|
Free Software Version of the Amazability, Inc. Adept1 Assistive Technology
Product Amazability, Inc. seeks to provide persons with visual impairment and
other disabilities products which have the lowest cost possible and which meet
people’s access needs. We have been developing the Adept1 assistive
technology product since 2002. Part of the work has been done with support
from the United States Department of Education, as outlined at http://www.amazability.com/about.htm,
and has included the design and implementation of a series of applications and
activities intended to work with speech. Command interaction may be done with
a mix of voice recognition and keyboard input with all activities designed to
work in a similar manner with a minimum of voice or keyboard commands needed to
carry out complex actions. A word processor, email with address book, a web browser,
and an online library of books, reference works, and other items are
available. The Adept1 may be used for all types of programming where software can
be developed, debugged, and run by those who wish to use the Adept1 as a
talking workstation. See the Amazability, Inc. homepage http://www.amazability.com where there
is a link to a Google Tech Talk that includes, in the latter half, a
demonstration of the Adept1. Amazability, Inc. is preparing to offer a free software version of the
Adept1 under the terms of the GNU General Public License – GPLv3 –
as described at http://www.fsf.org/licensing/licenses/gpl.html Amazability, Inc. plans to provide the free software version with
publicly available speech engines while at the same time making its proprietary
version, described in the Company’s website, available under dual
licensing. As the free software version is prepared for publication, we are
soliciting volunteers who would help in building a core group of developers whose
task would be to complete and add to the free software version. Additional documentation
to insure the successful transfer of technology and the future implementation
of new features are near term goals. Longer term goals are to implement
portable versions of the Adept1 and to provide a port of the technology from
Linux to the Windows and Mac OS X environments. Feasibility studies, focus group activities, and considerable beta
testing have been carried out. This has led to the design of a product that
our testers find highly useful. The Adept1 is readily learned and can serve
the wider population of persons, whether with disabilities or not, who have
little or no technical experience. We hope that, by making the Adept1 freely
available, persons with disabilities may be able to obtain an assistive
technology product that works for them. Those interested in participating in the preparation of the free
software version and in forming a support group or who simply have questions
should contact us through email at: ken amazability com |