Re: [Kenny Hitt] Re: Is Debian appropriate for accessibility?

[kenny@hittsjunk.net]

Hi.

On Fri, Feb 02, 2007 at 10:02:30AM +0100, Aldo wrote:
> Hi,
> 
> Sorry Kenny, I must say you're wrong: Debian is my current distro, I'm 
> using it as end-user for 7 years now, and because I like the commandline 
> interface I am satisfied about Debian's accessibility. I consider that 
> the way it is developped and maintained is not an obstacle for visually 
> impared people as me with console-accessibility prefs. So I think the 
> mean of the word "accessibility" may have another sense in your 
> approach: that's the heart of the discussion.
> If I extrapolate, then it looks like for you a non-Orca fitted 
> distro isn't accessible at all: of course this is wrong. 
> 
I have only been using Debian for 6 years.  I only recently started
using Gnome regularly.  It's good Debian has Braille support with
brltty, but I don't have a braille display.  This means I depend on
speech for access to the system.  The best console screen reader is
speakup.  Speakup is included in the default Ubuntu kernels.  I just add
a line to /etc/modules and the system comes up talking and I have access
to all console apps.  In Debian, I have to build my kernel from source
or download an unofficial package from someone who has patched speakup
into the Debian kernel source.

> No matter how much people work in the background, their job is not done 
> for only one person. 
> BTW my friend Samuel Thibault also contributed to Debian since people 
> have insisted to have a brltty-enabled installer?
> idem Philip Richardson ... but not all accessibility-minded Debian 
> developers are grouped, and that's maybe different with the Ubuntu 
> community.
> 
It's good that you can install Debian using the official installer.
Unfortunately, I can't do the same.  Until me or someone else modifies
the official installer to include speakup I can't do a Debian install.
There was a time when speakup was available in a Debian installer, but
it was a special kernel package and the Debian kernel developers didn't
maintain it.

          Kenny