[sugar] Thinking about accessibility in Sugar & on the OLPC

[Peter Korn]

Hi guys,

Thanks to Jim Gettys I've started looking at OLPC & Sugar accessibility 
in what passes for spare time. We've just started a mailing list to 
discuss it (accessibility at laptop.org), and I've updated the 
Accessibility wiki page (http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Accessibility and 
also added a bit to start things off on the accessibility section of the 
OLPC human interface guidelines 
(http://wiki.laptop.org/go/OLPC_Human_Interface_Guidelines/Design_Fundamentals#Accessibility)

I would very much appreciate a conversation looking at these issues, and 
on how (and when) we might address accessibility in Sugar and on the 
OLPC.  From my brief play with the OLPC via a stock BTest-2 system, 
there is quite a lot of work to do to provide anything like a similar 
level of accessibility support as we have in a GNOME 2.16 or later 
desktop (including keyboard navigation support, theming for visual 
disabilities, and of course assistive technologies).  There is also a 
lot of great potential for this device to open up some neat new options 
for people with disabilities (sign language chat with the built in 
camera; augmentative communication for folks who can't speak by having 
the OLPC talk for them), and also for a rather radical cultural shift in 
the many developing countries where people with disabilities are often 
shunted into a horrible, marginal existence (I recommend the book "My 
Path Leads to Tibet" about the story of a German blind woman's efforts 
to teach Braille to children in Tibet - see 
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1559706589/104-7759792-5139164?v=glance).

As I'm new to the OLPC & Sugar, I'd also appreciate your patience and 
understanding (and your kind assistance) with my ignorance of what has 
already been discussed in this area.


Thanks!

Peter Korn
Accessibility Architect,
Sun Microsystems, Inc.