometimes had to use right-handed scissors to cut out the fabric!

The manual wall sharpener is best suited for a right-hander. The desks have the arm rest on the right side. Even at the university, there are few left-handed desks, and sometimes all the desks are too close to each other, so it is still quite uncomfortable.

The modern blackborard in which you can write with a ink pencil. You get your hand dirty. ( I??m teacher by now)

The most difficult thing were those chair-desks with the extended right side desk area. Simply horrible for a leftie!

the mounted pencil sharpeners

The mouse was a challenge for me, but not sure it was because of being a lefty. Today I can’t function with a left-handed mouse. Hate them!

the notebooks and binders

The notebooks make it hard to write with the paper in it because the rings are on the left side of the paper.

the paper cutter thing and the hole puncher

the pencil sharpener !

The Pencil Sharpener, it’s on the wall and I find it very difficult to crank the handle with my right hand but theres no way to get at it with my left hand.

The right handed desk!

the school does not have any left handed guitars or bass guitars so I couldn’t learn properly, and they don’t have enough left handed golf clubs when we have to play that.

The scissors and the desks with the arm rests on the right side.

The scissors and writing of course. I praise my parents for insisting I learn to type!

The repetative math tables on record (3×1 is 3; 3×2 is 6; etc.) drove me to frustration. My brain doesn’t work that way. No one ever tried to figure out why I couldn’t do them as well as the other children.

I felt so stupid!

the scissors, but I ‘ve gotten used to it.

The security button on the door is on the right side

The sewing machines, could never thread them..also hand sewing a hem. teacher insisted the stitches MUST be slanting in the same direction, mine went opposite to everyone elses, after the 4th attempt I turned the whole thing upside down with bulk of item on desk instead of on my knee, and the stitches looked the same as the other girls..I had to learn to be devious!!

The small whiteboards we sometimes use

The spring notebooks, scissors, ink pens, most of everything in the wood shop, inability of the teacher to teach me how to knit in knitting class (don’t know if you have this in England)

The technical workroom tools are a hazard to left-handers! And the right-handed desks in lecture halls are difficult to write with.

the trimmer, where we had to mount our work, a pencil sharpener, even a ruler

The whiteboard and the overhead because my hand blocks what I am writing when I write.

things in chemistry are set for right-handed people and there aren’t any left-handed things.

things in technology class especially, like saws and vices etc

Things such as scissors, markers, and other art equipment

This might sound real strange but I believe that it is more natural for me to flip the pages of a book beginning with the BACK of the book! Not EVERY time, but often, I have found myself interested in the back of the book first, then working my way toward the front. The only problem I had with that was, I would receive the information in backwards order. Magazines work well with me because articles are relatively small and if I read from back to front I wont have much confusion because then its on to ads and other stuff that doesn’t require order.

Those all-in-one desk / chairs with the arm rest on the right side of the chair. Left-handers writing arm is dangling out in air while writing.

Those stupid desks that are designed for right-handed people. There is no writing space on the left side of the desk. All of our high school desks are for “NORMAL” people.

Those white out thingies…where you grip it with your right hand. It gets all messed up if you use the left hand. And pencils in general because they smudge and I got a bump on my finger from holding it over the years.

Three ring binders!!!!!!!!

three ring binders, spiral notebooks

Throughout my school life I have always been trained to use my right hand, even though I was left handed and therefore I don’t really struggle, even though I would have preferred to use my left hand.

Tin opener, letter opener

Tin openers

Tin openers, sharp knives and hockey sticks.

Tools in D&T

tools used in DT, kitchen knives in cooking

toolsnote

using the pencil sharpener….opening doors because the handle is on the other sidee…

violin

Virtually all power tools.

wall mounted pencil sharpeners were hard for me, and the college style desks, with the kidney shaped desktop that’s only on the right side.

Wall-mounted pencil sharpeners.

when measuring with rulers.

when we use a protractor, or ruler, I cant read the measurement because my hand covers it!

When we were learning calligraphy. I can remember holding the pen at a right-hander’s angle and doing a very good job in spite of it all.

white board

White board, overhead projector, drinking fountain

white boards

White boards are the most common problem at my setting, the writing gets rubbed off as the child goes along if an inappropriate penhold is used.

White boards, blackboards etc & that’s as an ESOL tutor.

white boards, chalk boards

white boards,scissors,calligraphy pens.

whiteboard pens & interactive white board. Mouse in ICT suite – no lefthanded mice!

Whiteboards are a nightmare.

Whiteboards Knives Saws

WHITEBOARDS!

Wood chisels, saws, woodwork benched because the vice was always at the wrong end for me, hand drills even….Technical drawing boards…lathes milling machines, bench drills…..

wood cutting and other equipment in design and technology

Wood Shop tools… I adapted because it was only a half year course

Wood work and cooking utensils could sometimes be cumbersome

woodword / metal work tools

woodwork, metalwork equiment etc

Woodworking equipment and power tools. All are designed for right handed people. It is dangerous to use them left-handed, so I’m forced to use the right-handed.

working in small tables in groups of six children is very hard.

Worst–large paper cutter. Scantron machine also bad.

would like left handed rulers, grips, pens, keyboard, mouse etc

writing in three ring binders, for instance siging your name in a teachers 3 ring binger

Writing on board or flip chart.

Writing on the blackboard was and still is difficult

Years ago,I adapted to the right handed tools.

yes I tick backwards and hold sports bats opposite way to every one else

Yes scissors are the worst.

yes.when I was studying in college, I found that the chair that with a table on top which normally found in lecture room, the design is terrible, because the “table” is in right hand side, so it is extremely difficult when using for example my back and shoulders always feel hurt because no support on the left hand side..

Left-Handers School Experiences SurveyAnalysis

Left-Handers School Experiences Survey
Analysis