Apologies for overlooking this most-relevant list and the subsequent cross-posting. The GNOME Accessibility Guide will be undergoing changes in the days and weeks ahead. Currently most focus is on Chapter 3 - Enabling Accessibility. Repository of edited .xml files: svn.gnome.org/svn/gnome-user-docs/trunk Attached is an html snapshot (unchunked). Thanks in advance for all your quality control efforts, Vincent AlexanderTitle: GNOME Desktop Accessibility Guide
GNOME Desktop Accessibility GuideDon ScorgieGNOME Documentation Project Brent SmithGNOME Documentation Project Sun Java Desktop System Documentation TeamSun Microsystems, Inc. Copyright © 2006 Don Scorgie Copyright © 2006 Brent Smith Copyright © 2005, 2004, 2003, 2002 Sun Microsystems, Inc. Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL), Version 1.1 or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation with no Invariant Sections, no Front-Cover Texts, and no Back-Cover Texts. You can find a copy of the GFDL here or in the file COPYING-DOCS distributed with this manual. This manual is part of a collection of GNOME manuals distributed under the GFDL. If you want to distribute this manual separately from the collection, you can do so by adding a copy of the license to the manual, as described in Section 6 of the license. Many of the names used by companies to distinguish their products and services are claimed as trademarks. Where those names appear in any GNOME documentation, and the members of the GNOME Documentation Project are made aware of those trademarks, then the names are in capital letters or initial capital letters. DOCUMENT AND MODIFIED VERSIONS OF THE DOCUMENT ARE PROVIDED UNDER THE TERMS OF THE GNU FREE DOCUMENTATION LICENSE WITH THE FURTHER UNDERSTANDING THAT:
Feedback To report a bug or make a suggestion regarding the GNOME Desktop or this manual, follow the directions in the GNOME Feedback Page .
Chapter 1. Introduction to AccessibilityThis chapter introduces you to accessibility in the GNOME Desktop. All software products should incorporate accessibility features to enable people with disabilities to use the software easily and efficiently. Recent legislation such as Section 508 of the U.S. Rehabilitation Act heightens awareness of the need to provide accessible software. The GNOME Desktop is easy to use and incorporates many accessibility features. Every supported application and utility in the GNOME Desktop is designed with accessibility and usability in mind. Users with physical disabilities such as low vision or impaired motor skills can use all of the functionality of the GNOME Desktop thanks to the customization tools that are available. These customization tools enable you to fine-tune the appearance and behavior of the desktop. The ability to easily customize the GNOME Desktop contributes greatly to the accessibility of the desktop. This guide describes the various options available to meet your particular needs. Chapter 2. Enabling Accessibility Tools2.1. Essential Keyboard CommandsBefore moving forward, be sure you are familiar with these essential GNOME commands: Alt-F1 - display and activate the GNOME Desktop menu bar. This grants access to the Applications, Places and System menu bar items. For Solaris systems, this key is Ctrl-Esc (as with Microsoft Windows). Alt-F2 - summons the Run dialog, where you can issue terminal commands with or without parameters. If a file needs to be passed as one of these parameters, use the Run With File button to easily locate the file needed. This dialog also presents an alternate list of known applications which may be easier to navigate for some than the typical Alt-F1 approach. Tab and Shift-Tab - move focus within an application between controls; use Tab to cycle forward through controls and Shift-Tab to cycle backwards. Controls are any user-interactive element that you can manipulate, such as buttons, drop-down lists, text fields, etc. Alt-Tab and Shift-Alt-Tab - switches between currently running applications. If you have multiple programs running, use Alt-Tab to cycle forward through the applications and Alt-Shift-Tab to cycle backwards. Knowing how to interact with common GNOME-standard user controls (such as text boxes, drop-down lists and radio groups) is also essential - review [todo: ulink here] to become familiar with these elements and how to quickly and efficiently navigate them. 2.1.1. Starting GOK (GNOME Onscreen Keyboard)You must enable the assistive technology services before you are able to use many of the accessibility tools available.
The next steps enable gok (GNOME Onscreen Keyboard). These steps are not necessary for Solaris and target Debian platforms (Ubuntu, etc.). See further down for rpm-based distributions (RedHat, Fedora, etc.).
If the Sticky Keys feature is not yet enabled, gok will do so the first time it runs. Installing gok for rpm-based systems: [not impl.]
2.1.2. Starting OrcaUse Alt-F2 to bring up the Run dialog, type in orca and press Enter. The first time Orca is launched you will be asked a few questions: First you will be presented with a list of languages to choose from; there are currently about 45 languages supported. Most of this list will scroll off the screen, so you may have to use the terminal's scrollbar to view earlier parts of the list. Type in the number of your language choice (e.g., 7 for American English) and press Enter. You are next asked to set Echo By Word. This option instructs Orca to speak words as you finish typing them. Type y or n and press Enter. The next item is Key Echo. This option will speak all keys as they are pressed. Type y or n and press Enter. Now select your desired keyboard layout; generally, you will want to choose the layout that matches your keyboard type - 1 for Desktop or 2 for Laptop. This choice will determine what key will act as the Orca modifier key. The Desktop layout uses Insert while the Laptop layout uses Caps Lock. A system, host, shift or modifier key is one which is used in conjunction with other keys, enabling keyboard access to most program functions. Next, specify if you require Braille output. This functionality assumes a brlTTY-compatible device is available. Type y or n and press Enter. Lastly, indicate whether you want an on-screen Braille output monitor. This is mostly for developers who need to verify brlTTY output, but may also be useful in other situations, such as visually diagnosing or verifying Braille output. Type y or n and press Enter. That's it! Orca is now ready for use. If accessibility was not yet enabled, Orca does so now and asks you to logout and back in for the services to start. Type y and press Enter to restart your login session. After completing the first-time Orca settings, use Alt-F2 to bring up the Run dialog, type in orca and press Enter. Accessibility functions should now be active. 2.1.3. Setting Orca PreferencesWhen the Orca main window appears, the default button is Preferences; just press Enter and the GUI configuration dialog will appear. If you move control focus from this button, use Alt-P to open Preferences while the Orca main window has application focus. To adjust Orca for your requirements, Alt-Tab to the Orca main window and press Tab by itself until Orca announces the Preferences button. Press Enter and you are presented with the GUI configuration dialog. If you are using large print fonts, the entire Preferences configuration dialog may not fit on your screen. You may have to temporarily downsize to another theme or adjust your monitor resolution before effectively using the Preferences dialog. [Orca may later employ a fully scrollable window (with both vertical and horizontal scroll bars) or the GNOME Desktop itself may add this windowing feature (perhaps by panelizing all child controls). This particular window behavior is currently developer-dependent.] The GUI configuration dialog is made up of several sections, each denoted by a notebook tab at the top of the dialog. These tabs can be navigated with the left/right arrow keys when the tabstrip has focus. Press the down arrow or Tab to move from the tabstrip into the options area for the currently highlighted tab/section. To return to the tabstrip, use Shift-Tab until the tabstrip is selected again. 