Equipment Bias against left-handed people

1 equipment

1.1 household items

1.1.1 scissors
1.1.2 computer input devices
1.1.3 knives
1.1.4 cameras


1.2 musical instruments
1.3 sports
1.4 weapons
1.5 machinery

equipment

left-handed (left) , right-handed (right) scissors



kitchen knives: (1) symmetrical, (2) right-handed, (3) left-handed. cross sections seen handle.

because vast majority of world population right-handed, everyday items mass-produced ease of use right hand. tools, game equipment, musical instruments , other items must specially ordered left-handed use, if produced , more expensive right-handed counterparts.

household items

right-handed tools can difficult, uncomfortable, or dangerous left-handed people use.

scissors

for example, (right-handed) scissors arranged that, in right hand, fingers , thumb push blades laterally, creating shearing action essential scissors utility. in left hand, however, fingers , thumb tend force right-handed blades apart, that, rather being sheared, work-material merely hacked, knife, or slips between blades uncut. left-handers using right-handed scissors try compensate forcing handles apart laterally, causing discomfort or injury first knuckle of thumb.

in addition, right-handed person using right-handed scissors can see cutting line, left-handed user upper blade obscures view.

many scissors offered ambidextrous or suitable right- or left-handed use. typically, these merely right-handed scissors modified handles permit use in left hand less discomfort, because blades still arranged right-handed use, not perform in left hand.

computer input devices

input devices computers can present obstacles left-handed operation if intended right-handed use. computer set-ups have mouse placed on right side of keyboard , unable repositioned left. mouse shaped fit right hand better. functions of mouse buttons, on mice shaped fit both hands, default right-hand use. on two-button mice, left button —under index finger of right-handed person— primary button, while right button performs secondary functions. on-screen pointers configured right-handed people. desktop operating systems allow user reverse functionality of mouse buttons accommodate left-handed use, left-handed cursors need specially downloaded. trackballs , trackpads shaped right-handed use. ability change functionality of buttons, these devices may difficult left-handed use. left handed person there computer mice designed left handed use, smaller segment of marketplace.

a right-handed trackball difficult use left hand.


knives

while european-style kitchen knives symmetrical, japanese kitchen knives have cutting edge ground asymmetrically, having cutting edge closer user s body ratios ranging 70–30 average chef s knife, 90–10 professional sushi chef knives; left-handed models rare, , must specially ordered or custom made. on other hand, majority of flat ground general-purpose knives typically have cutting edge on right, left-handed knife, aesthetic reasons rather practical.

cameras

one of few cameras ever produced left-handers half-frame yashica samurai. cameras predominantly have hand grip, shutter release, film wind lever , commonly used selection buttons, switches , dials controlled right hand. lens controls (where present) tend accessible either hand. when unskilled left-handed person uses right-handed camera hand control can less steady , hence produce camera shake leading poorer pictures @ low shutter speeds.

musical instruments

left-handed adaptations have bridged world of music. left-handed string instruments produced, including guitars , violins. there have been inverted pianos lowest notes correspond rightmost keys instead of leftmost. inverted trumpets made, too. although trumpet s valves designed operated right hand, prevailing belief left-handed trumpeters not @ significant disadvantage. french horn, example, played left hand, yet horn players right-handed. left handed drummers set drum kits exact opposite conventional right-handed setup (i.e. hi-hat on right, bass pedal under left foot, ride cymbal drummer s left, etc.).

sports

a left-handed individual may known southpaw, particularly in sports context. accepted term originated in united states, in game of baseball. ballparks designed batters facing east, afternoon or evening sun not shine in eyes. means left-handed pitchers throwing south-side arm. oxford english dictionary lists non-baseball citation south paw , meaning punch left hand, 1848, 3 years after first organized baseball game, note (orig. u.s., in baseball). left-handed advantage in sports can significant , decisive, advantage results left-handed competitor s unshared familiarity opposite-handed opponents. baseball exception since batters, pitchers, , fielders in scenarios physically advantaged or disadvantaged handedness.

in baseball, due direction in curveballs , sliders break, accepted pitcher has advantage when handedness same batter s, , batter has advantage when opposite. reason, many baseball teams include left-handed specialist pitcher, brought game pitch dangerous left-handed batters in crucial situations. left-handed first baseman uses more fluid motion tag out baserunner returning first base during pickoff attempt pitcher , has less difficulty avoiding baserunners while presenting mitt target other fielders throw to. uncommon see left-handed player playing infield position other pitcher or first basemen due counterclockwise flow of game when throwing ball around bases. fielder s handedness either physical advantage or hindrance similar reasons throughout infield positions, , left-handedness not more desirable dexterousness.

