Hello, I, too, would appreciate this explaination of sorts. If it might be posted on the list, I'd gladly read it. Thanks too, Zack. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Doug Smith" <bdsmith@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> To: <speakup at braille.uwo.ca> Sent: Thursday, April 05, 2007 9:58 PM Subject: about the latest ubuntu > Ok, I have to ask these questions. I have enjoyed all the > conversations about hardware resources. I know nothing of hardware, > and this discussion has been quite interesting, to say the least. > However, I need to know the following, if someone can help me before I > get the latest ubuntu and get into something I cannot use. > > First of all, how accessible is accessible? With this combination of > espeak and this reader called orca, is it possible to effectively use > all the programs in the system? Do you have remaining accessibility > problems, or do they all work? > > Now, I have never, in my entire life, used a graphical interface, and > I have used computers for 21 years, 7 months, and a few stray days > here and there. Just exactly how do I use this gnome interface? When > I get the ubuntu system going, how can I do the following? > > get online, read and send mail, read books, view pdf documents, view > MS word documents, write programs, build my web site, run the usual > administrative tools, and more? > > How do I get this screen reader to respond to my requests to see > what's on the entire screen, or just in a particular part of it? > > All of you who have moved to something like gnome are right. I have > seen this coming, and have just hoped it wouldn't happen. That's like > standing on the train track, because you like the sound of a > locomotive engine, or steam whistle, and hoping that the thing won't > hit and run over you, even though it's just 30 yards away. I saw it > when I was in university and now, it's here. > > We cannot any longer avoid the need to go graphical because of such > technologies as javascript, dynamic content that changes each time you > open the web page and several others such as swf and other integrated > A/V technologies. This is the only reasonable solution to our > problems. We are working with devices that have been designed by > sighted persons, and they have just been good enough to allow us the > first access to these things. We have come a long way ourselves, and > there is no real other way to do it than going to their graphical > interface, no matter how inefficient, memory-hogging, slow, or > undesirable in a billion other ways it might be. The only other > alternative is to build our own internet and patch it into the > existing one. > > It is good that the text-based tools are still available through > xterm, gnome-terminal or whatever else there might be, and that can > still keep the old ways alive. However, I just want to experiment > right now, and see how this stuff works. If anyone could explain it > to me, and tell me what keys to enter, I can get started. > > Well, I hate to philosophize about change on here, but I just wonder > if anyone could explain to me how to use gnome and orca and I will go > and get the latest ubuntu and give it a test-drive. > > > > Thank you. > > > > > -- > Doug Smith: C.S.F.C. > Computer Scientist For CHRIST > > _______________________________________________ > Speakup mailing list > Speakup at braille.uwo.ca > http://speech.braille.uwo.ca/mailman/listinfo/speakup >
