[Kde-accessibility] KDE/Qt at the 2nd Linux Accessibility Conference

[JP S-C]

Hi all,
   TODOs, notes, summaries, and updates from the 2nd Linux Accessibility Conference are now
online.  There is news regarding efforts to make other toolkits and desktops, including Qt and
KDE, accessible.  Check http://ocularis.sf.net/events/csun2002/, the Project Ocularis web site.

There has not been much activity in the KDE Accessibility Project since it was started.  It has
become apparent that a lot of work, possibly including corporate support, would be required to get
accessibility support in Qt and KDE.  At the 2nd Linux Accessibility Conference, the consensus
(which I, who founded the KDE Accessibility Project, also agreed with) was to focus on the
platform already furthest along in accessibility efforts, namely GNOME and GTK+, and then to move
on to other toolkits later, after we had high quality accessibility support in GNOME.  We also
agreed that, of all the work we have to do regarding Linux accessibility, heavily modifying Qt and
KDE is not the highest priority TODO we should ask new companies and developers to start on.  We
felt that making basic information types (e.g., PDFs, SMIL, Macromedia and Flash elements) should
come before making ever toolkit and desktop accessible.

This does not mean that the KDE Accessibility Project should stop, in fact there was also a
general consensus to keep learning about Qt and KDE in order to plan for interoperability in the
future, to keep track of changes in the architecture of Qt and KDE, and to keep lobbying and
trying to find developers who will be able to help with future KDE and Qt accessibility efforts
(this also applies to all Linux graphical toolkits and desktops other than GTK+ and GNOME).  What
it does mean, however, is that unless several developers step forward with an interest to learn
about accessibility and the GNOME Accessibility Architecture and with a committed desire to modify
Qt and KDE in order provide disabled users access, plans to code in the KDE Accessibility Project
will be put on hold.  This also implies that use of KDE in certain U.S. government settings will
also be put on hold because software must be accessible under Sec. 508 of the Rehabilitation Act
Amendments of 1998 (similar laws exist in other countries).

Best,

--JP

P.S.  I tried posting this to kdenews.org but it's not on there as of now, so I'm sending it to
the list.  If it seems as if it is not going to get put on The Dot, then perhaps it should be
forwarded to some other KDE mailing lists.

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Time Zone   -  Pacific (-08:00 UTC)
Home Page   -  http://ocularis.sourceforge.net

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