The world is not fully compatible for left-handed people. Even a simple task like using a computer can cause irritation. A good example is the keyboard; it was originally designed with the number pad on the right side, making it only ergonomically friendly to a right-hander. Now there are many keyboards designed for left-handers making it more comfortable and healthy. Thanks to O.S.H.A. regulations it’s now something businesses are more conscious of too.

The number of left-handed people in the world is over six hundred million. Studies and specialist have shown that every one in ten human beings are left-handed. It is estimated that over one billion people will be left-landed by the year 2020.

• O.S.H.A.: Information on how to select the proper equipment and computer keyboard arrangement.
• PubMedCentral: Are left-handed people considered handicapped?
• BBC: Psychologists have studied how left-handed people view the world compared to how right-handed people view the world.

A person has a higher chance of being left-handed when specific things interfere and genetics play a role. If both parents use their left hand then this trait will most likely be passed on to their offspring. Some specific groups that have a higher rate of people who use their left hand are people with a history of: allergies, alcoholism, epilepsy, and eczema. Careers of some left-handed people are: professional baseball players, architects, lawyers, and musicians. Many left-handed people achieve their college diploma and go on to obtain their MBA and PhD.

• Stanford: A geneticist explains how one could become left handed if at least one of their parents is. The different traits can pass down through generations.

• Reuters: A study suggests women that are left-handed have a shorter life span than others.

Some different trivia and myths about being left-handed are:

• The right hand means male and the left hand is female

• The devil has been associated with the left hand

• Romans and Greeks favored the right hand side

• You will receive bad luck if you sew the left hand side of a shirt before the right hand side.

Some famous left handed people include Dan Aykroyd, Natalie Cole, James Baldwin, and Barack Obama.

• Famous Left-Handers: A resource of left-handed people from presidents to actors.

There are many services and products available today for people that use their left hand. As times are changing and more people start to use their left hand, there is a greater need to accommodate lefties; there is big business in this industry. Educational institutions and government agencies are recognizing the need for special services to meet the needs of the growing left-handed population. Special scholarships are available for left-handed students; all that is required is a high school diploma.

• School Scholarships: Special scholarships available to students that are left handed.

• Anything Left Handed Store: Products and services that are produced by left-handed people for left-handed people.

Products available on the market today for left-handed people, which are different than the ones available for right-handed people, are:

• Scissors

• Knife Set

• Geometry Set

• Peeler

• Can Openers
• Many Other Products

Sometimes the littlest things make a huge difference. There are numerous support groups available from parenting groups to school groups. The groups’ intentions are to help left-handed people live in a right-handed world.