<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">=======[snipped for brevity]===========================================</font>
<br><font size=2><tt>"...None of the prominent desktop <br>
applications that can create and save documents in OpenDocument <br>
currently work well with screen readers, magnifiers and other assistive
<br>
technologies -- at least at a level comparable to that of products from
<br>
Microsoft, whose 40-person Accessibility Technology Group is now widely
<br>
praised by disabilities advocates."</tt></font>
<br><font size=2><tt>=============================================================</tt></font>
<br>
<br><font size=2><tt>Hi everyone, I'm new to this group. Please excuse
me as I an not a</tt></font>
<br><font size=2><tt>programer, developer, or in anyway affiliated with
Linux (other than being</tt></font>
<br><font size=2><tt>an end user).</tt></font>
<br><font size=2><tt>I am, however, the daughter of someone who suffers
from Macular Degeneration.</tt></font>
<br>
<br><font size=2><tt>Right off I have to say Kudos goes out to everyone
here who is working to</tt></font>
<br><font size=2><tt>make Linux accessible to everyone. This is something
to be supported! </tt></font>
<br><font size=2><tt>However, it would seem that you are trying to follow
Microsoft, rather</tt></font>
<br><font size=2><tt>than blaze a trail of your own. I know you all can
do better than Microsoft.</tt></font>
<br>
<br><font size=2><tt>Ok, John Winski might be impressed with MS, but I'm
not. The basic</tt></font>
<br><font size=2><tt>tools that come with Windows are so inadequate as
to be laughable.</tt></font>
<br><font size=2><tt>My Dad needs magnification so strong that on his monitor
you will only</tt></font>
<br><font size=2><tt>see the area about the size of a standard desktop
icon. </tt></font>
<br><font size=2><tt>In other words, if he wants to start up IE, he will
have to move around</tt></font>
<br><font size=2><tt>the desktop until the IE icon fills his screen so
he can see it well </tt></font>
<br><font size=2><tt>enough to click on it. </tt></font>
<br>
<br><font size=2><tt>Using the typical magnifyers doesn't cut it. </tt></font>
<br><font size=2><tt>My suggestion to this group is this: drop the current
approach and study</tt></font>
<br><font size=2><tt>some real programs that are used by people who are
seriously blind. </tt></font>
<br>
<br><font size=2><tt>Why? Because if you can grant access to those with
severly limited sight</tt></font>
<br><font size=2><tt>and the totally blind, you will more than satisfy
the needs of the rest. </tt></font>
<br>
<br><font size=2><tt>Also, the programs that these people are forced to
use typically cost</tt></font>
<br><font size=2><tt>$500 on up to several grand. Not all of this is covered
by insurance.</tt></font>
<br>
<br><font size=2><tt>So what makes these programs so special? They integrate
everything and </tt></font>
<br><font size=2><tt>eliminiate fancy, but useless, things like split panes
and 'magnifyers'.</tt></font>
<br>
<br><font size=2><tt>Here are links to two programs that you need to study:
</tt></font>
<br>
<br><font size=2><tt>http://www.sforh.com/vision/zoomtext-software.html
</tt></font>
<br>
<br><font size=2><tt>http://www.freedomscientific.com/fs_products/software_jaws.asp</tt></font>
<br>
<br><font size=2><tt>ZoomText is aimed at people with limited sight, Jaws
is aimed at the </tt></font>
<br><font size=2><tt>totally blind. Both of these programs are supported
by the Veterans</tt></font>
<br><font size=2><tt>Association. They just work. </tt></font>
<br>
<br><font size=2><tt>I know there are program that allow people to order
the computer to do</tt></font>
<br><font size=2><tt>this or that, but My Dad also suffered a stroke so
his speech isn't the best.</tt></font>
<br><font size=2><tt>Not only that, he is a tinkerer - which means I am
constantly fixing his</tt></font>
<br><font size=2><tt>windows system. What I wouldn't do to be able to switch
him to Linux!</tt></font>
<br><font size=2><tt>But I can't, there isn't anything out there that works
like ZoomText. </tt></font>
<br><font size=2><tt>So here I am - hoping to plant a seed of inspiration
and maybe start something.</tt></font>
<br><font size=2><tt>If this is NOT the correct place to bring this up
- I appologise and plead</tt></font>
<br><font size=2><tt>complete noobness. I would also humbly ask that this
be forwarded to where</tt></font>
<br><font size=2><tt>it is appropriate. </tt></font>
<br><font size=2><tt>I know this group can easily take on this approach
and make it better.</tt></font>
<br><font size=2><tt>Linux is great for just this sort of thing. </tt></font>
<br>
<br><font size=2><tt>Anyway, thanks for reading this. Again, I applaud
all of your for your </tt></font>
<br><font size=2><tt>work thus far. </tt></font>
<br>
<br><font size=2><tt>C.Gropp</tt></font>
<br><font size=2><tt>cgropp@csc.com</tt></font>
<br>