[vicsireland] Re: FW: Ubuntu and Visually impaired users

  • From: "Gerry Ellis" <gerry.ellis@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: <vicsireland@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Mon, 28 Apr 2008 21:56:24 +0100

Dear Cearbhall and members,

The following is a direct quote from my email last week:
"The reason why people were not enthusiastic about VICS becoming involved with 
sending second-hand equipmenbt to anyone is the question of licencing. If
I buy equipment and software, they are in my name. If they are then sent to 
anyone else, wherever that may be, the software licence remains in my name.
This could cause a legal problem for all involved further down the line. For 
instance, what happens when the recipient wants to upgrade the version of
JAWS that is on the computer? It would be unwise for VICS to get involved with 
such a scheme without having the appropriate legal and other support to
do so. There are groups like the Veronica Foundation who do just this kind of 
thing."


As you can tell, my issues were around licencing software such as JAWS, not 
hardware. I specifically mentioned that a software licence remains in my name 
and this could cause a problem. I did not assert that hardware needs to be 
licenced in the same way as software or that it remains in my name after I part 
with it for any reason.

I am more than happy for anyone to disagree with anything and everything I say, 
but please do not mis-quote me when doing so.



Take care,

Gerry Ellis

Tel   +353-(0)1 282-7791
Mob   +353-(0)85 716-8665
Email gerry.ellis@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

If you don't know where you're going,
How will you know when you get there?

  ----- Original Message -----
  From: Cearbhall O Meadhra
  To: vicsireland@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
  Sent: Monday, April 28, 2008 7:25 PM
  Subject: [vicsireland] FW: Ubuntu and Visually impaired users


  Dear VICS members,

  I was very concerned when I saw the discussion last week about helping 
Nigerian people to use computers. I was also alarmed when Gerry Ellis asserted 
that hardware needed to be licensed and that this presented an obstacle to 
assisting people who  are excluded from purchasing computers on grounds of 
costs.

  I did some research and was referred to this group Camara who specialise in 
resolving this very issue.  They find that the hardware is not a problem and 
can be distributed without incurring any licensing issues. The software is, of 
course, subject to licence. For that reason they install Linux-based systems on 
computers and, as we know, this means that screen readers such as Kopernicus 
come into focus.

  I have started a dialog with Camara whose leaders are very interested in 
having the input of VICS into this issue.

  Would anyone like to help with this initiative?


  All the best,


  Cearbhall

  "Good design enables - Bad design disables"

  Tel: 01-2864623 Mob: 087 9922227 Em: cearbhall.omeadhra@xxxxxxxxxx







------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  From: Kirsty Palfreyman [mailto:kirsty@xxxxxxxxx]
  Sent: 28 April 2008 18:03
  To: cearbhall.omeadhra@xxxxxx
  Subject: Fwd: Ubuntu and Visually impaired users


  Good afternoon,

  First response from the Linux group below.

  I shall also bring the topic up at our next Camara team meeting (one week 
tomorrow).

  I'll be in touch,
  Kind regards,
  Kirsty



  ---------- Forwarded message ----------
  From: Rory McCann <rory@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  Date: 28 April 2008 14:19
  Subject: Ubuntu and Visually impaired users
  To: camaradublin@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
  Cc: Eoghan Crosby - Camara <eoghan@xxxxxxxxx>, Kirsty Palfreyman 
<kirsty@xxxxxxxxx>


  Hi all,

  I've just had a quick look, and there seems to be a few built in technologies 
for helping visually impaired users.

  There's some info on the ubuntu website:

  http://www.ubuntu.com/products/whatisubuntu/accessibility and 
http://www.ubuntu.com/products/whatisubuntu/804features/accessibility/

  I don't know how good they are and how they'd compare to the windows world. 
It might be interesting to get some visually impaired people to try it out. 
Maybe someone has done that sort of thing before.

  Rory (who is swamped in work ATM)

  Eoghan wrote:

    Hi all, is there any Linux thigy to aid the visually impaired, see
    below for request:


    Note to Visually Impaired Computer Society (VICS) Ireland

    "I have spent eight loving years and I have acquired a lot of skills
    in
    computer technology through many blind and sighted friends in Ireland.
    My
    dreams are to be able to impact these knowledge to needy blind persons
    in
    Africa because they're still using type writers."


    Dear Kirsty,

    Thank you for taking my phone call this morning. I am a member of the
    visually Impaired Computer Society (VICS) and rang to see if Camara
    had any
    answer to a discussion which has recently arisen amongst prominent
    VICS
    members. This is about sending second hand computers to Nigeria. I
    think the
    members are correct to be concerned about licensing issues in relation
    to
    software but not correct to say that VICS should not get involved in
    any
    way.

    My enquiries pointed me to Camara and the work that you and your
    volunteers
    are doing. I would be very interested in discussing this issue more
    closely
    with you and your technical team to see if VICS should get involved.
    If you
    feel that it would help to device a project dealing with this issue, I
    would
    be happy to introduce you to our chairman and would hope that your
    representative might address the forthcoming AGM of VICS in May.

    I have attached some of the discussion for your information.

    My contact information is shown below:

    Yours sincerely,


    Cearbhall E. O'Meadhra

    Colibri Consultant Group
    "Passion for Excellence"
    From:   Cearbhall O Meadhra <cearbhall.omeadhra@xxxxxx>



    On Apr 21, 6:13 pm, Eoghan <eog...@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

      How many are signed up to the Ubuntu Party night Rory? We may be able
      to get a few drinks organised by the CS dept in UCD?

    --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~

    http://groups.google.ie/group/camaradublin?hl=en
    -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---






  --
  Kirsty Palfreyman
  Volunteer Coordinator

  Camara
  The Digital Hub
  10-13 Thomas Street
  Dublin 8

  w.www.camara.ie
  e. kirsty@xxxxxxxxx
  t. +353 (0) 87 326 0730

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