[Edu-sig] Python for the Visually Impaired

JP S-C jpsc@users.sourceforge.net
Wed, 27 Sep 2000 15:18:35 -0700 (PDT)


Dear edu-sig and i18n-sig mailing lists,
     The subject of this message is somewhere in
between education and internationalization, so I am
writing you both.  I run a project named Ocularis and
am interested in collaborating with developers from
both SIG's or the SIG's themselves.  Ocularis in
brief, is a distribution of the Linux Operating System
that aims to allow the visually impaired to
communicate, work, and express themselves through
computers as well as to install and customize their
system, independent of sighted assistance.  The
development of Ocularis is already underway and all
software is created by volunteers and is released
under the GNU Public License.  More detailed
information about Ocularis in included below.
     The ocularis-desktop package (currently in
version 0.0.1) focuses on providing console-based
applications that serve common functions.  This
package is written completely in Python, a language
which I believe has a lot of potential for creating
applications for the visually impaired.  In addition,
I think that Python is also an ideal language on many
fronts, especially when it comes to programming,
debugging, and maintaining code non-visually.  Other
than the ocularis-desktop package, there are also
several developers who are working on other
subprojects of Ocularis that aim to provide better
access to X, including GTK-based applications. 
      I would love to discuss or hear ideas from
anyone about Python's many uses for and with the
visually impaired.  Thank you.

--JP Schnapper-Casteras
  jpsc@users.sourceforge.net
     

Details about Ocularis:

        The computing environment and suite of
applications that are the goal of Ocularis will be
free software (see "www.gnu.org" for a definition of
free software) and will be based on Linux.  The basic
applications that Ocularis will possess are a word
processor, calendar, calculator, basic accounting or
finance application, file manager, Internet browser,
and e-mail client.  All of these programs will run
smoothly on computers consisting of commonly available
hardware costing less than $500 that can be bought at
almost any local computer store.  In comparison to
current adaptive technology, this is both a drastic
price drop and an increase in the availability of the
required hardware.  Ocularis was started in response
to research on current adaptive technology, which
culminated in the editorial "The Potential of Open
Source for the Visually Impaired" (available at the
Ocularis web site,"http://ocularis.sourceforge.net/").
 For more information, please visit the Ocularis web
site, "http://ocularis.sourceforge.net/", or contact
me directly.

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