Re: [gdm-list] Bringing back a11y

[Brian Cameron <Brian Cameron Sun COM>]

Ian:

> This sounds like a step in the right direction.  Just to confirm my
> understanding, the GDM screen you refer to is the main log in screen?  If
> that is right, then read on!

Yes, by GDM we mean the main login screen (and related screens such as
the XDMCP chooser and gdmsetup) which you can launch from GDM.

> Apologies for a basic question here, but how can you define a user's
> particular configuration until that user has logged in?

You can not.  That's why you need the ability to launch AT programs via
hotkey, buttonclick, and dwell gestures.   On a single-user desktop with
a single-user, you could configure GDM to launch particular AT's all the
time, but this approach would probably be undesirable on multi-user
systems (especially if there are people using the system with different
accessibility needs).

> Instead of a per user config file, why not a generic one combined with three
> different ways of activation on a multi user system - menu, hot key
> activation say using the standard Orca key bindings of 'Insert' + a n other
> key, and a logo / button - the first being able to define particular AT
> programs to be launched on the GDM, whilst the latter two starts a specific
> group of AT programs.

I am not sure both a menu and a button are both needed.

This doesn't really solve the problem for users who can only use a
switch.  GDM currently supports mouse button click gestures.  It also
doesn't solve the problem for users who require dwell.  You probably do
not want dwell features on by default, but you would want an easy way
to launch them that doesn't require pressing any keys or buttons.

Note the existing keymouselistener uses gtk_accelerator_parse to read
the hotkey definitions.  I'm not sure this supports the Insert key or
not.  The code might require some enhancement to support such hotkey
gestures.

http://svn.gnome.org/viewvc/gdm/tags/GDM2_2_20_3/gui/modules/keymouselistener.c?view=log

> Whilst on a single user system, surely the correct way would be to utilise
> the existing desktop configs to launch the necessary AT programs
> automajically without the need for initial interaction?

How does the system know what AT programs you need on first login?  I
think this is somewhat similar to the GDM problem of not really knowing
the user has any non-default needs.

> And, apologies if this has already been implemented, but a way to conform
> the GDM theme and colour scheme to a predefined one - inverse colour for
> instance with large fonts.

Right, there needs to be a hotkey, a dwell, and a buttonpress mechanism
for switching the theme.  It would also be useful to have this in the
standard desktop.  Currently users have to suffer through changing the
configuration via the Preferences GUI, which may not be possible if the
user has low vision issues.

Brian