2.1.3.1. Orca Preferences - General SectionKeyboard Layout - this radio group offers two mutually-exclusive options for indicating which keyboard layout applies to you: Desktop or Laptop. To quickly access Orca functions an "Orca modifier key" is used as a shift-type key, to be used in conjunction with other keys meaningful to Orca. This modifier (also called a system, shift or host key) is the Insert key for the Desktop layout and the Caps Lock key for the Laptop layout. For example, to bring up the GUI configuration dialog would require Insert + Space with the Desktop layout, or Caps Lock + Space when using the Laptop layout. Show Orca main window - if enabled, the Orca application window will be shown in typical desktop Z-order and can be acessed with Alt-Tab. This provides access to the GUI configuration dialog and some other functionality, such as quitting Orca. If unchecked, no program window is displayed and all Orca functionality is achieved through keyboard or other means. Experienced users will likely prefer the window not shown, to avoid encountering it unnecessarily while using Alt-Tab or other window navigation methods. Quit Orca without confirmation - if checked, Orca will shut down without prompting to be sure the action was intended. If unchecked, Orca will always confirm any action that would quit Orca services. Disable gksu keyboard grab - checking this option will allow Orca to provide an accessible login. Disallowing the gksu keyboard grab also allows malicious software to observe everything you type, including login names and passwords, so be aware your security is somewhat reduced with this option enabled. Present tooltips - if enabled, Orca will relay all application tooltips (balloon help messages), regardless of tooltip settings elsewhere. This is a global override option. 2.1.3.2. Orca Preferences - Speech SectionEnable Speech (Alt-E) - check this option to make use of speech functionality. If unchecked, the other controls in this section will be disabled, as their settings are not relevant without speech being enabled. If speech is enabled, there are several additional settings which you can adjust: Speech System (Alt-S) - If you have additional hardware or software speech services, they can be selected here. Otherwise the only setting is GNOME Speech Services (the default, always-available option). Speech Synthesizer (Alt-Z) - If you have additional hardware or software speech synthesizers, they can be selected here. Otherwise the only setting is the eSpeak GNOME Speech Driver (the default, always-available option). Voice Settings (Alt-V) - you can select among three options: Default, Uppercase or Hyperlink. [todo: differences] Person (Alt-P) - depending on the source language, a multitude of vocal personalities may exist, allowing for variation in regional accent and dialectal enunciation. Rate (Alt-R) - this setting effectively sets how fast words are spoken. After some familiarity and attunement, you may be able to increase this setting, achieving more feedback in less time. Pitch (Alt-T) - this setting is used to raise or lower the vocal tonality of speech. Adjust pitch to complement your other settings for best tonal clarity. Volume (Alt-L) - this setting is used to raise or lower the speech volume relative to the main sound mixer, with 9.0 equalling current maximum system volume. Punctuation Level - this radio group determines the amount of punctuation spoken: None (Alt-N), Some (Alt-M), Most (Alt-O) or All (Alt-A). Verbosity - this radio group determines the amount of verbal feedback [todo: expand]: Brief (Alt-B) or Verbose (Alt-B). Table Row Speech - this radio group specifies whether an individual Cell (Alt-C) is spoken or the entire Row (Alt-R) when navigating cell/row table structures. Chapter 3. General Accessibility TipsA number of technologies can be of assistance to people with different types of disabilities. These are covered in this section. In particular:
3.1. Accessible LoginThe GNOME Desktop includes an Accessible Login feature, enabling users to:
3.1.1. Enabling Accessible LoginTo configure GDM, perform the following steps:
3.1.2. Starting Assistive Technologies at LoginIf you load the keymouselistener and dwellmouselistener GtkModules in the GDM configuration file, you can assign user actions to launch specific assistive technologies at login time. These user actions are called gestures. The gesture associations are contained in the following GDM configuration files:
The following sections contain examples of the gestures that you can add to the GDM configuration files.
3.1.2.1. Starting the Screen Reader Using a Keyboard ShortcutEdit the AccessKeyMouseEvents file to associate keyboard shortcuts with assistive technologies. For example, the following line enables you to press and hold Ctrl-S for one second to start Screen Reader and Magnifier in speech and Braille mode: <Control>s 1 1000 10000 srcore --login --disable-magnifier --enable-speech --enable-braille 3.1.2.2. Starting Magnifier Using a Keyboard ShortcutEdit the AccessKeyMouseEvents file to associate keyboard shortcuts with assistive technologies. For example, the following line enables you to press and hold Ctrl-M for one second to start Screen Reader and Magnifier in magnifier mode: <Control>m 1 1000 10000 srcore --login --enable-magnifier --disable-speech 3.1.2.3. Starting On-Screen Keyboard Using a Switch or Button GestureEdit the AccessKeyMouseEvents file to associate switch, key, or button gestures with assistive technologies. Since the primary input device for many On-Screen Keyboard users is a switch or button, this is a good way to enable users to start On-Screen Keyboard at login time. If there is a tendency for a user to start an application unintentionally, you can associate the gestures with multiple switch presses or minimum durations. For example, the following line starts On-Screen Keyboard in inverse scanning mode when the user presses the switch that is defined as Switch 2 three times within two seconds, for a minimum of 100 milliseconds for each press: <Switch2>3 100 2000 gok --login --accessmethod=inversescanning --scan-action="" --select-action="" > Users who use single switches may prefer to start On-Screen Keyboard in automatic scanning mode. The following line starts On-Screen Keyboard in automatic scanning mode when the user presses the switch on an alternative access device for more than four seconds: <Switch>1 4000 5000 gok --login --accessmethod=automaticscanning --scan-action="" --select-action="" > For information about the On-Screen Keyboard operating modes, see the online help for On-Screen Keyboard. 3.1.2.4. Starting On-Screen Keyboard Using a Motion-Only GestureYou can define gestures that involve only the motion of a pointing device such as a mouse, or an alternative pointing device, such as a head pointer or trackball. The syntax of the gesture does not change depending on whether you are using a mouse or an alternative pointing device. Edit the AccessKeyMouseEvents file to associate motion gestures with assistive technologies. If the dwellmouselistener GtkModule is loaded, alternative pointing devices are temporarily latched to the core pointer. This means that if the user moves the alternative pointing device, the on-screen pointer moves. For example, the following line starts On-Screen Keyboard in dwell mode when the user moves the on-screen pointer from inside the login dialog through the top edge, back into the dialog through the top edge, out of the dialog through the left edge, back into the dialog through the left edge, and similarly through the bottom and right edges of the dialog in a cross pattern: TTLLBBRR O 10000 gok --login --access-method=dwellselection --input-device=MOUSE[3] Note that the --input-device parameter specified in the gesture must match the name of the extended user input device, such as a head pointer or trackball, as specified in /etc/X11/XF86Config. 3.1.3. Additional Requirements for Accessible LoginTo enable the Accessible Login feature to use alternative pointing devices and switch devices such as sip-and-puff switches, wheelchair-mounted switches or trackballs, you might need to modify your X server system configuration to recognize these devices. You can use most devices that emulate mouse buttons with the Accessible Login feature and On-Screen Keyboard, including USB single switches and mouse-like pointing devices.
