Debian-Accessibility

Project description

Debian-Accessibility is an internal project to develop Debian into an operating system that is particularly well fit for the requirements of people with disabilities. The goal of Debian-Accessibility is a completely accessible system which offers users with disabilities the highest possible amount of independence which is built completely on free software.

We envisage that Debian-Accessibility will add value to existing packages by providing patches to fix problems very special to certain user groups or conducting Accessibility validation tests and providing modification suggestions based on the results.

Email List

The Debian-Accessibility mailing list is the central point of communication for Debian-Accessibility. It serves as a forum for potential as well as current users of the Debian system who do have special needs. Additionally, it is used to coordinate development efforts around the varios topics of Accessibility. You can subscribe to and unsubscribe from it using the list web page, and also read the list archives.

Relevant Software

The first attempt to put the software into categories might be not the best. Send any suggestions for improvements to the mailing list, or to Mario Lang.

Project goals

Provide information and documentation of Accessibility.
Ensure that Accessibility software like drivers for specialized peripheral devices can be loaded if necessary as early as possible in the system startup phase, including the Debian installation process. This is to ensure that people with special needs retain a high level of independence during maintainance of their own systems.
Verify and ensure that Debian core infrastructure like our Web site does comply with Accessibility Guidelines.
Bring authors of different projects with similar goals together.
Help upstream authors to get their products packaged for Debian.
Show commercial assistive technology vendors the strengths of Free Software based systems and make them consider to port their software to Linux or even to switch to Open Source.

What can I do to help?

Work on enhancing and translating these web pages.
Create a logo.
Documentation and translation.
Internationalization (which is more than just translating, see intenationalized speech synthesis for some ideas).
Verify that the debian.org web site is Accessible according to established Accessibility Guidelines and sumbit enhancement suggestions based on your findings. It could eventually be desireable to apply for something like Bobby Approval at some point.

Links

BLINUX: Improve usability of the GNU/Linux operating system for the user who is blind.
The GNOME Accessibility Project.
The KDE Accessibility Project.
The Linux Speakup Project.
W3C's Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI):
- The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines explain in detail how to make a Web site accessible for people with a variety of disabilities.
- The Authoring Tool Accessibility Guidelines explain how to make a variety of authoring tools support the production of accessible Web content, and also how to make the software itself accessible.
Bobby(TM) will allow you to test web pages for compliance with existing accessibility guidelines, such as Section 508 and the W3C's WCAG.

Back to the Debian Project homepage.

See the Debian contact page for information on contacting us.