Linux Accessibility

What is Linux accessibility? Linux Accessibility in this context is basically a way of describing the requirement for alternative input / output methods in the Linux operating system for people with disabilities. My main area of focus within accessibility is technology catered for people with visual impairments.

This section has a number of goals: Host audio based reviews and how to's, provide a small repository of accessibility related fixes of packages that are not included in online updates for OpenSuSE, and provide a resource of links to what I consider to be important or informative websites or articles on the topic.

Audio reviews and guides

In this section I offer you a growing number of audio based reviews and step by step how to's. They are sure to be of interest to the very basic right to the more advanced of you out there.

Many people inparticular have found the review of Linux with Orca of particular benefit. It will show you once and for all that Linux is a very compelling option for those of you already using Windows. If your new to technology then it's even better! It's free, it's easy to use and it's extensively supported!

Documentation

While working in the support industry, I've come to appreciate the importants of comprehensive documentation. For this reason, I aim to utilize my time as Technical Lead in the OpenSuSE support team as much as I can in this regard. I really want to push the creation of detailed bugzilla reports for my self and across the team I assist. I also want to document as many of the challenges I surmount as possible so that others can benefit.

To that end, you will find some of the accessibility related documentation I have contributed to and / or written below. Note, these pages will open in a new window.

text based instructions

Using commands that are read out in an audio based walk through can sometimes be very difficult. For that reason, I have written a few blog posts that will guide you through some of the more complicated stages of getting system up and running.

I cant promis that I will write many of these guides as my time is very limited at the moment however feel free to leave a comment and I'll try to get around to the most complicated or useful of them

Other readers comments

Comment left by DArragh.
Shaun, The registration links are dead as their no longer required.

Comment left by shaun everiss.
Just got on your site. For about 6 months now I have been studdying the linux system using fedore core3 and well 2 years out of uni and the tech for linux has jumped. I was using an old dectalk that was rather broke and a second pc. I may have a pc to perminantly load linux on so I can have a windows and a linux pc now. that really is good. I have for a while got the ubuntu distrobution, but up till now was not that interested. The command line of linux is like dos but its complicated to say the least ie you can’t just go to a directory on a drive without mounting the drive. I however want something to play old dos games, I have a windows system to play windows games but I have a slower receant system about 3 years old that should in theory run this stuff. One thing on the site is the reg system link to get accounts on here is dead as is one of the accessibility links at the top, although I do hope to listen to your files.

Comment left by Big D.
Cool, thanks! Sorry, I don’t know any css. I don’t even know what css is lol.

Comment left by Darragh.
Hay Big D, yes, the question on the form is really simple but it’s worked so far. this isn’t a high volume section of the site so it will do for the moment. This entire section could really do with a huge overhall. I just don’t have the time at the moment. Pluss, I’m looking for a really good CSS developer to help me with it. In realtion to your linux stuff, I’m glad you enjoyed the walk through. I’ve posted instructions for installing ESpeak in OpenSuSE 11. just google it and you’ll find a page on this site and one on the OpenSuSE wikki.

Comment left by Big D.
Sorry for the double comment, I just thought of this. I will very much look forward to something on installing ESpeak, I hate festival too and have a problem understanding it sometimes, like what’s with the way it says ing at the end of a word? I had to listen to that several times to get it lol.Also I noticed the verification question is the same, please type the results of adding 2 pluss 3. Is that just random or is it the same every time? Are automated friends may figure it out eventually. Thanks and love the OpenSuse installation tutorial!!!

Comment left by Big D.
Wow, been forever since I’ve been here, I just heard someone going through there email on skype though, mentioning an accessible boot menu in opensuse. Great walkthrough! I have a r’r’r’’rr’realy old pc with a 7.84gb hard disk, a p3 processor and 256 mb of ram, think I’ll try installing Opensuse on it. Think it would work? Also is there a way to install it without booting the OS? That would take for’r’rhrrhrhrhr’r’r’r’r’rr’r’r’rever! lol. Thanks! PS: You didn’t bore me to tears when installing, I thought it was quite intersting.

Comment left by Alonzo.
Hello. I appreciate your informatoin and helpfulness on ubuntu. I enjoy the operating system and enjy using it as apposed to Windows. My name is Alonzo and I wanted to thank you. I still have a windwos instllation, but am trying ot reverte to a different operating system other then windows.

Comment left by Darragh.
Hello Keith, The resception of attachments and certain other possibly dangerous attributes are blocked on my server therefore some users recieve a bounce back when they try to email me. Unfortunately this is a possible inconveenience to completely block spam and security threats. For updating Ubuntu, try searching for a guide on Google. Instructions for updating orca can be found at http://live.gnome.org/Orca.

Comment left by Keith Hinton.
Darragh, I attempted to email you at D@DigitalDarragh.com, but I couldn’t do so..that address doesn’t work-- Great audio review on updating Orca. However, I had a lot of trouble following everything from apt-get isntall Subversion, (or was it SVN) see? Can’t remeber, Apt-Get isntall what was the stupid thing...GNOME-common-something--...can’t remember what it is... Then whatever the commands are for upgrading the entire system... Could you write those instructions down in a text file? If Not, you may email me, or whatever. Let me know, maybe a blog-post? Who knows. LOL. Regards, --Keith

Comment left by Earle Zwicker.
They are slowly putting all of them up on Blind Cool Tech. I just noticed they put the installing Ubuntu 8.04 up.