3.2. Keyboard Desktop NavigationThis section describes how to navigate the GNOME Desktop from the keyboard only. Users who have difficulty using a mouse or other pointing device can navigate and use the desktop from the keyboard. 3.2.1. Introduction to Keyboard NavigationThis section describes the essential keyboard shortcuts to enable you to navigate the desktop from the keyboard. You can customize some of the keyboard shortcuts that are described in this chapter. The text indicates the shortcuts that you can customize. See Section 3.2.10 for information about how to customize keyboard shortcuts. 3.2.1.1. Essential Keyboard ShortcutsThe following table lists the essential keyboard shortcuts that you can use to navigate the desktop. The keyboard shortcuts that you use to navigate specific elements and controls are described in the appropriate sections of this chapter.
3.2.1.2. Global Keyboard ShortcutsThe following table lists the keyboard shortcuts that you can use from any part of the GNOME Desktop.
3.2.2. Navigating the Desktop BackgroundThe desktop background is the part of the GNOME Desktop where there are no interface items or applications, such as panels and windows. The following table lists the keyboard shortcuts that you can use to navigate the desktop background and the desktop background objects. A desktop background object is an icon on the desktop background that you can use to open files, folders, or applications.
3.2.3. Navigating PanelsA panel is an area from which you can run special programs, applications, and panel applications. The most common panel is the panel that stretches the full width of the bottom edge of the desktop. The following table lists the keyboard shortcuts that you can use to navigate panels and panel objects.
3.2.3.1. Moving Panel ObjectsYou can move a focused panel object to a different location on a panel or drawer, or you can move the object to the next panel. To move a panel object, perform the following steps:
The following examples demonstrate the effect of different move operations on the objects in a panel:
3.2.3.2. Navigating DrawersA drawer is a collapsible extension of a panel. The following table lists the keyboard shortcuts that you can use to navigate into and out of drawers. When you open a drawer, you can navigate the contents of the drawer in the same way as you navigate a panel. See Section 3.2.3 for information about how to navigate a panel. 3.2.3.3. Navigating Panel MenusThe following table lists the keyboard shortcuts that you can use to navigate menus on panels: 3.2.3.4. Navigating Panel ApplicationsA panel application is a small application that resides on a panel. You can navigate to all panel applications and open the panel application popup menu from the keyboard. However, if the panel application does not contain controls that you can give focus to, you cannot navigate the controls in the panel application. The following table lists the keyboard shortcuts that you can use to navigate panel applications.
3.2.4. Navigating WorkspacesA workspace is a discrete area in which you can work. You can have many workspaces on your desktop and you can switch from one workspace to another. Each workspace can contain different windows and processes. The following table lists the keyboard shortcuts that you can use to navigate workspaces:
3.2.5. Navigating WindowsThe following sections describe the keyboard shortcuts that you can use to navigate windows. A window is a rectangular frame on your screen that displays an application.
3.2.5.1. Giving Focus to WindowsBefore you can use or modify a window, you must give focus to the window. The following table lists the keyboard shortcuts that you can use to give focus to a window: 3.2.5.2. Controlling WindowsWhen a window has focus, you can perform various actions on the window. The following table lists the keyboard shortcuts that you can use to control the window that has focus: 3.2.5.3. Moving WindowsWhen a window has focus, you can move the window around the screen. The following table lists the keyboard shortcuts that you can use to move a window:
3.2.5.4. Resizing WindowsWhen a window has focus, you can increase or decrease the size of the window. The following table lists the keyboard shortcuts that you can use to resize the window that has focus: 3.2.5.5. Navigating Paned WindowsA paned window is a window that is split into two or more panes. Help Browser is an example of an application that uses paned windows. The following table describes the keyboard shortcuts that you can use to navigate paned/split windows:
When the resize handle has focus, you can use the keyboard shortcuts that are listed in the following table to modify the paned window:
3.2.6. Navigating ApplicationsAn application is any program, utility, or other software package that you run on your desktop. Applications contain standard user interface components:
This section of the manual describes the essential keyboard shortcuts that you can use in applications and dialogs. 3.2.6.1. Essential Keyboard Shortcuts for NavigatingApplicationsSince there are so many applications that you can use in the GNOME Desktop, this manual does not describe all the custom keyboard shortcuts that you can use with each individual application. However, the basic keyboard shortcuts are common to all applications. Access keys are another way to quickly navigate applications with the keyboard. An access key is identified by an underlined letter on a menu or control. In some cases, you must press Alt in combination with the access key to perform an action. The following table lists the essential keyboard shortcuts that you can use to navigate applications:
3.2.6.2. Essential Keyboard Shortcuts for Navigating DialogsThe following table lists the essential keyboard shortcuts that you can use to navigate dialogs:
3.2.7. Navigating the File ManagerBy default, the file manager operates in Spatial mode. This mode uses separate windows for each folder. Conversely, Browser mode will reuse the same window for each folder.
3.2.7.1. Navigating FoldersThe following table describes the keyboard shortcuts that enable you to navigate folders in the file manager:
3.2.7.2. Navigating Browser Window ComponentsWhen operating in Browser mode, the file manager window contains several components, with keyboard shortcuts defined to navigate each component: 3.2.8. Navigating Help Content in Caret Navigation ModeThe following table describes how to navigate HTML-based help content in caret navigation mode in the Yelp help browser. Caret navigation is a mode of operation in an application which enables you to use the keyboard to navigate and select text.
