Comment Blind OS (Score 1) 356
A long time ago we had an accessible OS it was the command line. Now in Linux, and Unix we still have it, but the advent of the GUI has changed the way we look at OSes as graphical, however behind the scenes the GUI just issues the same commands you would enter on the command line.
Now low vision users would be at an advantage using the older systems as well, since the black backgrounds with white text creates an extremely nice contrast, with screen magnification applications those that have very low vision had the ability to fine tune the magnification and sharpen the fonts, sometimes magnification would be 32 times the actual amounts, Now with color monitors Black is not really black it is a really dark gray, and Contrast is slightly lost.
No one these days makes an affordable Black and White Monitor, or video card.
Deaf users do not have an issue with a gui interface other than the content of video files that do not have text alternatives for spoken words.
Deaf and Blind users can use refreshable braille displays that interact as a keyboard, we had these, and still do.
So what am I saying? Well in basic terms I am saying we had everything accessible until we focused on the visual person, who didn't like the command line. No I am not an adovacte of the command line, but I would like to have a fully operating system that can run from the command line. Like we had with Windows 3.1 where the gui was an optional command or application.
TTY telephone devices also work and if needed have brallle displays for them too, so blind and deaf person can talk on the phone. These devices have been around for a long long time.
I have 12 years experience with assisitve devices and software. I work as a consultant to many Colleges, and Private businesses with a need to make assisitve technology part of their day to day environment.
Mick
Now low vision users would be at an advantage using the older systems as well, since the black backgrounds with white text creates an extremely nice contrast, with screen magnification applications those that have very low vision had the ability to fine tune the magnification and sharpen the fonts, sometimes magnification would be 32 times the actual amounts, Now with color monitors Black is not really black it is a really dark gray, and Contrast is slightly lost.
No one these days makes an affordable Black and White Monitor, or video card.
Deaf users do not have an issue with a gui interface other than the content of video files that do not have text alternatives for spoken words.
Deaf and Blind users can use refreshable braille displays that interact as a keyboard, we had these, and still do.
So what am I saying? Well in basic terms I am saying we had everything accessible until we focused on the visual person, who didn't like the command line. No I am not an adovacte of the command line, but I would like to have a fully operating system that can run from the command line. Like we had with Windows 3.1 where the gui was an optional command or application.
TTY telephone devices also work and if needed have brallle displays for them too, so blind and deaf person can talk on the phone. These devices have been around for a long long time.
I have 12 years experience with assisitve devices and software. I work as a consultant to many Colleges, and Private businesses with a need to make assisitve technology part of their day to day environment.
Mick
