From Linux Insider comes an article about an operating system called
Vinux. This is a version or, more accurately, distribution of the Linux
operating system. I have not used Linux and so can only talk about it
from people I know who use it. One of our previous speakers on the phone
meeting, Austin Seraphin, is or at least was a regular user of this
operating system.
linuxinsider.com
Vinux Enhances Productivity for Visually Impaired Users | Reviews
By Jack M. Germain Nov 23, 2015 5:36 PM PT
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Vinux 5.0 is a striking example of the flexibility and usability of the
Linux OS.
Vinux is a fully functional Linux distro that caters to blind and
partially sighted users. It's based on Ubuntu Trusty Tahr 14.04.3 LTS
and gives users support through 2019. The latest version was released
earlier this month.
It greatly improves on the usability features of other Linux
distributions. By default, it provides two screen readers and Braille
display support plus a community keenly tuned into the needs of
sight-challenged users.
Vinux Braille display support
Vinux provides two screen readers and Braille display support. The
distro includes a Classic dropdown menu and the ability to fine-tune the
way the visual and audio features perform.
Vinux provides tools for sight-challenged users in an integrated
environment, eliminating the need to track down and install
accessibility software on their own. The support community is
particularly sensitive to the needs of such users. The integrated
approach Vinux takes makes it easier for a sight-impaired user to be
more productive.
Needs-Driven Development
Tony Sales, founder of Vinux, teaches psychology and sociology at the
Royal National College for the Blind in Hereford, UK.A philosophical
interest in artificial intelligence fed his interest in computers.
Before setting his sights on a Linux solution for the visually impaired,
Sales spent six years working as a volunteer in Zambia. He returned to
the England to work as an information and communications technology
teacher at the college, and he eventually began working in the school's
research and development department.
He started the Vinux Project to fill a void in available accessibility
support in most popular Linux distributions. The goal was to build a
Linux distro to better meet the needs of sight-challenged computer
users. Most of his development team is either totally or legally blind.
Solid Framework
Vinux and Ubuntu Unity go well together. The creator behind the Ubuntu
Linux distro, Mark Shuttleworth, hails from South Africa. The default
user interface for Vinux is Ubuntu's Unity desktop, but users can switch
to the GNOME Shell or the GNOME 2 fork called MATE.
Vinux desktop
Vinux takes the standard Ubuntu Unity desktop and makes it more suitable
for vision-impaired users.
The homemade Unity desktop was Ubuntu's replacement for GNOME 3. Few
Linux distros followed suit with Unity, but I can agree with Sales'
selection of Unity for his targeted user base. The single-wide panel
along the left edge of the screen makes it easy to find programs. It's a
good alternative to having open windows covering desktop icons when
looking to launch another application.
The absence of a cascading apps list organized by category in the Unity
interface is another huge advantage for visually impaired users. That
benefit is especially evident when coupled with the DASH search window.
Users type a name or phrase or app title in the search window, and only
related items come into view as launch links.
The text-to-speech voice readouts of each key pressed and the locational
announcements as your move the mouse around the desktop are good
features for the target audience.
Another prominent accessibility feature in Vinux is the default
text-to-speech reader. It announces each letter typed into the search
window.
Enhanced Visibility
The default screen display is larger than typical screen displays for
other operating systems. Users can adjust the setting to suit their
needs, but it's reassuring to have a visually enhanced screen right from
the start.
The Ocra screen reader is one of the main visibility tools in Vinux.
Orca is an open source application that enables blind and visually
impaired users to work with computers more easily on a daily basis. It
is part of the GNOME project. The assistive technology infrastructure
for GNU/Linux includes a screen magnifier application.
Taken together, the ability to use text-to-speech, a larger-by-default
screen view and a Braille reader all contribute to the computing needs
of the targeted users. These special features enhance or extend the
normal accessory options in Linux.
Sighted View
As a fully sighted user, I pushed myself to view the user interface and
overall approach that Vinux takes with an open mind.
