Fwd: Announcing two open source GNOME assistive technologies

>Delivered-To: java-access@javasoft.com
>Date:         Thu, 8 Nov 2001 17:13:46 -0800
>Reply-To: Peter.Korn@sun.com
>Sender: Java Accessibility interest mailing list <JAVA-ACCESS@JAVA.SUN.COM>
>From: Peter Korn <korn@sun.com>
>Subject:      Announcing two open source GNOME assistive technologies
>Comments: To: JA-PR@basso.SFBay.Sun.COM
>To: JAVA-ACCESS@JAVA.SUN.COM
>
>Greetings,
>
>The Sun Accessibility team is delighted to inform you of two open source
>assistive technology projects for the GNOME user environment:
>
>    - The GOK project is developing a virtual keyboard for GNOME
>
>    - The Gnopernicus project is an integrated screen reader and magnifier
>      for GNOME
>
>
>About GNOME
>===========
>
>The GNOME project includes a desktop user environment: a graphical desktop
>user interface and a set of user-interface libraries.  GNOME is commonly
>part of Linux distributions (such as those from RedHat, TurboLinux, VA
>Linux, etc.) and it will be the standard graphical desktop for future Sun
>Solaris workstations and servers.  Also part of the GNOME project is GNOME
>Office - a set of office productivity tools (word processor, spreadsheet,
>etc.).  GNOME Office will be based on OpenOffice, which is the open source
>project through which Sun Microsystems is releasing the popular StarOffice
>productivity suite.
>
>For more information on GNOME, please visit:
>
>   http://www.gnome.org
>
>For more information on OpenOffice, please visit:
>
>   http://openoffice.org
>
>Sun Microsystems is part of GNOME Foundation, and is formally taking the
>lead on making GNOME accessible to people with disabilities.  To this end,
>Sun is working with the GNOME community in the development of the GNOME
>Accessibility architecture, which provides the necessary support for
>assistive technologies - and thereby users with disabilities - to use the
>GNOME user environment.
>
>For more information about the GNOME Accessibility Project, please visit:
>
>   http://developer.gnome.org/projects/gap
>
>
>The GOK project
>===============
>
>GOK aims to enable users to control their computer without having to rely
>on a standard keyboard or mouse. Many individuals have limited voluntary
>movements and must control the computer using alternative input methods.
>These input methods may be controlled by actions such as blowing and
>sipping to activate a pneumatic switch, an eye  blink and/or directed gaze
>with an eye tracking system, head movement, muscle contractions or limb
>movements.
>
>Using innovative dynamic keyboard strategies, and leveraging Gnome 2's
>built-in accessibility framework, the GOK will make control more efficient
>for these users, and enable use of the Gnome 2 desktop for some users who
>otherwise would have no access to Gnome. With the right hardware support
>and the GOK these individuals will have full access to applications that
>support the GNOME Accessibility architecture, and therefore, full access
>to the functionality these applications provide.
>
>The Adaptive Technology Resource Centre (http://atrc.utoronto.ca/) is
>guiding the Gnome Onscreen Keyboard (GOK) project. The University of
>Toronto's ATRC research and development lab not only brings strong
>leadership to the project with expertise in alternative input devices and
>software, but also a sincere passion regarding accessibility issues. (The
>team has already produced a full-featured onscreen keyboard for another
>platform.)
>
>Additional information on the project will be hosted at:
>
>   http://www.gok.ca
>
>Also please visit the GOK subsection of the GNOME Accessibility project,
>at:
>
>   http://developer.gnome.org/projects/gap/AT/GOK
>
>
>The Gnopernicus project
>=======================
>
>The Gnopernicus project will enable users with limited vision, or no
>vision, to use the Gnome 2 desktop and Gnome/GTK+-2 applications
>effectively. By providing automated focus tracking and full screen
>magnification, Gnopernicus will aid low-vision Gnome users, and its screen
>reader features will allow low-vision and blind users access to standard
>GTK+2 and Java-based GUI applications via speech and braille output. By
>leveraging Gnome 2's built-in accessibility framework, Gnopernicus will
>make interacting with applications more efficient for these users, and
>enable use of the Gnome 2 desktop for some users who otherwise would have
>no access to Gnome.
>
>BAUM Retec AG (http://www.baum.de/) is guiding the Gnopernicus project.
>BAUM has been developing screen reading and magnification software, as
>well as other software and hardware products for the blind, for over 20
>years.  Their current products include the POET reading machine, the Vario
>40, Vario 80, and DM 80 plus Braille displays, the Galileo screen
>magnifier for Windows NT, the Virgo screen reader for Windows & Windows
>NT, and the Visio low-vision workstation.
>
>More information about Gnopernicus can be found at:
>
>  http://developer.gnome.org/projects/gap/AT/Gnopernicus
>
>On behalf of the Sun Microsystems,
>
>Peter Korn
>Sun Microsystems Accessibility team
>access@sun.com
>http://www.sun.com/access

Received on Tuesday, 27 November 2001 08:49:39 UTC