Re: 2.4 Proposed Modules - gok

[Peter Korn <peter korn sun com>]

Hi Murray,

> > From: Jeff Waugh [mailto:jdub perkypants org]
> > >   gok - The 'GNOME On-screen Keyboard', an accessibility tool.
> > No way to get to it except from the command line, doesn't
> > feel very GNOMEy,
> > is a bit rough around the edges. Sure to improve, and a great
> > feature to
> > have.
> 
> Looking at the screenshots, Jeff seems to have a point:
> http://www.gok.ca/shots.html
> 
> Can the accessibility people comment on this? Is there any good reason 
> why it shouldn't have a normal GNOME UI. I'd expect the use of color and
> probable lack of theming to actually be an accessibility problem.

GOK can have a "normal GNOME UI" (or at least pretty close to one) if you go
into the Settings dialog and tell it to observe the GTK+ theme.  I'm sorry
there ar no screen shots for this up anywhere.

The core rules/guidelines that inform Sun's interpretation of what to do in
this particular situation are: Section 508 guideline 1194.21(g) - see
<http://www.access-board.gov/sec508/guide/1194.21.htm#(g)> - which states
that "Applications shall not override user selected contrast and color
selections and other individual display attributes"; and 1194.21(j) - see
<http://www.access-board.gov/sec508/guide/1194.21.htm#(j)> - which states
that "When a product permits a user to adjust color and contrast settings, a
variety of color selections capable of producing a range of contrast levels
shall be provided".

Taking these two things together and applying them to GOK or any other
application, we believe that there must be a persisting setting in the
application that makes it respect the desktop theme, but that that setting
need not be the default.  This is the case in GOK.

In GOK, the color is helpful but not critical (you could argue a violation
of 1194.21(i) - <http://www.access-board.gov/sec508/guide/1194.21.htm#(i)> -
which says "Color coding shall not be used as the only means of conveying
information, indicating an action, prompting a response, or distinguishing a
visual element"), but so long as there is a persistant setting in which this
is not the case (e.g. observing the GTK+ theme), one might likewise argue
that this isn't really an issue.


Regards,

Peter Korn
Sun Accessibility team