AbilityNet Releasing Collection of Open Source Accessibility Tools
by Kristin Shoemaker - Nov. 11, 2008Comments (2)- Related Blog Posts
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The UK-based charity AbilityNet announced today that it has bundled a number of open source tools to help people with a variety of disabilities more effectively use their computers.
The bundled applications are available for £16.99 including VAT (to cover costs of testing and distribution), and appear to be Windows only (though it's difficult to root out system requirements). The included software is designed to help those with a number of different needs, including dyslexia, visual impairments, and some physical disabilities.
The disk, called AccessAT, has been tested in a number of settings (home, work, and educational institutions). Some of the included open source tools are the NVDA screen reader and the Virtual Magnifying Glass.
High contrast displays have always been useful, but there are many other tools that make detailed, specific computing tasks easier for those with disabilities. Accessibility tools (frequently abbreviated as a11y) are one of the most attractive aspects of open source software. Many of these tools are cross-platform (such as the Virtual Magnifying Glass) and the number of alternatives for particular systems (such as the NVDA screen reader in Windows, and Orca for Linux) are growing.
Free as in cost is always appealing, but the free as in speech aspect makes these tools more useful, very quickly. Text to speech and transcription programs, for instance, can only benefit from developers adding accurate localization -- and pronounciation -- support.
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