My classroom experience with visually impaired students does not come
close to that of Vinux developer Sales. I did set up one of my computers
with special accessibility screens and a higher screen resolution to
help my sight-challenged students level the playing field, so I have a
special interest in the more modern solution available with Vinux.
I tried a variety of methods to experience Vinux as a visually impaired
user. For example, I wore dark sunglasses and darkened the screen
brightness. I wore reader glasses of varying magnification strengths to
distort my vision so I would have to rely on the Vinux features.
I tried to duplicate a sense of impaired sight as best as possible with
the room lighting and the glasses, including a 3-D pair from my 3-D
smart TV. I swiveled my chair to face my regular computers running the
Cinnamon and the Xfce desktops and my test computer running Vinux.
The results should not be surprising. Using Vinux as my Linux operating
system was clearly a big improvement over getting even basic computing
tasks done on my standard computer system while I struggled with my
makeshift sight impairment.
Some Short-Sighted Results
A standard or Classic Menu is available to supplement the Unity
search-style application and file finder in the Heads Up Display or HUD.
Press the GNOME icon on the right end of the panel that sits across the
top of the screen. This is a nice addition to the standard Ubuntu
interface, as is the slightly more useful panel bar across the top of
the screen.
The controls for the audio and visual settings are located in the
Universal Access portion of the System Settings. Individual items did
not show up in the search feature of the Dash Display, however.
Locating some of the controls for the screen reader and Braille display
need to be easier. I couldn't find them even when I removed my
self-inflicted sight-distorting devices. I couldn't find some of the
regular system adjustments at all.
Some of the features seemed not to work at all. For example, I could not
turn the Screen Reader on/off by toggling the Alt + Super + S keyboard
keys. Also, the toggle for Beep on/off for Caps and Num Lock did not
have any effect. The toggle is set to off by default. Sliding the toggle
to the on position did not activate that feature.
One of the features for this release of Vinux is its support for
Braille. The Brltty application is supposed to provide grade 1 and 2
Braille output via Orca, but I couldn't find any information or menu
support at all for Brltty. It didn't show up in any menu search.
According to Ubuntu Manuals, Brltty is a background process that
provides access to the console screen in text mode for a person using a
refreshable Braille display. It drives the Braille display, provides
complete screen review functionality, and incorporates some speech
capability. You'd think that the distro's developers would provide some
information about Braille displays and using the Brltty functionality.
Challenging Task
Obviously, I had to struggle with my self-imposed visual deficiencies in
testing Vinux. I gained a fresh appreciation for the sight-challenged.
The text-to-speech voice was particularly bothersome.
For example, If I moved the mouse too quickly, the spoken words were
difficult to discern. It also became very annoying hearing the same
locational phrases and directions repeatedly. That is no doubt my own
biased response to a feature that I fortunately do not have to rely on.
One major fail from my perspective was the inability of the screen
reader software to tell me what the icons labels would show me about the
application names. As I moved the mouse pointer to each icon in the
Unity bar, I repeatedly heard "Window." That made it useless in knowing
which application I was touching with the mouse pointer.
A major problem for any user is the lack of a search window in the
Ubuntu Software Center. This omission makes it impossible to find any
software that isn't displayed on the recommendations screen.
Bottom Line
The Vinux Linux distro can be both an educational requirement and a
personal tool for sight-impaired computer users. It's not a perfect in
its performance, but it does provide an improved and more productive
computing environment for visually impaired users.
Want to Suggest a Review?
Is there a Linux software application or distro you'd like to suggest
for review? Something you love or would like to get to know?
Please email your ideas to me, and I'll consider them for a future Linux
Picks and Pans column.
And use the Talkback feature below to add your comments!
Jack M. Germain has been writing about computer technology since the
early days of the Apple II and the PC. He still has his original IBM
PC-Jr and a few other legacy DOS and Windows boxes. He left shareware
programs behind for the open source world of the Linux desktop. He runs
several versions of Windows and Linux OSes and often cannot decide
whether to grab his tablet, netbook or Android smartphone instead of
using his desktop or laptop gear. You can connect with him on Google+.
--
David Goldfield
Assistive Technology Specialist
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