Translations by Adam Collard

This guide is for users, system administrators, and anyone who is interested in how Ubuntu supports people with disabilities and addresses the requirements of Section 508 of the U.S. Rehabilitation Act.

2007

Ubuntu Documentation Team Members

Ubuntu Documentation for Ubuntu 7.10

October 2007

GNOME 2.20 Desktop Accessibility Guide V2.14.0

September 2007

This manual describes version 2.20 of the GNOME Desktop.

To report a bug or make a suggestion regarding Ubuntu documentation, please see <ulink url="https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu-doc/+bugs">the bug tracker</ulink>.

Enabling Accessibility Tools

Select <guilabel>Enable assistive technologies</guilabel> and then press <guibutton>Close and Log Out</guibutton>.

Once basic assistive technology support is enabled, it is possible to start accessibility services such as the screen reader, screen magnifier and on-screen keyboard.

<emphasis>Keyboard Desktop Navigation</emphasis> - allows users to navigate the desktop without using a mouse or pointer device.

<emphasis>Accessible Login</emphasis> - users can configure the login screen to be more accessible.

To configure GDM, perform the following steps:

From low vision to blindness, the range of visual limitations is broad. Symptoms of low vision include dimness, haziness, extreme far-sightedness or near-sightedness, colour blindness, and tunnel vision, among others. People with these disabilities are concerned with being able to see text or images on a computer screen and being able to perform tasks that require eye-hand coordination, such as moving a computer mouse. Text size and colour can make a big difference in legibility for people who have low vision.

<emphasis>Screen Magnifier</emphasis> - this is like a magnifying glass. People using them are able to control what area of the computer screen they want enlarged, and can move that focus to view different areas of the screen. They are also known as screen enlargers or large print programs.

<emphasis>Screen Reader</emphasis> - this makes on-screen information available as synthesized speech or a refreshable Braille display. They can only translate text based information. Graphics can be translated if there is alternative text describing the visual images. They are also known as blind access utilities or screen reviewers.

<emphasis>Desktop Appearance Enhancement</emphasis> - users can configure the desktop to be easy to read, for example by increasing text size and using high contrast themes.

The <application>Orca Screen Reader and Magnifier</application> application enables users with limited vision, or no vision, to use the GNOME Desktop and associated applications. <application>Orca</application> provides the following functionality:

The following sections provide information about Orca and how to use it.

Orca is a flexible, extensible, and powerful assistive technology for people with visual impairments. Using various combinations of speech synthesis, braille, and magnification, Orca helps provide access to applications and toolkits that support the AT-SPI (e.g., the GNOME desktop). Orca is also free open source software.

One of the first DOS screen readers was Flipper by Omnichron corporation in Berkeley, CA. It was named Flipper in part because the blind wife of the programmer envisioned computers as being programmed by flipping switches (an accurate image of a bygone era). Then came another DOS screen reader from Henter-Joyce in Florida - "Jobs access With Speech" (or JAWS). Meanwhile in the UK we had the company Dolphin systems making their own DOS screen reader.

While there isn't otherwise an obvious connection between blindness and creatures from the sea, there is certainly a long tradition around it.