I am using a Rotary Encoder with the eQEP as an input device.
Initially I had a service that monitored sysfs changes to the count and injected right or left arrow keys based on the change.
But the existing eqep driver did not notify changes correctly and once I found the need to change it, I added the key injection into the driver itself.
I posted that here several months ago. I will look at your driver, the changes to use an RE as an input device are pretty simple.
Maybe some others find them useful.