Re: [orca-list] Orca out of the box

[Jason White <jason jasonjgw net>]

Steve Holmes <steve holmes88 gmail com> wrote:
 
> Well and other distros are keeping current and to make them accessible
> isn't really that difficult.  They might not be exactly "out of the
> box" as such but damn close.  I'm thinking of distros like Arch Linux,
> Debian, Vinux (designed with blind users in mind), Open Solaris, and
> possibly others.  

My advice to new users would still be to learn the console level first, the
shell, configuration files, etc., which is both highly accessible and very
reliable. After that, proceed to Orca and gnome.

My impression from reading this list is that people who come to Linux/Unix via
Orca without the background knowledge in place tend to get themselves into
difficulties which it would be much easier and less frustrating to overcome if
they had an appropriate level of understanding in advance of how to use a
Linux/Unix-like operating system.

I also think the Unix text-based environment, once having understood the
basics, is wonderfully usable and accessible, and no graphical desktop of the
conventional type can come anywhere close to supplanting it no matter what
accessibility features are developed. I prefer to think of X/Gnome
accessibility as a very important and valuable complement to what we already
have rather than as a replacement for it.

However, I don't want to enter into any debate with people who may disagree
with this, especially not on the Orca list, where such a discussion would
plainly be off-topic.