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New Scriptable Linux Screen Reader for Gnome on Freshmeat
Friday, March 24 2006 @ 08:10 AM EST

PeteS noticed that there is a new scriptable Linux screen reader for Gnome (alpha level 0.1.0, Python), Linux Screen Reader 0.1.0 (Default), posted on Freshmeat by four alphaWorks guys at IBM. You might like to try it out. It was added to Freshmeat on March 23, 2006. The homepage, where you find all the details is here. The briefer description on Freshmeat goes like this:
The Linux Screen Reader is a screen reader application. The core of the system is the AccessEngine, a message pump that receives events via the Assistive Technology Service Provider Interface (AT-SPI) on the GNOME desktop. The commands available for controlling the screen reader are determined by cascading scripts that completely define the user experience.

You will recall IBM committed to solving the disability issue for MA. I don't know that there is a connection, but if enough folks help, I can see how there could be. If you are so inclined and you are not currently working on another assistive application, you might want to have at it and take it for a spin. Perhaps you will wish to add Festival support or braille definitions, or maybe you have an idea for extensions, and if so, the authors ask you to contact them. I note they mention joysticks. The homepage has contact info at the bottom of the page.

They say the license is free for noncommercial use; a license needed for commercial use. Look into that yourself carefully, as usual, as IANAL. Even if I were, I wouldn't be your lawyer, and I don't know your personal views on licenses, so I leave that part to you. PeteS notes that it says: "The scripts can be loaded and unloaded by the user at run time, and custom scripts can be written to improve the usability of certain applications and interactions."

The longer description from alphaWorks, Overview tab begins like this:

What is the Linux® Screen Reader?

The Linux Screen Reader (LSR) is an application that transforms the contents of the computer screen to other media, enabling non-visual access to the graphical Gnome desktop environment. The basic function of the screen reader is to report changes in the state of an application as a user interacts with it using the keyboard or other system input device. What is reported to the user and what commands are available for controlling the screen reader are determined by cascading scripts that completely define the user experience. The scripts can be loaded and unloaded by the user at run time, and custom scripts can be written to improve the usability of certain applications and interactions. How information is reported to the user and how the user gives input are determined by one or more configured input and output devices. Like scripts, devices can be loaded and unloaded by the user at run time, and custom device profiles can be written to support new methods of input and output (e.g. Braille, speech, switches, and joysticks).

The source code is currently at alpha level 0.1.0. The current implementation defines a keyboard device for input and a speech device for output using the IBM ViaVoice speech engine. A default script that responds to focus, selection, and caret changes in the active application is included. The default script also defines some basic keyboard commands for navigating applications, setting the speech rate, and reporting where the user focus currently lies. Documentation is included with the source code.

They are working on a user's guide as well as a run-time help facility. I also note that on IBM's "Human Ability and Accessibility Center" page, you can download a browser called Home Page Reader, which is described like this: "A powerful, talking Web browser for users who are blind or have low vision, Home Page Reader also helps developers test the accessibility and ease of use of Web sites."

You can find instructions from alphaWorks for the new LSR by clicking on the Requirements tab on the alphaWorks page, and there is a readme file in the download also. The instructions go like this:

******************************

Software: IBM text-to-speech (TTS) synthesizer (for speech output). Single user
 licenses of the IBM TTS run-time environment can be purchased from 
Capital Accessibility, LLC. Capital will provide the gnome-speech-ibmtts 
package required in order to make gnome-speech work with IBM TTS. 

Installation instructions for Linux Screen Reader 

The following instructions assume that the user is running Fedora Core 4 or 
above. LSR will work on other Linux systems, but it is untested and will 
require slight modifications to the installation procedure below. 

The following RPMs must be installed before LSR will work: 

gnome-common 
pyorbit-devel
gnome-speech 


1.	The first two required RPMs (above) can be gotten using yum, as 
follows: 
su
yum install gnome-common
yum install pyorbit-devel
exit 


2.	As of 3/1/06, the Gnome-speech package provided by Fedora Core 4 is 
missing a required binary file. The equivalent RPM from the Polished Linux 
Distribution can be used in its place. Download it from 

ftp://ftp.pld.org.pl/dists/ac/ready/i586/gnome-speech-0.3.6-1.i586.rpm and 
install it as follows: 
su
rpm -Uvh --force gnome-speech-0.3.6-1.i586.rpm
exit 


3.	Unpack the LSR source from the tar.gz file by typing the following: 
tar xzf lsr-0.1.0.tar.gz 


4.	Navigate into the lsr directory and type the following to complete the installation: 
./autogen.sh
su root
make install
exit

For usage instructions, please see the included "readme" file.


