Accessibility

Bringing unprecedented levels of accessibility to UNIX users, listed here are the latest accessibility features and assistive technologies available in Solaris Developer Express.

Screen Reader and Magnification

Displaying through Braille, speech, and/or through screen magnification, the powerful Orca screen reader taps deep into applications written for the GNOME desktop and Java applications. Scripting allows customization for specific tasks, provides additional contextual information within applications, and improves the user experience.

On Screen Keyboard

The GNOME Onscreen Keyboard (GOK) is revolutionary. Accessing application user interface elements, GOK can present hierarchical keyboards without any customization. Like other screen keyboards predictive text is included, but users with profound physical impairments will immediately realize tremendous productivity gains through their improved ability to manipulate applications and the desktop environment.

Desktop Keyboard Navigation

Keyboard control and navigation of the entire desktop system (GNOME) through commonly used keyboard short cuts. The entire desktop environment is accessible without the use of a mouse.

Basic Keyboard Access Support

AccessX delivers extended keyboard features for users with physical impairments. Toggle keys, sticky keys, bounce keys and other features are included with customization of each feature available through a single interface.

• StickyKeys - Provides locking or latching of modifier keys (e.g., Shift, Control) so that they can be used without simultaneously pressing the keys being modified. This allows single finger operation of multiple key combinations.

• MouseKeys - An alternative to the mouse which provides keyboard based explicit control of cursor movement and all mouse button press/release events.
• RepeatKeys - Delays the onset of key repeat, allowing users with limited coordination time to release keys before multiple characters are sent.
• SlowKeys - Requires a key to be held down for a set period before key press acceptance. This allows users with limited coordination to accidentally press keys without sending key press events.
• ToggleKeys - Indicates locking key state with a tone when pressed, e.g., Caps Lock.
• BounceKeys - Requires a delay between keystrokes before accepting the next key press so users with tremors can prevent the system from accepting inadvertent key presses.

Desktop Themes

In addition to customization of system fonts, icons, and windowing interface elements, the Gnome desktop includes a number of desktop themes developed specifically for disabled users. Preset themes include large font/icon desktop, high contrast, and inverted high contrast.

Accessibility Architecture

Instead of treating accessibility as an after thought, Sun has "built in" accessibility using the Assistive Technology Service Provider Interface (AT-SPI) and Java Accessibility Architecture. Using GNOME and Java development tools, mainstream developers need only use standard components and follow through with development best practices. No accessibility knowledge is required of developers.

Member of both the 1999-2001 and 2007-2009 refresh efforts of Section 508 of the Federal Rehabilitation Act.

• Thought and development leader in GNOME accessibility.
• Member of the Open Document Format (ODF) accessibility work group whose goal is ensuring ODF supports accessibility.
• Member of Free Standards Group (FSG) accessibility working group, chair of the keyboard access sub-working group, and editor of the FSG "Keyboard Access Functional Specification" and "Generic Assertions for Manual Testing".
• Co-founded the Disability Action Committee for X, a working group whose members included representatives from Digital Equipment Corporation, Trace Research, and Georgia Institute of Technology; one deliverable from this effort was AccessX, which is now bundled in the Solaris Operating System.

Co-funded, along with NASA, the Mercator X-Windows screen reader project developed at Georgia Institute of Technology - the first screen reader for X-Windows.

Led the defining and implementation of the Java Accessibility API and the GNOME Assistive Technology Service Provider Interface.

Sun's efforts in providing industry leading platform support for accessibility have been recognized with awards that include the American Foundation for the Blind's "Access Award" in 2001 and its "Helen Keller Achievement Award" in 2002.