It can be a good option for people with deficits in fine motor control. This configuration helps to avoid accidental movement of the cursor before a selection is made. It can be especially helpful for individuals who have tremors or ataxic movements. On some trackballs, the buttons are programmable, allowing the user to designate the buttons as single, double, left and right clicks, or latching for dragging. If fine motor control seems to be a problem but gross motor control is intact, a joystick is a viable navigation option.
Joysticks use more arm movement and less wrist movement.
A joystick requires less range of motion than does a mouse, and can be especially helpful for someone with carpal tunnel syndrome or repetitive stress disorder. If the user has good fine motor control but has limited gross motor function or range of motion, then a TrackPad can be useful. This flat, touch-sensitive pad can be placed just about anywhere, from the chair armrest to the user's lap. The user maneuvers the cursor around the computer desktop by simply touching the pad and sliding a finger along the surface. Clicking options range from tapping the pad to using buttons located below the touch surface.