  


New Scriptable Linux Screen Reader for Gnome on Freshmeat | 233 comments | Create New Account
Comments belong to whoever posts them. Please notify us of inappropriate comments.
Corrections...
Authored by: mtew on Friday, March 24 2006 @ 08:18 AM EST
So PJ can find them easily...

---
MTEW

[ Reply to This | # ]

Off Topic
Authored by: mtew on Friday, March 24 2006 @ 08:20 AM EST
Please make links clickable.

---
MTEW

[ Reply to This | # ]

IANALE
Authored by: Anonymous on Friday, March 24 2006 @ 08:29 AM EST
but Trolltech successfully created a dual licence.

[ Reply to This | # ]

New Scriptable Linux Screen Reader for Gnome on Freshmeat
Authored by: Anonymous on Friday, March 24 2006 @ 08:31 AM EST
A awesmome call to arms.
Hats off PJ
RT Smith
I want to go live in happy camp

[ Reply to This | # ]

Licensing?
Authored by: rsteinmetz70112 on Friday, March 24 2006 @ 09:51 AM EST
I was trying to figure out the rationale for the licensing of the packages. It
seems a little unusual.

The Speech Synthesizer was developed by IBM (ViaVoice) and the Screen Reader was
developed by IBM but you have to obtain the speech synthesizer binary from
Capital Accessibility Products. The "Free for non-commercial use"
seems to apply to the Screen Reader only and not the required TTS which is sold
"for your first language will be $40 USD. Additional languages may be
purchased for $20 USD each."

Why would IBM set this up this way?

---
Rsteinmetz - IANAL therefore my opinions are illegal.

"I could be wrong now, but I don't think so."
Randy Newman - The Title Theme from Monk

[ Reply to This | # ]

LSR license
Authored by: Anonymous on Friday, March 24 2006 @ 10:38 AM EST
The Linux Screen Reader is licensed under the Common Public License v1.0
(http://www.opensource.org/licenses/cpl1.0.php). Any thing else on the aW is
just bureaucratic nonsense.

[ Reply to This | # ]

Oralux
Authored by: bbaston on Friday, March 24 2006 @ 10:50 AM EST
In a previous (members only) article regarding text-to-speech work, a Knoppix-based distribution focusing on blind Linux users was mentioned. I downloaded the iso from Oralux but haven't the time just now to peruse its details other than to say, "It boots and it talks," enough to be encouraging.

Please do not let me detract from whatever course of action you choose. PJ, your participation in the disability issue is nothing short of -- Inspiring!

---
Ben, Groklawian in training
IMBW, IANAL2, IMHO, IAVO
imaybewrong, iamnotalawyertoo, inmyhumbleopinion, iamveryold
Have you donated to Groklaw this month?

[ Reply to This | # ]

New Scriptable Linux Screen Reader for Gnome on Freshmeat
Authored by: Kaemaril on Friday, March 24 2006 @ 02:53 PM EST

I'm just waiting for SCO to claim this is theirs by right and IBM have misappropriated it from them :)

[ Reply to This | # ]

OK, rewrite, but what about retest ?
Authored by: Anonymous on Saturday, March 25 2006 @ 01:29 AM EST
Rewrite is new code. Requiring new tests. There was previous MS hype about how
much Vista will be tested but is there gonna be enough time to retest ? I dont
think so. Therefore we are left with the same old MS stuff of bugs and patches.
Whats the betting that Vista will slip again or be patched very quickly after
release.

[ Reply to This | # ]

What is needed is a whole distro, not just a screen reader
Authored by: Anonymous on Saturday, March 25 2006 @ 03:23 AM EST
And why not. This is one of the things free software should be much better at -
being adaptable and catering to the specific needs of its users. A screen reader
is really just a bandaid on the basic problem. What is required is a complete
distro designed to run without a screen at all. An audio user interface (AUI)
instead of a GUI.

[ Reply to This | # ]
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