Re: "Accessibility in Fedora Workstation" (fwd)

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The only problem with voxin is that it uses incredibly ancient libraries which may stop working any day now. Sigh.

----- Original Message -----
From: Linux for blind general discussion <blinux-list@xxxxxxxxxx>
To: Linux for blind general discussion <blinux-list@xxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Sat, 13 Aug 2022 19:29:22 -0400
Subject: Re: "Accessibility in Fedora Workstation" (fwd)

> I used JAWS before I used Orca.  I had to learn some new things, but not
many, so I had no reason to think we needed the makers of JAWS (whatever
name they now use) to port it to Linux.  It also seems to me a strange
combination, Linux distributions containing solely or primarily free
software (almost always free of charge as well as the "four freedoms"
and JAWS, which was and remains proprietary.  I have no idea what it
would cost that company to create a JAWS that works seamlessly with the
Linux kernel and the software running under it, but I so far have no
reason for wanting to pay for that.


The one thing I like about JAWS when I need to use our Windows machine
is Eloquence.  It's the main reason my wife gives me for not wanting to
move to Linux.  I've always assumed that somebody with the time, tools,
and knowledge, or some group, could create free software voices as good
as Eloquence.  Maybe I should even try to be such a programmer, but that
will not be soon.  In the meantime, I guess, there is Voxin, which I
think is not free software, in terms of freedom, but is cheaper than JAWS.


Al


On 8/13/22 16:01, Linux for blind general discussion wrote:
> there was an interesting discussion a month or so back on the blinux
> list about how long it took completing tasks in the gui as apposed to
> say command line,  the comments were quite informative.
> Still, fs has never marketed largely to the end user. Instead they
> market to the American rehab community.
> how much market research has  the rehab community done to support the
> need for choices?
> How many rehab counselors support  training in Linux?
> one comment made by the subject of this thread about poor quality
> speech is a fine one...out of the box Linux has few speech choices. 
> everyone brings their needs to the table there.
>
> if you want to get fs to care about Linux, you  need to prove there is
> money for  them there, from their main source of income.
>
>
>
> On Sat, 13 Aug 2022, K0LNY_Glenn wrote:
>
>> Well since Orca seems to work on so many distros, I don't know why FS
>> would
>> not be able to do the same.
>> If Jaws users could switch into Linux, it would be a real game
>> changer, and
>> I think with lots more Blind Linux users, we would start seeing
>> accessibility in Linux not being a second thought.
>> Glenn
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Karen Lewellen" <klewellen@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>> To: "K0LNY_Glenn" <glenn@ervin.email>
>> Cc: <speakup@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>; "Milan Zamazal" <pdm@xxxxxxxxxxx>;
>> <Blinux-list@xxxxxxxxxx>
>> Sent: Saturday, August 13, 2022 1:47 PM
>> Subject: Re: "Accessibility in Fedora Workstation" (fwd)
>>
>>
>> Well technically freedom scientific does not exist any longer, being
>> bought
>> by another company.
>> Still, I can respect why they, or nvda have not created their tools for
>> Linux.
>> That is because as I understand it, Linux is  quite like clay. You can
>> mold a distribution into almost anything. there are various
>> personifications of the system, all sorts of ways and changes and
>> options
>> for creativity.
>> however adaptive tools are often extensions of physical characteristics,
>> hands, eyes, ears, brains, combinations of these.
>> To build solid assistive tools one must have a solid  foundation as it
>> were.  that is part of why there have needed to be so few Apple
>> efforts at
>> inclusion, they  created  with, and then created in-house adaptive tools
>> for various  populations that were built into the system.
>> Although Microsoft did not bother until much later, in theory at
>> least, the
>> consistency of windows is what makes it possible for freedom or the
>> former
>> gw  micro or nvda to create something that can in theory  work.
>> Floor for the furniture is somewhat solid.
>> Just my thoughts,
>>
>>
>>
>> On Sat, 13 Aug 2022, K0LNY_Glenn wrote:
>>
>>> I would like to see Freedom Scientific make a Jaws For Linux.
>>> JFL
>>> I'd certainly pay the yearly rental fee for it, and it would bring many
>>> more
>>> users into Linux.
>>> FS could, with its resources, possibly make it more robust than Orca.
>>>
>>> Glenn
>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>> From: "Milan Zamazal" <pdm@xxxxxxxxxxx>
>>> To: <speakup@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>>> Cc: <Blinux-list@xxxxxxxxxx>
>>> Sent: Saturday, August 13, 2022 12:08 PM
>>> Subject: Re: "Accessibility in Fedora Workstation" (fwd)
>>>
>>>
>>>>>>>> "KL" == Karen Lewellen <klewellen@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> writes:
>>>
>>>    KL> What bothers me most are his lack of actual qualifications, and
>>>    KL> absolute dismissal of what he has not experienced..as if he
>>>    KL> defines Linux usage for everyone.  That attitude is dangerous,
>>>    KL> because he is educating those outside of the accessibility
>>>    KL> experiences, who will believe his ignorance is factual.  he has
>>>    KL> to be expert, it is his job.
>>>
>>> Hi Karen,
>>>
>>> I know Lukas personally and I admire his skills and qualifications.  I
>>> also know first hand that he is open to constructive feedback and I
>>> believe he’d be happy to be corrected about possible technical
>>> inaccuracies in the interview.  It may be also a good opportunity to
>>> find out what’s possibly missing in making anybody better informed.
>>>
>>> As for “absolute dismissal of what he has not experienced”, what
>>> reasonable free software alternatives to a less or more standard
>>> desktop
>>> with Orca and a software synthesizer can you see for a common blind
>>> user
>>> who needs to use a fully working web browser, to read and process text
>>> documents, to be compatible with other computer users, etc.?
>>>
>>> And let’s be realistic.  We celebrate every single developer hired to
>>> improve accessibility.  This tells something about the state of the
>>> matters.  We cannot expect that a single person will fix all the kinds
>>> of accessibility problems in all the environments.  Lukas works at his
>>> job focusing on certain areas currently seen there as urgent ones and I
>>> appreciate this opportunity.  Anybody else seeing a need to work on
>>> other areas is welcome to contribute to whatever sees fit, as I do.
>>>
>>> Regards,
>>> Milan
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
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