Re: FW: Vinux 3.0 Released!

["Bryen M. Yunashko" <suserocks bryen com>]

On Tue, 2010-06-01 at 12:03 +0100, Anthony Sales wrote:
> On behalf of the whole Vinux community I am happy to announce the 3rd release of Vinux - Linux for the Visually Impaired, based on Ubuntu 10.04 - Lucid Lynx. This version of Vinux provides three screen-readers, two full-screen magnifiers, dynamic font-size/colour-theme changing as well as support for USB Braille displays. Vinux is now available both as an installable live CD and as a .deb package which will automatically convert an existing installation of Ubuntu Lucid into an accessible Vinux system! In addition, we now have our own Vinux package repository (from which you can install our customised packages with apt-get/synaptic) and a dedicated Vinux IRC channel. In the very near future we will also be launching a Vinux Wiki and releasing special DVD, USB and Virtual Editions of Vinux 3.0! To download Vinux 3.0 or to get more information on the project please visit the Vinux Project Homepage at http://vinux.org.uk or use these direct links:
> 
> Download: http://sina.fi.ncsu.edu/Vinux-3.0.iso (685MB, MD5: 7cc8ac0ed5eaef45dbf215279da3660f)
> Mirrors: http://vinux.org.uk/downloads.html
> 
> drbongo
> _____________

First of all, congratulations to you and the Vinux community for
continuing your great work.

What remains a question for me, not just with Vinux but also with other
accessibilty-focused spinoffs, is the very existence thereof.

Philosophically, I believe very strongly in the statement of "A11y"
which means that any person can use any computer regardless of physical
or mental limitations.  That concept means that we should not have to
search for accessibility-oriented spinoffs.  

So, in that vein, what does Vinux offer that cannot be offered directly
in say Ubuntu?  What are the lessons that major distros can learn from
Vinux and others on how to improve their own accessibility
infrastructure?  What are the limitations encountered by those of us who
rely on accessibility tools that force us to look elsewhere for
accessibility-oriented spinoffs?

My questions aren't meant to criticize Vinux.  Obviously, if Vinux
exists, it is there because there's a need for it.  But how can we close
the gap between mainstream and specially oriented distros?

Sincerely,
Bryen M Yunashko
GNOME-A11y Outreach