RE: [OS:N:] What my school would need...

[Access Systems <accessys smart net>]

On Tue, 29 Jan 2002, Miko O'Sullivan wrote:

> Janina:
> 
> I've been following the debate with interest all day.  The issue of accessibility in software is a crucial question for the open source movement.  We claim that open source is a movement for the people, but it isn't for all the people.
> 
> I'd like to see if we can boil the discussion down to a few very central points.  Given your expertise and experience, what would be your responses to these questions?
> 
>  1) If the federal government wanted to adopt only open source software
> from now on, would it be able to do so with currently available software
> and still meet accessibility regulations?

yes
> 
>  2) Is there a Linux distribution and user software available that
> allows visually impaired people to surf the web (leaving aside for the
> moment the abysmal accessibility of most web sites), exchange email, and
> generally conduct the online business of life?

yes
> 
>  3) In what type of software does the open source movement fall most
> short of addressing the needs of the visually impaired?  Of other
> disabilities?

better versions of the above.

Bob

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