a11y research and innovation (Re: Forming an Accessibility Steering Committee)

[David Bolter <dtb gnome org>]

Peter Parente wrote:
> > Choice quote: "we have succumbed to the tyranny of the popular, the
> > typical, the average, or the norm"...  but let's not!  We should be able
> > to go so much farther and faster in FOSS land...
> >     
>
> Simply getting together to talk in an open forum helps spark new
> ideas. Some of the best brainstorming sessions I've ever had have been
> with my thesis adviser after reviewing other research papers. It's
> amazing how many intriguing ideas can result from reviewing what other
> people are doing to push the envelope.
>
> Of course, collaborating and working to resolve the problems here and
> now is still the primary concern. But it would be nice to see some
> time and cycles spent freely discussing projects that may appear a tad
> "crazy" at first. Even if this small community of accessibility
> developers doesn't have the time or resources to tackle them, getting
> the ideas out there for other people to think about might entice them
> to join the effort (the "Wow. That's cool. I can do that." effect).
>
> Here's the kind of "crazy" I'm talking about:
>
> Humanware makes a product called Trekker which provides spoken GPS
> navigation aid for people with visual impairments. Their solution is
> unique among competitors because it uses a standard PDA (the Dell
> Axiom X51 I believe), overlays a custom rubber keyboard on top of the
> touch screen for input, and provides speech output. The Trekker can be
> bought as part of the Maestro package which also provides speech
> displays and button input for applications including a text reader,
> contact list, agenda manager, etc. The price is not listed on
> Humanware's page, but other sites list it somewhere between $1500 and
> $2000. While it seems high, it's actually cheaper than other, custom
> manufactured devices suited to one and only one user group.
>
>   
I've saw the trekker earlier this week. We're currently looking at these 
as well as simple inexpensive devices (cell phones) using loadstone 
(FOSS) software. The use of the device for navigation does not require a 
carrier.
> So what could we do to push the envelope under the same premise, that
> is, reuse existing, commodity hardware and platforms? The Nokia N800
> line of Internet tablet products with Maemo comes to mind. It's
> GNOME-based, supports open development, and has an API for
> communicating with Bluetooth GPS receivers. The cost is around $300
> for the N800 and roughly $100-$300 for a separate GPS receiver.
>   
Exactly! I'm waiting to order my reduced price N810 as part of the Maemo 
program. Peter you are reading my mind.
> There isn't much documentation on doing speech synthesis on the Maemo,
> but it looks like at least a few people have tried.
Aha, now I know why you blogged about tts on maemo... Do you have cycles 
to spend in this space? I'd love to get you (and anyone) involved with 
our mobile project here at the ATRC (see http://scyp.atrc.utoronto.ca/). 
SCYP is basically an umbrella or central hub for activity in mobile 
research happening on campus here at UofT and beyond.

The mobile space is of huge importance for accessibility, and we have a 
lot to bring to the table while it is still young-ish.
>  I have to believe
> it's possible using flite or espeak. Granted, input is also a problem
> since interaction is mostly driven by the touch screen. However, the
> N800 does have more than a few physical buttons and the N810 has a
> fully qwerty keyboard. A custom navigation app could make use of
> either for stepping through directions en route. The user could plan
> the route on their desktop computer where I/O is more full-featured,
> and then sync it with the mobile device where a less interaction-heavy
> UI could speak directions as the user follows his or her route.
>   
Yes! Apparently this is the interaction pattern for users of loadstone.
> This setup seems ripe for doing something new. Speech-based
> way-finding is just one possibility. I'm sure with some time spent
> thinking on it, we as a community could come up with many, many more.
>   
Yes!
> I believe it's this kind of thinking the committee should promote and
> document for others to see. Again, we as individuals may not get time
> to work on implementing every concept. But I bet if we use an
> idea-shotgun, and blast enough into the public-awareness, someone will
> grab them and run.
>
>   
Yes! Yesyesyes!

At the very least get these ideas into the SOC wiki area.

cheers,
David