Re: [GOK] plan for GNOME 3.0 - please comment

[Steve Lee <steve fullmeasure co uk>]

2009/10/2 Ben Konrath <ben konrath utoronto ca>:
> This new app will focus on creating a usable solution for people whose
> primary way of accessing a computer is a switch device. I think it's too
> ambitious to promise feature parity with GOK for GNOME 3.0 so I would
> like to start by creating an on-screen keyboard that has switch device
> access as it's primary use case. This will allow us to work on the user
> experience / switch interaction before we move to the UI navigation.
> Here are the features I would like to deliver for GNOME 3.0:

+1
as long as the focus IS firmly on switch user needs and is easy to
understand and use.
To that end I think it would be an idea for you to post this on the
oatsoft list as there are people there with experience in this
specific area in health and education.

> * on-screen keyboard (qwerty, alpha numeric sorted alphabetically,
>  alpha numeric sorted by frequency)

yes good to have options.

> * word prediction as a library ported from GOK (the goal for this would
>  is to eventually to get other people interested in using this too).

This is high priority.

> * new on-screen display consisting of a docked window taking 1/4 -
>  1/3 of the screen height

More flexibility may be required.

> * fully usable with 1 switch Autoscan (listed as essential priority on
>  page 31 of [1])
> * fully usable with 1 switch Userscan (listed as high priority on page
>  31 of [1])

Simon Judge suggested we also had 2 switch user and auto scan for
Maavis so included them, It's easy to add other linear scan modes once
you have the basic infrastructure (you might want to look at the
Maavis code for ideas).
http://is.gd/3Ubll
Other scanning modes that depend on spatial layout are more complex.

Also tab and enter keys are often used in Windows by various device
drivers but I'm not sure how that applies to X. where tere is no such
legacy of old software.

> * UI for setting up switch (mouse button, keyboard button, official
>  switch interface etc).

Yes.
I'd also add that for Maavis we've  targeted non technical
facilitators so the UI needs to be simple (AT this point Maavis'
config UI is lagging behind).

> Post GNOME 3.0 I would like to explore:
>
> * adding UI interaction - obviously this needs to be fleshed out more
> * add option to pop up only when a text entry
> * add option to use nomon (or nomon like interface for text entry)
> * add option to use dasher (or dasher like interface for text entry)
> * conduct user testing once UI interaction is in place

All good

> * add 2 switch access
See above

Steve Lee