3.2.9. Navigating Standard Elements and ControlsThe following sections describe how to navigate and use standard user interface elements and controls from the keyboard. 3.2.9.1. Navigating MenusThe following table lists the keyboard shortcuts that you can use to navigate menus:
3.2.9.2. Navigating ButtonsA button is a control that you use to start an action. Most buttons are rectangular and contain a text label. The following table lists the keyboard shortcuts that you can use to navigate buttons: 3.2.9.3. Navigating Radio ButtonsA radio button is a control that you use to select one of several mutually-exclusive options. The following table lists the keyboard shortcuts that you can use to navigate a set of radio buttons: 3.2.9.4. Navigating Check BoxesA check box is a control that you use to select or deselect an option. The following table lists the keyboard shortcuts that you can use to navigate a check box: 3.2.9.5. Navigating Text BoxesText boxes are controls in which you type text. The following table lists the keyboard shortcuts that you can use to navigate a single line text box:
In addition to the keyboard shortcuts listed in the previous table, use the keyboard shortcuts in the following table to navigate multi-line text boxes:
3.2.9.6. Navigating Spin BoxesA spin box is a control that allows you to type a numeric value or select a value from a list of all possible values. The keyboard shortcuts that you use to navigate the text box area of a spin box are listed in Section 3.2.9.5. The following table lists the keyboard shortcuts that you can use to navigate the up and down arrows in the spin box: 3.2.9.7. Navigating Drop-Down ListsA drop-down list is a control that you use to select one of several available items. The drop-down list contains a button that you use to display the available items. The following table lists the keyboard shortcuts that you can use to navigate a drop-down list:
3.2.9.8. Navigating Drop-Down Combination BoxesA drop-down combination box is a text box with a drop-down list attached. When the text box has focus, use the keyboard shortcuts that are listed in Section 3.2.9.5 to navigate the text box area. When the text box has focus, you can also use the keyboard shortcuts in the following table to navigate the drop-down list area:
When the drop-down list has focus, you can use the keyboard shortcuts that are listed in the following table to navigate the drop-down list:
3.2.9.9. Navigating SlidersA slider is a control that you use to set a value in a continuous range of values. The following table describes the keyboard shortcuts that you can use to navigate a slider:
3.2.9.10. Navigating Tabbed SectionsWindows and dialogs are sometimes divided into logical sections that are displayed one section at a time on the window or dialog. The overall control is referred to as a notebook or tabbed panel. The divisions are called panels, pages, or tabs, and are sometimes collectively referred to as a tabstrip or notebook header. Each individual tab is identified by a text label. The following table lists the keyboard shortcuts that you can use to navigate the tabbed sections of a window or dialog when a tabstrip has focus:
The following table lists the keyboard shortcuts that you can use to navigate a window or dialog when a control within a section has focus:
3.2.9.11. Navigating ListsThe following table lists the keyboard shortcuts that you can use to navigate multi-column lists when a column header has focus:
The following table lists the keyboard shortcuts that you can use to navigate lists when the list area has focus:
3.2.9.12. Navigating TreesA tree is a user interface control that contains sections that you can expand and collapse. A tree usually represents a hierarchical structure. To navigate trees, you can use the same keyboard shortcuts that are listed in Section 3.2.9.11. In addition, the following table lists the keyboard shortcuts you can use for the tree items: 3.2.10. Customizing Your Keyboard ShortcutsUse the Keyboard Shortcuts preference tool to display the default keyboard shortcuts that you use to navigate the GNOME Desktop. You can customize the default keyboard shortcuts to meet your requirements. You can also create hot keys (keyboard shortcuts which start applications). To start the Keyboard Shortcuts preference tool, choose ->->. The Desktop shortcuts table lists the keyboard shortcuts that are associated with each action. 3.2.10.1. Customizing Keyboard Shortcuts on Solaris SystemsTo customize a keyboard shortcut on a Solaris system, perform the following steps:
To disable a keyboard shortcut, perform the following steps:
3.2.10.2. Customizing Keyboard Shortcuts on Linux SystemsTo customize a keyboard shortcut on a Linux system, perform the following steps:
To disable a keyboard shortcut, perform the following steps:
Chapter 4. Low Vision or BlindnessFrom low vision to blindness, the range of visual limitations is broad. Symptoms of low vision include dimness, haziness, extreme far-/near-sightedness, color blindness, and tunnel vision, among others. People with these disabilities are concerned with being able to see text or images on a computer screen and being able to perform tasks that require eye-hand coordination, such as moving a computer mouse. Text size and color can make a big difference in legibility for people with low vision. The technologies that can assist those with low vision or blindness are:
4.1. Screen Reader and MagnifierThe Orca Screen Reader and Magnifier application enables users with limited or no vision to use the GNOME Desktop and associated applications. Orca provides the following functionality:
The following sections provide information about Orca and how to use it. 4.1.1. Introduction to Orca4.1.1.1. What is Orca?Orca is a flexible, extensible, and powerful assistive technology for people with visual impairments. Using various combinations of speech synthesis, Braille and magnification, Orca helps provide access to applications and toolkits that support the AT-SPI (e.g., the GNOME Desktop). Orca is also free open source software. 4.1.1.2. Why the name Orca?One of the first DOS screen readers was Flipper, made by Omnichron Corporation in Berkeley, CA. It was named Flipper in part because the blind wife of the programmer envisioned computers as being programmed by flipping switches (an accurate image of a bygone era). Then came another DOS screen reader, this one from Henter-Joyce in Florida - "Jobs Access With Speech" (or JAWS). And so on.... Although no obvious connection exists between blindness and creatures from the sea, there is certainly a naming tradition for screen-reader software. Hence Orca, which is a lot tougher-sounding than Nemo, Ariel, Willy, or Mr. Limpet. 4.1.1.3. What's the schedule?Orca is part of the GNOME platform and Orca's releases are coupled with the releases of the GNOME platform. 4.1.1.4. How do I request a new feature?Bugs and feature/enhancement requests (RFEs) should be reported to the GNOME Bug Tracking System . Patches are always welcome, and instructions for creating patches can be found in the GNOME Introduction to Subversion (SVN) . 4.1.1.5. Where is the discussion list?You can get in touch with developers and other users by sending an e-mail to the Orca mailing list ( Archives). 4.1.1.6. Is Braille supported?Yes! Braille is supported via BrlTTY and it is tightly integrated with Orca. BrlTTY offers support for nearly every refreshable Braille display known to man. Refer to the Braille page for more information. 4.1.1.7. Are Grade 2 Braille contractions supported?Yes, Orca fully supports contracted Braille output. 4.1.1.8. What voices are available?Orca provides interfaces to both gnome-speech and emacspeak speech services. As such, the available voices for Orca are only restricted by the speech engines supported by the available speech services. For free speech engines, you typically have a choice of the eSpeak, Festival, and FreeTTS speech engines. For commercial engines, you have a choice of additional engines such as Fonix DECtalk, Loquendo, Eloquence, Cepstral and IBMTTS, with others on the way. Periodically check the gnome-speech package for more progress in this area. 4.1.1.9. What languages are supported?The GNOME translation teams are composed of many passionate volunteers from around the world. These teams do a great job and keep an up-to-date status report. See the Orca translation status page for the large number of languages into which Orca has been translated. Note: support for a language also depends on the speech synthesis engine also supporting the same language. 4.1.1.10. How well does magnification work?Orca currently uses the gnome-mag magnification service. gnome-mag has incorporated support for smoother full-screen magnification, which relies upon newer extensions in the X Window System server. These extensions do not always function well on all platforms, so smooth full-screen magnification may not always work. 4.1.1.11. How is web access coming along?Orca targets the Firefox web browser (version 3) for providing accessible web browsing. Both the Orca and Firefox teams are fully dedicated in this cooperative effort. 4.1.2. Using Orca4.1.2.1. Initial SetupWhen you run Orca for the first time, it will automatically enter setup mode. If you want to run setup at some later point, you can pass the --setup option to Orca the next time you run it. Furthermore, while Orca is running, you can press Insert-Space to bring up the Orca setup window. Finally, Orca provides a text setup utility that you can start by passing the --text-setup option to Orca. All of these options will create a ~/.orca/user-settings.py file that holds your preferences and will also enable the accessibility infrastructure. You need to log out and log back in for the new settings to take effect. 4.1.2.2. How do I run Orca?Run Orca by typing orca in a terminal session window. You can do so from a virtual console window if you do not yet have access to the GUI. With the GUI installed you can also press Alt-F2 to bring up the Run dialog and then enter orca as the command (followed by any optional parameters). Orca will automatically enter text setup mode if you run it from a virtual console window or your GUI environment is not yet set up for accessibility. 4.1.2.3. Quitting OrcaTo quit Orca, press Insert-Q. A confirmation dialog will appear. Select Yes to quit. If the system seems unresponsive, you can try a few things:
4.1.3. Customizing Orca4.1.3.1. How do I define my own keybindings?You can redefine your key bindings for Orca in two main ways. The first way is to choose between the Desktop and Laptop layouts, which can be selected on the General page of the Orca configuration dialog (press Insert-Space to bring up Orca Preferences). For more refined control, you can set individual key bindings on the Key Bindings page of the Orca configuration dialog. 4.1.3.2. Use a keyboard command to make Orca speak or Braille-output the current date and timePlace the following lines in ~/.orca/orca-customizations.py. If this file doesn't exist yet, go ahead and create it.
