[Accessibility] NSF Proposal--Current Draft

[Janina Sajka]

Yes. I think it's OK to talk about Gnopernicus this way. Unless there's objection I'll add this, or something very close, right ahead of the section on GOK.

Put this way it's perfectly appropriate, imho.

Peter Korn writes:
> Hey Janina,
> 
> I understand why you removed my text on Gnopernicus - the benefits I note 
> may not be things experiences by existing Gnopernicus users.  However, I'm 
> concerned about leaving off all mention of it entirely.  The document notes:
> 
> >There are already several innovative assistive technologies that are 
> >taking advantage of components of this emerging standard which are already
> >available. These serve to illustrate the benefits which can reasonably be 
> >expected to acrue from an international conference addressing 
> >accessibility on
> >open platforms:
> >
> >GOK, the dynamic GNOME On-Screen Keyboard uses
> > AT-SPI and XKB functionality to provide a set of access features
> >that go far beyond any other on-screen keyboard for any other computer 
> >platform available today (at any price),
> >Already included as a standard component in the GNOME desktop environment, 
> >GOK is providing users of single switch
> >and head-mouse
> >interface devices dramatically quicker performance (easily 5 times faster 
> >control of dialog boxes, web browsing, text
> >editing, and numerous other tasks).
> >
> >Dasher is an innovative and cross platform text entry application 
> >optimized for eye-gaze and head tracker systems from the University of 
> >Cambridge. Now
> >also shipping with the GNOME 2.6 desktop (and therefore with distributions 
> >that include GNOME 2.6) tthe most recent releases of Dasher utilize AT-SPI 
> >to
> >provide control of the desktop for these users "out of the box." It is 
> >noteworthy that Dasher is a product of University research. It serves as an
> >excellent example of technology transfer made possible in great part by 
> >the use of open standards and open source technologies.
> 
> I think we should add something like this about Gnopernicus:
> 
> Gnopernicus is a screen reader/magnifier with Braille support in 
> development for users with visual impairments that is part of the GNOME 2.6 
> desktop. Gnopernicus utilizes the AT-SPI functionality exclusively for 
> obtaining all of the information required for screen reading and 
> magnification, and therefore doesn't need to build and maintain and 
> Off-Screen-Model or otherwise patch the video drivers or operating system.
> 
> 
> In this way we note that it exists (important) and that it uses AT-SPI 
> (important), but make no comment about quality or functionality.  In fact, 
> this draft paragraph notes that this technology is in development (implying 
> that it isn't done yet).
> 
> 
> Peter

-- 
	
				Janina Sajka, Director
				Technology Research and Development
				Governmental Relations Group
				American Foundation for the Blind (AFB)

Email: janina at afb.net		Phone: (202) 408-8175