left-handed bowlers @ advantage during ten-pin bowling competition when hooking ball pins left side of lane. there fewer left-handed players, lane s left side not used much, , applied oil pattern not change right-handed bowlers.

in boxing, boxes left-handed referred southpaw. term used refer stance in boxer places right foot in front of left, possible right-handed boxer box southpaw stance. boxers, southpaw or otherwise, tend train sparring partners adopt orthodox stance gives southpaws advantage. manny pacquiao example of southpaw (although writes right hand). in popular boxing film series rocky, main character rocky balboa southpaw. southpaw term in professional wrestling, giving them advantage.

fencing weapons feature left- , right-handed grips, , left-handed fencer s stance opposite of right-handed opponent. though commonly asserted left-handed fencers have advantage on right-handed opponents because line of defence favors sword arm, assertion describes both fencers in mixed-handed duel, neither competitor has unique physical advantage. left-hander s advantage in fencing stems right-hander s unfamiliarity left-handed stance.

the game of golf commonly played right-handed, , left-handed players typically must provide own special golf clubs. game can played both hands, provided player has both left- , right-handed clubs, giving advantage on one-handed players. professional golfer phil mickelson plays left-handed though naturally right-handed.

in tennis, southpaws hold racket in left hand. because of this, grip of handle supposedly adjusted in different style right-handed players. world champion left-handed tennis players include jimmy connors, guillermo vilas, john mcenroe, martina navratilova, marcelo ríos, goran ivanišević , rafael nadal.

weapons

a navy seals left-handed shooter

the vast majority of firearms designed right-handed shooters, operating handle, magazine release, or safety mechanisms set manipulation right hand, , fired cartridge cases ejected right. also, scopes , sights may mounted in such way require shooter place rifle against right shoulder. left-handed shooter must either purchase left-handed or ambidextrous firearm (which manufactured in smaller numbers , more expensive and/or harder obtain), shoot right-handed gun left-handed (which presents difficulties, such controls being improperly located left hand or hot shell cases being ejected towards shooter s body, eyes or down collar or right sleeve), or learn shoot right-handed (which may less comfortable or natural ). related issue ocular dominance, due left-handed people may wish shoot right-handed, , vice versa.

some modern firearms ambidextrous (e.g. fn p90 , heckler & koch p7), or can converted between right- , left-handed operation (e.g. heckler & koch g36 , steyr aug). bullpup rifles particularly problematic left-handers unless can reconfigured, since empty shells ejected straight shooter s face , cheek potentially causing injury, or otherwise designed ground ambidextrous use, way of complex ejection systems seen on fn f2000 , kel-tec rfb. british l85 assault rifle must fired right-handed, placing left-handed soldiers @ disadvantage. in contrast, steyr aug of modular design , ejection port , extractor can switched/replaced suit handedness of soldier operating it. m-16 , variants have fixed ejection port, being conventional (i.e. not bullpup) design ejection port forward of operator , hence able fired either-handed. circa 1985, introduction of m16a2 version, case deflector incorporated adjacent ejector port direct discarded shells in more forward direction, making rifle more left hand operator friendly. deflector not effective, however, ejected shell still stands chance of hitting left-handed shooter s cheek, in windy conditions.

lever action , pump action firearms present fewer difficulties left-handers bolt action weapons do. many weapons adjustable sights allow left-handed use, right eye dominant shooter necessary adjust. in fact, weapons adjust enough weapon not eject shells left-hander s eye.

machinery

power tools, machinery , other potentially dangerous equipment typically manufactured right-handed user in mind. common problems faced left-handed operators include inability keep materials steady, , difficulty reaching on/off switch, in emergency situations. table saws, blades protrude top of table , pose risk of losing fingers or hands, have cutting area on right side. makes difficult left-handed operator guide material being cut, must pushed right side align fence avoid kickback. on bandsaws, blade teeth on left side of blade, necessitating material being cut pushed left side of machine. however, @ angle, casing of machine containing rest of blade on operator s left side, making extremely difficult guide wood left hand.

handheld circular saws made exclusively right-handers, motor , grip on right side. if held in left hand, impossible operator see cutting. tool manufacturer porter-cable produces left-handed circular saw can purchased relatively inexpensively.