import orca.input_event
import orca.keybindings
import orca.orca
import orca.speech
import orca.braille
import re
myKeyBindings = orca.keybindings.KeyBindings()
def sayTime(script, inputEvent=None):
import time
message = time.strftime("%a, %d %b %Y %H:%M:%S", time.localtime())
orca.speech.speak(message)
orca.braille.displayMessage(message)
return True
sayTimeHandler = orca.input_event.InputEventHandler(
sayTime,
"Presents the time.")
myKeyBindings.add(orca.keybindings.KeyBinding(
"d",
1 << orca.settings.MODIFIER_ORCA,
1 << orca.settings.MODIFIER_ORCA,
sayTimeHandler))
orca.settings.keyBindingsMap["default"] = myKeyBindings
Note that in this case Insert-D will be used to report current information about the time and date. 4.1.3.3. How do I set up my own custom scripts?Create an empty file named ~/.orca/orca-scripts/__init__.py and place your custom scripts in ~/.orca/orca-scripts , Orca will pick up any scripts from there before looking in the installed area. 4.1.3.4. Orca ConfigurationThe Orca configuration dialog allows you to customize the behavior and features of Orca, such as speech, Braille, and magnification. For example, you can select which speech synthesis engine you want to use, whether Braille is enabled or not, and which magnification preferences you want. You can select between Laptop/Desktop keyboard layouts and you can also examine and modify the existing keyboard layout with granular control. To bring up the Orca configuration dialog, press <ORCA MODIFIER>-Space, where <ORCA MODIFIER> is Insert when you use the Desktop key bindings, and Caps Lock when you use the Laptop key bindings. The Orca configuration dialog is a multi-tab container for several pages, each of which is described in the following sections. 4.1.3.4.1. General PageThe General page allows you to customize general aspects of Orca. These include the following: 4.1.3.4.1.1. Keyboard LayoutThe keyboard layout section lets you choose between a small keyboard layout (Laptop) or large keyboard layout with a numeric keypad (Desktop). If you choose Laptop the Orca system key is CapsLock; for the Desktop layout the system key is Insert. 4.1.3.4.1.2. Show Orca Main WindowThe Orca main window provides you with a graphical way to display the Orca configuration dialog (also obtained by Insert-Space). Many users do not like the Orca main window because it shows up in the window manager's tab order when you press Alt-Tab to switch windows. By deselecting the Show Orca Main Window option, you can tell Orca to not show its main window. 4.1.3.4.1.3. Quit Orca without ConfirmationNormally when you press Insert-Q or press the button in the Orca main window, a confirmation dialog will prompt if you really want to quit. Unchecking this option prevents the confirmation window from appearing. 4.1.3.4.1.4. Disable gksu keyboard grabWhen running system administration commands from the launch menu, many distributions use an application known as gksu to authorize the user to run these commands (gksu is the dialog that asks you for your password). When it runs, gksu enables what is known as a "keyboard grab," which is a feature to prevent keyboard actions from going to any other application on the desktop, including Orca. The result of a keyboard grab is that Orca will not receive any keyboard events, preventing Orca from functioning normally. By selecting the button, you will turn off the keyboard grab behavior, allowing Orca to function normally with system administration applications.
4.1.3.4.1.5. Present TooltipsWhen checked, this option will tell Orca to present information about tooltips when they appear as the result of mouse hovering. Specific actions to force tooltips to appear, such as pressing Ctrl-F1 when an object has focus, will always result in tooltips being presented, regardless of this setting. 4.1.3.4.2. Speech PageThe speech page allows you to customize how Orca uses speech synthesis. 4.1.3.4.2.1. Enable SpeechThe first control of note on the speech page is the Enable Speech check box. This check box toggles whether or not Orca will make use of a speech synthesizer. This option, along with the ability to enable Braille and magnifier support, allows Orca to be tailored to meet the specific needs of a wide variety of users. 4.1.3.4.2.2. Speech System and Speech SynthesizerThe next two controls deal with selecting the speech system and synthesizer. Orca provides support for a growing number of speech systems. At the time of this writing these include GNOME-speech, Emacspeak, and an experimental backend for Speech Dispatcher. Depending on how your machine is configured, you may have all or none of these options. Typically, you will only have GNOME-speech available. First, determine which speech system you would like to use - GNOME-speech works best at this time. After making your selection, tab to the speech synthesizer combo box and choose from the list of available synthesizers. 4.1.3.4.2.3. Voice SettingsIf your synthesizer supports it, Orca can utilize multiple voices in order to identify special cases within an application, such as hyperlinks or uppercase text. The voice settings and person combo boxes can be adjusted to customize these settings to your liking. For example, assume you were using Fonix DECtalk and wanted the Betty voice to denote uppercase. To accomplish this, you could do the following:
The next three sliders in the tab order allow adjustment of the synthesizer's rate, pitch and volume, respectively. Note that you can quickly raise/lower the pitch by pressing Insert-Up Arrow and Insert-Down Arrow. You can also modify the speaking rate by pressing Insert-Left Arrow and Insert-Right Arrow. 4.1.3.4.2.4. Punctuation LevelThe Punctuation Level radio button group is used to adjust the amount of punctuation spoken by the synthesizer. The available levels are None, Some, Most and All. 4.1.3.4.2.5. VerbosityThe Verbosity setting determines the amount of information that will be spoken in certain situations. For example, if it is set to Verbose, the synthesizer will speak shortcut keys for items in pull-down menus. When it is set to Brief, these shortcut keys are not announced. 4.1.3.4.2.6. Table Row SpeechThe table row speech option determines the way in which Orca will read items within tables. The available settings are Speak Current Row or Speak Current Cell. The ability to adjust this behavior can be useful in many situations. For example, consider the process of browsing email messages in Evolution. In this instance it may be preferable to set table speech to Speak Current Row, so arrowing through the list of messages causes all relevant info, such as the sender, subject, and whether the message has attachments, is read automatically. While the current row setting is active, it is still possible to read individual cells by using the left and right arrows. Note that you can quickly toggle this behavior by pressing Insert-F11. 4.1.3.4.2.7. Speak IndentationWhen working with code or editing documents, it is often desirable to be aware of justification as well as indentation. Selecting the Speak Indentation and Justification check box will cause Orca to provide this information. 4.1.3.4.2.8. Speak Blank LinesSome users desire to hear the word "blank" when navigating through empty lines in a document. Other users do not. If the Speak Blank Lines check box is selected, Orca will announce any blank lines. 4.1.3.4.3. Braille PageThe Braille page allows you to customize various aspects of Braille output. 4.1.3.4.3.1. Enable Braille SupportThe first control on the Braille page is the Enable Braille Support check box. This toggles whether or not Orca will make use of a Braille display. This option, along with the ability to enable Braille and magnifier support, allows Orca to be tailored to meet the needs of a wide variety of users. By default, this check box is enabled. If BrlTTY is not running, Orca will recover gracefully and will not communicate with the Braille display. If you configure BrlTTY later on, you need to restart Orca in order for it to use Braille. 