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Feedback on ... Accessibility!

Swarfendor437

Thu Dec 15, 2016 7:13:22 pm

OK, so the good news is Calculator that comes as default application works well with Orca screen reader, better than Galculator - but where Galculator scores highly is for someone who has poor vision rather than total vision loss - so would be good to have included that as well as the default one. The Gnome Project have either improved things or I missed something to get to Orca Preferences but only discovered it after searching recently that to get to the 'backend' of the Screenreader preferences you have to press 'Insert+ spacebar' once it is running by using 'Alt+ Super+ S' (Super = Meta = Windows key). Where Zorin 12 falls over as far as the screenreader is concerned is that it comes with Chromium as the default browser - it should be Firefox - just as JAWS cannot utilise Google Chrome, only Internet Explorer and Firefox. So for future releases I expect to see Firefox as the 'de facto' Browser. All the other items for Universal Access look the usual stuff (but not tested visual alerts - for hard of hearing, Sticky keys - like windows when you hold a key down too long, in GNU/Linux you have to enable it so holding a shift key for too long is not going to activate it - you have to select it, which is a good thing in my book. Slow keys is to enable people with poor motor skills enough time to make key combinations easier to use. Bounce keys - I was never to sure how that worked, but guess it prevents users who have difficulty taking their fingers off a key from repeating a letter unintentionally such aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaas! - you get the drift! Mouse keys are used as alternatives to left and right-click if people have issues using a mouse. The one area that appears to be weak is the 'Zoom' function - but you have to remember that this is down to the poor implementation of the function by the Gnome Project's Accessibility Team - it is such a shame that Compiz cannot be added to Zorin 12 without having to install a third Desktop Environment to Zorin and Kodi. :(

Lin66

Thu Dec 15, 2016 8:31:31 pm

Swarfendor437 wrote:OK, so the good news is Calculator that comes as default application works well with Orca screen reader, better than Galculator - but where Galculator scores highly is for someone who has poor vision rather than total vision loss - so would be good to have included that as well as the default one. The Gnome Project have either improved things or I missed something to get to Orca Preferences but only discovered it after searching recently that to get to the 'backend' of the Screenreader preferences you have to press 'Insert+ spacebar' once it is running by using 'Alt+ Super+ S' (Super = Meta = Windows key). Where Zorin 12 falls over as far as the screenreader is concerned is that it comes with Chromium as the default browser - it should be Firefox - just as JAWS cannot utilise Google Chrome, only Internet Explorer and Firefox. So for future releases I expect to see Firefox as the 'de facto' Browser. All the other items for Universal Access look the usual stuff (but not tested visual alerts - for hard of hearing, Sticky keys - like windows when you hold a key down too long, in GNU/Linux you have to enable it so holding a shift key for too long is not going to activate it - you have to select it, which is a good thing in my book. Slow keys is to enable people with poor motor skills enough time to make key combinations easier to use. Bounce keys - I was never to sure how that worked, but guess it prevents users who have difficulty taking their fingers off a key from repeating a letter unintentionally such aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaas! - you get the drift! Mouse keys are used as alternatives to left and right-click if people have issues using a mouse. The one area that appears to be weak is the 'Zoom' function - but you have to remember that this is down to the poor implementation of the function by the Gnome Project's Accessibility Team - it is such a shame that Compiz cannot be added to Zorin 12 without having to install a third Desktop Environment to Zorin and Kodi. :(


I very much accepicate you opening a thread regarding one of the most important (but often times under looked at :( ) features to any OS.

I agrees that Galculator should be coupled to cover a generally larger accessibly needs. Given that there a number of people have some vision loss at least during part of their lives.

I do like how this OS is not like Windows where you have to INSTALL and GET INTO the OS before you can even access it (like that totally makes any sense!)! Whereas Zorin you got it the moment it booted (included right inside the ISO). Though it not fully configurable until it done installing. It was thankfully enough for me to conduct the install without looking like a cat laying on the ground...

Interesting to know that Zorin is not in complete control of the Zoom function as you beat to me to it (somewhat problematic to use as you already well aware of...). I do hope sooner or later we can do something about that...

Swarfendor437

Fri Dec 16, 2016 12:01:06 am

I am considering putting Zorin 11 back on this rig on a different partition on a different drive - I had got it just how I liked it! ;) :D

star treker

Fri Dec 16, 2016 8:20:02 pm

Zorin can be a real pita I know! As a general client it's OK, only reason it's still installed. However, as a server OS, it's seriously lacking. I'd love to eventually test Ubuntu Mate to see how it holds up, I've heard nothing but good things about it though. Good write up Swarf, you know I enjoy writing and reading reviews. ;)

Swarfendor437

Fri Dec 16, 2016 10:57:18 pm

Thanks star treker. ;) :D