A Keyboard for Ghanaian languages

Two Software Engineers at Nokia Corporation, Finland, Kyekyeku Opoku-Pong and Isaac Quarshie have come up with a keyboard design for Ghanaian languages. The keyboard in its prototype state can be used for most of the Ghanaian languages including Akan, Ga, and some of the northern languages. The keyboard modifies the standard 101 QWERTY keyboard to include the ?open letter o? pronounced ?ooh? in Akan and the ?open letter e? pronounced ?eeh? in Akan and the ?eng? character used in Ga, Adangbe and some of the northern languages. This means that the user Ghana type English as usual and also type in the Ghanaian languages at will. The keyboard also the cedi sign.

According to the designers, their aim was to contribute to the ICT revolution in Ghana. Kyekyeku Opoku-Pong and Isaac Quarshie remarked that in the beginning of this endeavour, they had no idea how to implement the keyboard but with perseverance, they have now achieved what one day will give every Ghanaian the chance to type freely any Ghanaian language on the computer.

The keyboard has been tested on Windows 2000 but should work with Windows XP. The designers hope that Ghana government all the right authorities will support their efforts. The sort of help they will include the recommendation of the right layout by an authority in Ghana, the set characters that will make the final design good for most or all of the major languages in Ghana and the funding and promotion of the keyboard.