4.1.3.4.3.2. Enable Braille MonitorOrca's Braille monitor provides an on-screen representation of what takes place on the Braille display. This feature is mostly for demonstration purposes, but is also useful for Orca developers who do not have access to a Braille display. 4.1.3.4.3.3. Abbreviated Role NamesThe Abbreviated Role Names check box determines the manner in which role names are displayed and can be used to help conserve real estate on the Braille display. This option is best explained by example: Let us assume that a slider had focus, and that the abbreviated role names box was not checked. In that case, the word "slider" would be shown on the display, to reflect the fact that the current control was indeed a slider. If the abbreviated role names box was checked, the word "slider" would be abbreviated to "sldr". 4.1.3.4.3.4. VerbosityThe Verbosity radio button group determines the amount of information that will be output to Braille in certain situations. For example, if it is set to Verbose, keyboard shortcut and role name information is displayed. This information is not displayed in Brief mode. 4.1.3.4.4. Key Echo PageThe Key Echo page allows you to specify the behavior of Orca when pressing keys on the page and whether words are spoken as you complete them. 4.1.3.4.4.1. Enable Key EchoThe first control on the key echo page is the Enable Key Echo check box. When this box is checked, five additional check boxes become available. These are Enable Alphanumeric and Punctuation Keys, Enable Modifier Keys, Enable Locking Keys, Enable Function Keys, and Enable Action Keys. The alphanumeric and punctuation option determines if letter, number and punctuation characters are echoed as you type them. Modifier keys are those such as Shift, Control, and Alt. Locking keys include Caps Lock, Scroll Lock, and Num Lock. Enabling function key echo will announce F1 - F12 when they are pressed. The action keys group consists of keys that perform some logical action, as Backspace, Return and Tab. 4.1.3.4.4.2. Enable Echo by WordThe last toggle on the Key Echo page is the Enable Echo by Word check box. This option is always available, regardless of whether any of the key echo options are checked. When enabled, whole words are spoken as typing progresses. In summary, the Key Echo scheme can offer a great deal of flexibility. For example, one user might choose to enable all Key Echo options, while another might prefer to use word echo, but only have locking keys announced. 4.1.3.4.5. Magnifier PageThe magnifier page allows you to enable/disable magnification and specify how magnification is performed. 4.1.3.4.5.1. Enable MagnifierThe first control on the magnifier page is the Enable Magnifier check box. This toggles whether or not Orca will provide magnification. This option, along with the ability to enable speech and Braille support, allow Orca to be tailored to meet the needs of a wide variety of users. 4.1.3.4.5.4. Zoomer Settings
4.1.3.4.6. Key Bindings PageThe key bindings page allows you to examine and modify the key bindings for Orca. 4.1.3.4.6.1. Orca Modifier Key(s)The first control on the Key Bindings page allows you to examine which key (or keys) acts as the "Orca modifier" (Orca system key). The Orca modifier is the key that you press and hold in conjunction with other keys to give commands to Orca. For Desktop keyboards, the modifier defaults to Insert. For Laptop keyboards, the modifier defaults to the Caps Lock key. You cannot modify the Orca modifier key(s) using the configuration dialog at this time. 4.1.3.4.6.2. Key Bindings TableThe key bindings table provides a list of Orca operations and the keys that are bound to them. The "Function" column header is a description of the operation to be performed. The "Key Binding" header is the primary way to invoke the function from the keyboard. Note that the function description may include the word Orca. This indicates that the Orca modifier key should be held down along with the other key(s). The "Alternate" header provides an alternate mechanism for invoking the function from the keyboard. To modify either the "Key Binding" or the "Alternate" bindings, arrow to the cell and press Return. Then, press a key combination and press Return to confirm the new combination. When you do so, the new keystroke will be saved and the check box in the Modified column will indicate that the key binding has been modified. To undo a modified keybinding, arrow to the modified column, uncheck the checkbox, and press the button (Alt-A). 4.1.3.4.7. Text Attributes PageOrca will speak known text attribute information about an object when you press Insert-F (Caps Lock-F for Laptop systems). Because the number of text attributes is large, and not everyone cares about every attribute, the "Text Attributes" tab of the Orca configuration dialog allows you to customize which text attributes will be presented. On this tab is a text attribute list, where each row consists of three columns:
For example, by default the "underline" text attribute has a value of "none". If the user has this attribute checked and the user presses Insert-F and the text in question is not underlined, then this attribute is not spoken. If you always want this attribute to be spoken regardless of whether the text is underlined, then the attribute should be checked and the "Spoken unless" value cleared. There is also a button (Alt-R) that will set the list values back to their initial state when the dialog was first displayed. When you initially display the text attribute pane, all your checked attributes are put at the top of the list. They are given in the order that they will be spoken and output to Braille. If you decide to check others or wish to adjust the order, there are four buttons to help you do this:
Text attributes can also be set on an individual application basis. The text attribute pane is also part of the application specific settings dialog that is started when you give a particular application focus and press Insert-Ctrl-Space. 4.1.4. Application-Specific Information4.1.4.1. Accessible ApplicationsOrca is designed to work with applications and toolkits that support the Assistive Technology Service Provider Interface (AT-SPI). This includes the GNOME Desktop and its bundled applications: OpenOffice, Firefox, and the Java platform. Some applications work better than others, however, and the Orca community continually works to provide superior access to more and more applications. 4.1.4.2. Using Adobe's Acrobat ReaderWe are currently working on a script for Adobe's Acrobat Reader, and the initial version has been contributed to Orca v2.17.5. Note that there is still work to do, and we are very encouraged by Adobe's commitment to accessibility. 4.1.4.2.1. InstallationIf you get Adobe Acrobat Reader directly from the Adobe site, you may find that the software will not launch. If launched from the Applications menu, it may appear that nothing has happened, or if launched from a terminal window you may receive a long series of syntax error messages. Should this occur, you will need to edit your /usr/bin/acroread file as described in this Ubuntu forum thread. If you instead choose to install Acrobat Reader from your distribution's packages, be sure to install both acroread and acroread-plugins. Without the plugins package, you will not have the access to the "Reading" category in the -> dialog. Note: If you use Ubuntu and cannot locate the acroread package, you will likely need to edit your /etc/apt/sources.list to include the 'multiverse' repository. Then run apt-get update. Having done so, you should then be able to install both acroread and acroread-plugins. 4.1.4.2.2. Enabling Accessibility and Caret NavigationOnce you've installed Reader, you need to enable accessibility:
