Looking for a Programming Project which would really benefit blind people

[John covici]

There are speakup disks for Debian which self-install, and I think
there is one for RedHat 9, but you need a hardware synthesizer for
those to work.

Linux is something you need to learn some before you fool with it,
but the alternative is Windows and that can be a pain.

Now if there were a way to make the xp recovery console speak -- now
that would be useful!  Problem is that in that console many drivers
are not loaded yet.  

In Linux, a good sound editor would be very nice, there is one in
CVS, but its still primitive called awe.

on Thursday 02/26/2004 herzog at frontiernet.net(herzog at frontiernet.net) wrote
 > I agree about the  " what is
 > needed is an installation disk that will produce braille and/or speech
 > immediately, so that a blind person could carry out the installation."
 > 
 >     I've been following the list for over a year now, and have yet to see 
 > such a disk, or any references to it at any price.  So as to "There are 
 > others on this list with experience in this area."; it has not been 
 > apparent to me.
 >       I've never seen  an available one shot install for any machine.
 > It may seem trivial to you, but many would be greatly helped.
 > I've been on such a unrequited quest for several years.
 > 
 > I thought Linux and EdMac would be the cheap fix for the blind.    So far 
 > Linux is only simple when you know, and Way too hard for a newbie; much 
 > less a blind person, to start alone.  And I have not learned enough to 
 > help.  I still think that there is a real need for the blind person to have 
 > a simple install, similar to the sighted person's Redhat 9 install disks.
 > 
 >       Many elderly people just want a talking E-mail to help fill in their 
 > social isolation. Especially needed is the simple to use mail program that 
 > is immune to  virus, or require Norton, etc. and can be simply installed on 
 > any old computer that has or can accept a sound board.
 >       After they get started they are ready to add letter writers (Word 
 > Processing) and printing; Yes many use their outputs to sighted people.
 > 
 > Will
 > At 02:20 PM 2/25/04, John wrote:
 > >There are already lots of screenreaders fro Linux, and they are all free.
 > >I'm using brltty myself, since i use braille. Others use Speakup or
 > >Emacspeak. Fedora may already include some of these, but I don't know
 > >since I haven't messed with it. I'm using Redhat 8.0. Perhaps what is
 > >needed is an installation disk that will produce braille and/or speech
 > >immediately, so that a blind person could carry out the installation.
 > >There are others on this list with experience in this area. I'm looking
 > >for an actual programming project.
 > >
 > >John
 > >
 > > > >So I'm looking for suggestions for programs that would really benefit
 > > > >blind people. I think a text-mode program, possibly using the curses
 > > > >library, would be most appropriate. I've tested Gnome and Gnopernicus, but
 > > > >they really aren't ready for normal use by blind persons, at least not for
 > > > >those who use braille displays.
 > > > >
 > > > >On a related subject, I really can't see any inherent advantage to a GUI
 > > > >unless you can actually SEE the screen. All the usability features can be
 > > > >implemented in text mode.
 > > > >
 > > > >Thanks,
 > > > >
 > > > >
 > > > >--
 > > > >John J. Boyer; Executive Director, Chief Software Developer
 > > > >Computers to Help People, Inc.
 > > > >http://www.chpi.org
 > > > >825 East Johnson; Madison, WI 53703
 > > > >
 > 
 > 
 > 
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 > Blinux-list at redhat.com
 > https://www.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/blinux-list

-- 
         John Covici
         covici at ccs.covici.com