Abstract: Disclosed are various forms of hand-held communication devices which serve as alternatives to a keyboard and which, in addition, allow the user to receive communications via the sense of touch. Although not so limited, the device is well-adapted for use by persons who are speechless, deaf and speechless, or even blind, deaf and speechless. The present invention provides particularly compact and efficient finger movement actuated communication devices for individually responding to thrust and push motions of at least one finger of a person's hand. Thus, each finger can operate two switch elements, and the four fingers of a person's hand can operate eight switch elements in predetermined combinations suitable, for example, for communication in a binary code. In a first disclosed embodiment, a handle-like body supports eight switch actuators arranged as four pairs, with each of the pairs corresponding to a particular finger.