4.1.4.2.3. Working with Untagged DocumentsWhen you open an untagged document, you will be presented with a dialog box asking you to specify the reading order and the reading mode options. The default reading order is Infer reading order from document . This setting works well for most documents. The default reading mode will vary depending on the length of the document; for short documents, the default is Read the entire document; for long documents the default is Read currently visible pages only. Orca tends to work better when Read the entire document is selected. If you find that a document seems to be missing parts of the text, try changing the reading options. To do so, get into the Document menu and select Change Accessibility Reading Options... or use the shortcut Ctrl-Shift-5. 4.1.4.2.4. Page LayoutThe best page layout for reading a document with Orca is Single Page. When Continuous is chosen, moving focus to text as the page is scrolling can cause that text not to be read. You can change the page layout to Single Page by getting into the View menu and selecting the Page Layout submenu. 4.1.4.2.5. Navigating TablesAs far as we know there isn't currently a whole lot of keyboard support for tables in Acrobat Reader. We hope Adobe will remedy this soon. Basically, there are the arrow keys. Their behavior is to move you first within the cell with focus, then to the next cell with data in it. Note that currently, Up and Down Arrow do not seem to move you vertically among cells - at least that has been the experience with the tables we have tried. Instead, Up and Down seem to move you horizontally until you run out of cells on the current row. 4.1.4.3. Making Application-Specific SettingsTo customize the settings for a particular application, you will first need to run that application. Make sure the application has focus, then press ORCA_MODIFIER-Control-Space (by default, this will be Insert-Control-Space for the Desktop keyboard layout). This brings up a tabbed dialog window very similar to the Orca configuration dialog, but with the following differences:
Adjust your application-specific settings in the same way you set your general Orca preferences. For example, you may have Key Echo disabled generally in Orca but would like to specifically have it enabled for the gcalctool (GNOME Calculator) application. Here's where you could easily set that. When you have your application settings customized the way you want, press the OK button. These settings will be written to your ~/.orca/app-settings directory in a file called <APPNAME>.py, where <APPNAME> is the name of the application. These files are automatically written by Orca. The contents of the file will be overwritten each time you change your application settings for that application. If you want to have some extra application-specific settings or code that you don't want to lose, then you should put it in a file called ~/.orca/app-settings/<APPNAME>-customizations.py. This file will be automatically read when the settings for the <APPNAME> application are loaded. Note that this is an advanced feature that we don't expect many people to use. It's just there if you really want it. There is currently one known bug (some people would call it a feature) that we are trying to track down and fix:
4.1.5. BrailleOrca uses BrlTTY for Braille support. On Linux systems, BrlTTY is used to access the text mode console content. On a typical Braille-enabled installation of Linux, BrlTTY is already running and providing access to the text consoles. When Orca starts, it connects to BrlTTY. If you switch from a text console to your X Windows session, your Braille display will automatically follow and display the content that Orca is presenting to you. Orca attempts to work with various releases of BrlTTY. It works well with BrlTTY v3.7.2, and we've also been working with the BrlTTY team to get it going for BrlTTY v3.8. The remainder of this document provides information related to using Orca with BrlTTY 3.8. Below are descriptions of the necessary tasks to install/setup BrlTTY in Ubuntu and Solaris. For both, you need to first obtain brltty-3.8.tar.gz from the BrlTTY site. 4.1.5.1. BrlTTY 3.8 on UbuntuFirst, configure your build environment to build BrlTTY. Much of this setup is done for you automatically in the Ubuntu distribution with products such as G++ already present. In addition, you must also install tcl, Pyrex, and the Python developer environment. To do this, execute the following commands as root: apt-get build-dep brltty apt-get install tcl8.4 python-pyrex python-dev Then, when you build BrlTTY, avoid configuring the package with --prefix=/usr. Use the standard procedure instead, executing the following commands as root: gunzip -c brltty-3.8.tar.gz | tar xvf - cd brltty-3.8 ./autogen ./configure make make install Run BrlTTY as root: /bin/brltty -bauto -d/dev/ttyUSB0 If you want, you can remove the existing /sbin/brltty and replace it with the /bin/brltty, either by copying the /bin/brltty to /sbin/brltty or just by making a symbolic link. Do so at your own risk. 4.1.6. Keyboard CommandsThis is the list of common Orca keyboard commands. Note that you can always enter Orca's Learn mode while running Orca by pressing Insert-F1. When in Learn mode, Orca will intercept all keyboard and Braille input events and will tell you what the effect of them would be. To exit Learn mode, press the Escape key. If you are using a laptop computer, you will want to see the laptop keyboard commands page at live.gnome.org. 4.1.6.1. Adjusting Speech ParametersInsert-Right Arrow: increase speech rate Insert-Left Arrow: decrease speech rate Insert-Up Arrow: raise the pitch Insert-Down Arrow: lower the pitch 4.1.6.2. Flat Review CommandsNumpad-7: Move the flat review cursor to the previous line and read it. Numpad-8: Read the current line. Numpad-9: Move the flat review cursor to the next line and read it. Numpad-4: Move the flat review cursor to the previous word and read it. Numpad-5: Read the current word. Numpad-6: Move the flat review cursor to the next word and read it. Numpad-1: Move the flat review cursor to the previous character and read it. Numpad-2: Read the current character. Numpad-3: Move the flat review cursor to the next character and read it. Numpad-/: Perform a left mouse click at the location of the flat review cursor. Numpad-*: Perform a right mouse click at the location of the flat review cursor.
4.1.6.3. Bookmark CommandsAlt-Insert-[1-6]: add a bookmark in this numbered slot. If a bookmark already exists it will be replaced. Insert-[1-6]: go to the position pointed to by the bookmark bound to this numbered slot. Alt-Shift-[1-6]: "Where am I" information for this bookmark relative to the current pointer location. Insert-B and Insert-Shift-B: move between the given bookmarks for the given application or page. Alt-Insert-B: save the defined bookmarks for the current application or page. 4.1.6.4. Miscellaneous FunctionsInsert-Numpad-+: "say all" command; reads from the current position of the caret to the end of the document. Insert-Numpad-Enter: "where am I" command; speaks information such as the title of the current application window as well as the name of the control that currently has focus. Insert-F1: enter Learn mode (press Escape to exit) Insert-F: speak font and attribute information for the current character. Insert-Space: launch the Orca configuration dialog. Insert-Ctrl-Space: reload user settings and reinitialize services as necessary. Also launch the Orca configuration dialog for the current application. Insert-S: toggle speech on and off. Insert-F11: toggle table-reading mode between single cell or entire row. Insert-Q: quit Orca. 4.1.6.5. Commands for DebuggingInsert-F3: report information on the currently active script. Insert-F4: cycle through Orca's various debug levels.
