Can a blind person install and configure windows, iis, SQL server, exchange, and active directory?
Once your favorite OSS tool is installed can a blind person use them?
Some type of assistive technology (AT) is generally present which helps in providing access to the UI (Speakup for the Linux console, JAWS for the Windows GUI, Gnopernicus for Gnome (which is still in development as far as I know), etc.) If the appropriate AT is installed and working properly, tasks such as those listed above aren't an issue.
Interestingly enough, speaking as someone who is blind, it was much easier to install Linux given that Speakup can be made available as a part of the kernel providing speech almost from the moment it loads. Windows screen reading packages such as JAWS must be installed after the OS, and Narrator (a minimal screen reading tool built into Windows XP) isn't actually made available until 95% of the installation process has completed.
A freely available program for Windows at http://www.seeingwithsound.com can create an audio representation of any image (such as from a webcam). It uses panning to indicate the position of brightness in the image, a tone to indicate the vertical position, and volume to indicate the level of brightness. I am blind and have experimented (minimally) with this program. I think that enough clutter and other brightness changes exist in the environment which would make repeatedly identifying objects difficult. It's definitly an interesting project though.
I wouldn't have a problem playing non-RIAA music if I could actually definitively know what music is controled by them. It seems that they should have to make a listing or search facility available if they expect people to comply...then again, maybe such a list is being withheld on purpose.
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Some type of assistive technology (AT) is generally present which helps in providing access to the UI (Speakup for the Linux console, JAWS for the Windows GUI, Gnopernicus for Gnome (which is still in development as far as I know), etc.) If the appropriate AT is installed and working properly, tasks such as those listed above aren't an issue.
Interestingly enough, speaking as someone who is blind, it was much easier to install Linux given that Speakup can be made available as a part of the kernel providing speech almost from the moment it loads. Windows screen reading packages such as JAWS must be installed after the OS, and Narrator (a minimal screen reading tool built into Windows XP) isn't actually made available until 95% of the installation process has completed.
You really want to trust your medical alerts to AOL?
A freely available program for Windows at http://www.seeingwithsound.com can create an audio representation of any image (such as from a webcam). It uses panning to indicate the position of brightness in the image, a tone to indicate the vertical position, and volume to indicate the level of brightness. I am blind and have experimented (minimally) with this program. I think that enough clutter and other brightness changes exist in the environment which would make repeatedly identifying objects difficult. It's definitly an interesting project though.
I wouldn't have a problem playing non-RIAA music if I could actually definitively know what music is controled by them. It seems that they should have to make a listing or search facility available if they expect people to comply...then again, maybe such a list is being withheld on purpose.