Comment left by DArragh.
Brandon, I’ve submitted them all, so it’s really up to them. I’d encourage you to contact the owner of blind cool tech to ask him to put them up.

Comment left by Brandon Misch.
Hey. glad the linux accessibility thing is on blind cool tech. are the other recordings going to be on there?

Comment left by Darragh.
Aidan, sounds like an excelent idea. I really should start making a list of walk throughs that I’ve been asked to do. Unfortunately, this week I’ve a big job on outside my normal work so more recordings will come soon however just not as soon as I’d like

Comment left by Aiden Gardiner.
Hi Darragh, Excellent sight, and I really enjoy your linux recordings. Would it be possible to do a recording on networking with Linux, EG, getting it to operate with a windows domain and setting up access via SSH and so forth? I’m totally new to linux, and i’m very interested in how linux systems co-exist with machines running other operating systems on the same network.

Comment left by Earle Zwicker.
Hi Darragh. I just tried to listen to your downloading and installing firefox file, but it cuts out after 15 minutes. When you get to the point where you were explaining why you thought Orca wouldn’t read in gedit, the file cuts off. I’ve really learned a lot from your other tutorials, and I hope you keep recording them, since they really are a great resource for newbies like myself.

Comment left by Darragh.
Earle, I’m really glad to hear that these have been of use to you. Unfortunately, I’ve had other commitments take me away from further recordings this week but I hope to start back again from Monday. Thanks for your feedback.

Comment left by Darragh.
Raymond, It will all depend. you’ve given me nothing to start from. What virtual machine application are you using? paralels? VmWare? If you have a virtual machine application installed, you’ve obviously booted it to start the installation of Ubuntu. Justboot it again to continue using it. I’ve installed Ubuntu 8.04 in work on a VM and Paralels virtual machine with absolutely no problem. The only problem at the start was slow network connectivity but after installing VMWare tools, this has no longer caused any issues.

Comment left by Earle Zwicker.
Hi Darragh. I really appreciat all of the audio and other information that you’ve put on your site. I’ve found it to be of great value to me. Keep up the great work. I am new to Linux and need all the help I can get.

Comment left by raymond Lombardi.
I have ubuntu on my system right now, and I want to use it in a vurtural machine. how do I get the linux os started when I reboot my machine in windows?

Comment left by Darragh.
Morning all, I’ve submitted the recordings to the blind cool tech website. Hopefully we’ll see them up there soon. The next recording will focus on Evolution and Pidgin. After that, I’ll re-record the firefox recording.

Comment left by Brandon Misch.
I have a good idea. to spread linux accessibility awareness, you could upload your linux audio walk throughs to blind cool tech since most of those listeners are windows users.

Comment left by Brandon.
since you just made a new walk through, are you going to remove the old firefox one since it’s incomplete. just wondering what’s the point of having that one on there if it isn’t complete?

Comment left by Darragh.
Hello Brandan, My plan is to do it with 8.04 and demonstrate that although it’s great to have accessibility in Firefox 3 by default in your newly installed system, it can be further enhanced with bug fixes and features by upgrading to the latest nightly build. This is also why I have almost finished the second recording focusing on configuring and updating Orca.

Comment left by Brandon.
you could do it with 8.04 or just use 7.10 if you have it installed as 8.04 already comes with firefox. and Orca has been updated recently. that way, you can take the old one off and replace it with the new one.

Comment left by Darragh.
Yes. your absolutely right. At some stage I need to get around to re-recording that one.

Comment left by Brandon Misch.
great site. although the guide to installing firefox and orca is incomplete. don’t know if it’s just my system or is it only 15 minutes long? can you check it? just my thought on that one. the rest are complete. Just thought I would let you know.

Comment left by Darragh.
Spam is gone! Now all I have to do is write the detection for more unwanted spam to make sure they don’t get through.

Comment left by Darragh.
Big D, I’m going to get on to coding some kind of administration back end to remove these comments then I’ll get onto writing an accessible verification test for the comment form later. BTW, there’s a new audio guide for the installation of Ubuntu 8.04. The second recording for this version of Ubuntu that will guide users through setting up their system, updating orca and getting the most from Ubuntu will hopefully be recorded tonight when I finish work.

Comment left by Big d, otherwise known as.
It’s ok, was just looking and noticed all these comments. What about some form of accessible varification before comments are processed? Thanks and cool site!!!

Comment left by Darragh.
Sorry about the spam. I haven’t had time to get rid of it. Soon though hopefully.

Comment left by Big D!.
What, an AI bot? I’ll say it again, for all the bots among us. Darragh dude, please fix your site! Loads of spam comments!

Comment left by Big D.
Hey please fix your site! Lots of crappy comments about sex and other bla. Thought this was about linux?

Add your comments

If you have a comment or suggestion to make about this page please add it using the form below.









Related links