An Accessible Adobe Reader for Linux

[Sean McMahon]

The linux command line sometimes works like a gui.  Not everything is straight
type a command and hit enter to see what you get.  Applications like emacs and
lynx have menus where you use arro keys and such to navigate.  In the windows
world, the gui is better because it has more operations then the windows
console.  Of course in linux things like multitasking, menu navigation for
certain programs, and using more and les to controll how much output you get on
a screen, give the console all of the power and some of the friendliness of the
gui.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Laura Eaves" <leaves1 at carolina.rr.com>
To: "Speakup is a screen review system for Linux." <speakup at braille.uwo.ca>
Sent: Tuesday, January 11, 2005 3:29 PM
Subject: Re: An Accessible Adobe Reader for Linux


> Yes, linux and unix have always been more accessible because they are not
> GUI, and I assume the console is text based and not graphical -- or am I
> wrong? the last time I used a unix/linux system was in the mid 90s and most
> all work was done command-line.  I have joined this list as I am getting a
> second pc in order to install and use linux for various reasons, and I want
> to check out all the accessibility advancements since I moved to a windows
> environment.
> But just as sighted linux users dismiss the console interface, as you say, I
> think it is equally inappropriate for a blind user to completely ignore the
> GNOME GUI approach, and trying to make it accessible, as running a GUI
> actually is a little more than just a bunch of icons covering up the same
> operations -- the whole underpinning is implemented in an even-driven manner
> and there is a different way of thinking of things -- well actually I
> rejected GUI's for a very long time at work because I still had enough sight
> to use screen mag for work, and could not use the GUI stuff when it reared
> its ugly head... but after I lost my reading vision and switched to
> windows -- partly to get experienced using speech and partly because I was
> curious about its accessibility, I have actually gotten to like some of its
> aspects, and can see that if made accessible, it is actually rather nice.
> But I still miss unix extremely, and the flexibility, and the power of
> things and clean way it handles system operations compared with windows...
> Sorry I didn't mean to get off on this thread -- I guess I just wanted to
> make the point that I am glad for the diversion I made into GUI apps and am
> actually glad (if you can believe it) that I lost my vision in order to
> force me to stop depending on it, and with my programming background I think
> GUI programs can be very useful and accessible.
> But there has to be a way to access the same functionality from the gui -- 
> to get back to command line when necessary, query for available commands and
> docs, run scripts, etc.  That is possible in windows but so much more
> awkward!  It is truely a straight jacket compared to linux.
> Take care and I have enjoyed lurking on this list.  I am learning a lot
> about speakup, which is why I joined.
> Take care.
> --le
>
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Janina Sajka" <janina at rednote.net>
> To: "Speakup is a screen review system for Linux." <speakup at braille.uwo.ca>
> Sent: Tuesday, January 11, 2005 4:58 PM
> Subject: Re: An Accessible Adobe Reader for Linux
>
>
> Linux accessibility, at least for users who are blind, is far more
> impressive on the console. In fact, it's extremely impressive on the
> console rivaling, and even surpassing, many things that users of
> expensive proprietary-ware applications have. The biggest thing wrong
> with the console is in fact the very negative and dismissive attitude
> that many GUI people seem to have of it.
>
>
>
> Chris Gray writes:
> > At best, MSAA mode was little more than a bandage.  Let's hope that
> > something more positive can come out of Longhorn.  One of the primary
> > reasons I am setting up a Linux box is to check out Gnome; what I've
> > seen so far of its access is quite impressive though it has a ways to
> > go for certain.
> >
> > Chris
> >
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > Speakup mailing list
> > Speakup at braille.uwo.ca
> > http://speech.braille.uwo.ca/mailman/listinfo/speakup
>
> -- 
>
> Janina Sajka Phone: +1.202.494.7040
> Partner, Capital Accessibility LLC http://www.CapitalAccessibility.Com
>
> Chair, Accessibility Workgroup Free Standards Group (FSG)
> janina at freestandards.org http://a11y.org
>
> If Linux can't solve your computing problem, you need a different problem.
>
>
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>
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