[vicsireland] Novell, Microsoft, IBM and Mozilla come together for accessibility.
- From: "Darragh" <lists@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: vicsireland@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Mon, 14 Jan 2008 12:04:19 -0000 (UTC)
I read this in the linux format magazine that was in my inbox this morning.
Accessibility & Interoperability
Michael Meeks
I've been part of a team, setting up a project with Microsoft to bring its UI
Automation accessibility (a11y) APIs to Linux. This should shake up the
Linux
a11y space by adding some serious resources and polish.
Having been involved in the early implementation of the Linux a11y stack
(at-spi), and more recently having created a native bridge between
OpenOffice.org's a11y world and the native stack (to avoid having to
bridge via
Java which was extremely slow), I can vouch that this is an interesting and
rewarding space.
Almost nothing would exist in the Linux a11y field without Sun's long term
investment here (Java's already accessible cross-platform), and latterly
IBM's
investment in Firefox and Windows a11y around IAccessible2. Naturally, our
collaboration will build on top of, and bridge to the great existing work
here.
Our work is entirely complementary and pluggable, and only augments existing
Mono-using apps.
The development work will take two parts. Firstly, the bridging piece. This
allows, for instance, the existing Linux screenreader: Orca to talk to
Winforms
applications, and a simple C# screenreader using the UIA APIs to talk to
OpenOffice.org, for example. Second, we'll add a11y support inside the Mono
Winforms implementation itself, with support for Moonlight following
later. Of
course, adding more hands to the a11y stack will inevitably improve a11y for
everyone.We are also involved with Microsoft in the creation of an inclusive
cross-industry alliance to the end of driving a happy convergence of the
various
technologies in the future: simplifying the process of making your app
accessible.This work all happens under a wide-ranging covenant shielding
everyone from patent problems - most encouraging.
I'm excited about getting involved again in moving us towards a fully
accessible
future.
Michael is a pseudo-engineer, semi-colon lover,
Novell OpenOffice.org hacker and amateur pundit.
Other related posts:
- » [vicsireland] Novell, Microsoft, IBM and Mozilla come together for accessibility.
