Re: [orca-list] Accessible installation programs

[Luke Yelavich <themuso ubuntu com>]

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On Sat, May 03, 2008 at 06:28:54AM EST, David E. Price wrote:
> Hi, 
>
> Luke and Will, I think it might be useful to lay out the constraints that you are working under when 
> creating an accessible installation program.  This might allow people to make constructive suggestions on 
> how to improve these programs.
>
> As an outsider, this is how I see it. Someone creating an accessible installation program faces two 
> problems. The first problem is available (or a lack of available) space on the installation CD.  The second 
> problem is the need to know the user's desired language before any assistive technology (AT) can be 
> started.  Are there any other constraints?

Unfortunately, CD space is something that is quite difficult to work with, as new fatures/programs for 
everybody, and not just us, need to be considered for inclusion, and things need to be made to fit. As for 
languages, I will be working on a way for people who enable accessibility to select their language when the 
CD boots.

> The optimal solution to me would be to start some form of assistance when the language selection menu 
> appears to the sighted user. It would be useful to indicate arrival at this menu with an auditory cue.  At 
> this point, the user needing AT could indicate this by pressing a key-chord (e.g., Alt-Ctrl-1, Alt-Ctrl-2, 
> ... Alt-Ctrl-5) to select one of the AT configurations.  For those of us who need speech or Braille, 
> pressing Alt-Ctrl-3 would provide minimal speech and Braille output in this menu. One serviceable, if ugly 
> hack would be to have low-quality recordings of the different language names, each language name being 
> voiced as it is selected as the user arrowed through the menu.  Similarly, a small Braille table could 
> provide relevant Braille translations of the language names as they are selected.  Once the language has 
> been selected, the requested AT services could be started.  This means that the selection between the live 
> desktop and the installation program can be made with AT support.  One assumption is made here--when the 
> language selection menu appears, a fully functional, if stripped down, OS is running.  Is this a valid 
> assumption?

Unfortunately, this has been looked into, and is difficult to impossible, as the CD is not running Linux at 
this stage. It is using gfxboot, which is used to display the CD boot menu.
> I'm guessing that this sort of solution is precluded by the first constraint I mentioned above--there isn't 
> space on the installation CD for the recordings, Braille table, or the mechanisms to deliver them to the 
> user, not to mention the facilities needed for other ATs.

Recording for all the menu is tedious to constantly update etc, and yes, there is the issue of space.
> I just realized another assumption I am making--these early selection screens are using enough of the gnome 
> infrastructure to allow AT services to be started after the language has been selected.  Is this a poor 
> assumption? 

Yes, as I stated above.

> I'm sure that there are several other assumptions that I am making  without realizing it.  However, I'm 
> hoping this will start a discussion that can lead to a workable solution that all can be happy with.

These issues have been known for a while, and it comes down to getting them implemented in time, and in a 
fashion that doesn't break everything else, and get in other users way.

Luke
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