Insert-F5: prints a debug listing of all known applications to the console where Orca is running. Insert-F7: prints debug information about the ancestry of the object with focus. Insert-F8: prints debug information about the current application. 4.1.7. Troubleshooting4.1.7.2. My desktop has stopped responding. What do I do?If you can get to a terminal (or press Alt-F2 to open the "Run Command" dialog box), try restarting Orca by issuing another Orca command in a terminal window. This will force any existing Orca process to exit and will then restart Orca. This sometimes has the effect of unhanging the desktop (which is usually due to an ill-behaved application). If you cannot get to a terminal window, try pressing Ctrl-Alt-Backspace: shut down the X Window System server. This should return you to the login screen. 4.2. Desktop Appearance EnhancementThis chapter describes the methods you can use to change the appearance of the GNOME Desktop in order to enhance the accessibility of the desktop for users with visual impairments. 4.2.1. Customization OptionsThere are several ways to customize the appearance of the GNOME Desktop to suit your specific needs:
The following table summarizes the changes that you can make to the GNOME Desktop and where you can make the changes. This guide does not provide detailed instructions about how to customize the desktop. For detailed instructions about how to use the customization tools that the desktop provides, refer to the Help for each tool or to the User Guide. Table 4-1. Quick Reference to Customizing the Appearance of the Desktop
4.2.2. Using Themes to Customize the DesktopThis section describes how to use themes to customize the appearance of the GNOME Desktop. 4.2.2.1. Introduction to ThemesA theme is a group of coordinated settings that specifies how a desktop component or a group of desktop components appears. You can use themes to modify and control the appearance of the desktop in a consistent manner. When you apply a theme, the system modifies many desktop components simultaneously to achieve the desired effect. For example, if you apply a theme that increases the font size across the desktop, the theme also modifies the size of panels and icons on the desktop for optimum compatibility with the font size. A theme contains settings that affect different parts of the desktop:
4.2.2.2. Choosing ThemesTo choose a theme, perform the following steps:
To view the controls, window frame, and icon settings that are associated with a theme, select a theme in the Theme Preferences dialog, then click on the button. The Theme Details dialog contains a tabbed section for each setting category. Each tabbed section lists the options that are available and the current setting for the theme is highlighted. 4.2.2.3. Modifying the Controls Setting for a ThemeTo modify the controls setting that is associated with a theme, perform the following steps:
Table 4-3. Controls Options Designed for Accessibility Requirements
4.2.2.4. Modifying the Window Border Setting for a ThemeTo modify the window border setting that is associated with a theme, perform the following steps:
4.2.2.5. Modifying the Icon Setting for a ThemeTo modify the icon setting that is associated with a theme, perform the following steps:
Table 4-4. Icon Options Designed for Accessibility Requirements
4.2.2.6. Creating Your Own ThemesFor information about how to create your own themes, see the System Administration Guide. 4.2.3. Customizing Specific Components of the DesktopThis section describes how to customize specific components of the GNOME Desktop individually. 4.2.3.1. Customizing the Desktop BackgroundThe themes do not affect the desktop background. Therefore, to modify the desktop background to complement your desktop, you must customize the desktop background separately using the Desktop Background preference tool. To start the Desktop Background preference tool, choose ->-> and choose a background from the Background tab. 4.2.3.2. Customizing Desktop Background ObjectsThe size of the icons that are displayed on the desktop background is controlled by the File Management preference tool. To change the size of the icons, perform the following steps:
4.2.3.3. Customizing FontsThis section describes how to customize the font settings for the desktop and frequently-used applications. If you have difficulty with the default font type and font size that is used on the desktop and desktop background, you can customize the font settings to suit your needs. You can specify individual font settings for the following desktop components and applications:
4.2.3.3.1. Customizing Desktop FontsThe Font preference tool allows you to specify the default fonts for the desktop. To start the Font preference tool, choose ->->. The Fonts tab contains the following options:
For more information about the Font preference tool, see the User Guide. 4.2.3.3.2. Customizing Application FontsBy default, GNOME applications use the default font specified in the Font preference tool. Some applications allow this default font to be customized. These applications are: 4.2.4. Meeting Specific Accessibility NeedsThe following sections summarize the steps you need to take to improve the accessibility of the desktop in a particular area. 4.2.4.1. Achieving a High- or Low-Contrast DesktopTo achieve a high- or low-contrast desktop, perform the following steps:
4.2.4.2. Achieving a Large Print DesktopTo achieve a large-print desktop, perform the following steps:
Chapter 5. Mobility ImpairmentsMobility impairments can be caused by arthritis, stroke, cerebral palsy, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, and loss of limbs or digits, among others. Poor muscle control or weakness can make using standard keyboards and mouse devices difficult. For instance, some people are unable to type two keys simultaneously, while others tend to hit multiple keys or to bounce keys when pressing or releasing them. People who are able to use only one hand likewise have difficulties with some keyboard and mouse tasks. The technologies which can assist those with mobility impairments are:
5.1. On-Screen KeyboardThe On-Screen Keyboard application displays virtual keyboards on your desktop. You can use the standard mouse pointer or alternative pointing device to operate the virtual keyboards. On-Screen Keyboard displays the following types of keyboards:
To start On-Screen Keyboard, choose ->->. For more information about the On-Screen Keyboard application, see the Help for On-Screen Keyboard. 5.1.1. Maximizing Application Windows for On-Screen Keyboard UsersIf you are an On-Screen Keyboard user, you cannot use any application in Full-Screen mode because the application window obscures the On-Screen Keyboard display. To resize the window for use with the On-Screen Keyboard application, perform the following steps:
5.2. Mouse and Keyboard EnhancementsThis section describes how to configure the mouse and keyboard to make these devices accessible to more users. 5.2.1. Configuring the MouseUse the Mouse preference tool to configure the mouse to suit your needs. To open the Mouse preference tool, choose ->->. The Mouse Preferences dialog is displayed. 5.2.1.1. Configuring Mouse BehaviorThe following sections describe how to modify the behavior of the mouse to suit your needs. 5.2.1.1.1. Configuring the Mouse for Left-Handed UseTo configure the mouse for left-handed use, click on the Buttons tab in the Mouse Preferences dialog, then select the Left-handed mouse option. When you select this option, the system swaps the functions of the left mouse button and the right mouse button immediately. 5.2.1.1.2. Configuring Double-Click BehaviorIf you have difficulty double-clicking, you can increase the period of time that the system allows to elapse between the first click and the second click of a double-click. For example, if the double-click timeout setting is 0.4 seconds, you must perform the second click of a double-click within 0.4 seconds of the first click. If the second click occurs more than 0.4 seconds after the first click, the system interprets the two clicks as two single clicks. To configure the double-click timeout setting, perform the following steps:
5.2.1.1.3. Changing Mouse Pointer SizeTo change the size of the mouse pointer that is displayed on the desktop, perform the following steps:
5.2.1.1.4. Locating the Mouse PointerIf you have difficulty locating the mouse pointer on the screen, you can enable an option to highlight the pointer when you press the Control key. To enable this option, click on the Pointers tab in the Mouse Preferences dialog, then select the Highlight the pointer when you press Ctrl option. When you press Control, the system displays an animation around the pointer to highlight the pointer.
5.2.1.1.5. Configuring Mouse Speed and SensitivityTo configure the speed and sensitivity of the mouse, perform the following steps:
5.2.1.2. Configuring the CursorThe following section describes how to modify the display characteristics of the cursor. 5.2.1.2.1. Stopping the Cursor from BlinkingTo stop the cursor from blinking in text boxes and other areas, perform the following steps:
5.2.1.3. Keyboard Mouse EmulationIf you have difficulty using a mouse, you can use the keyboard to emulate the mouse functions. See Section 5.2.2.2 of this guide for more information. 5.2.2. Configuring the KeyboardUse the Keyboard preference tool to configure the keyboard accessibility options. To open the Keyboard preference tool, choose ->->. Accessibility options can be enabled by selecting Accessibility. This will open a new dialog, Keyboard Accessibility Preferences, also known as AccessX. The Keyboard Accessibility Preferences (AccessX) dialog enables you to customize your keyboard in the following ways:
5.2.2.1. Activating Keyboard Accessibility OptionsTo activate the keyboard accessibility options, perform the following steps:
5.2.2.2. Enabling Mouse EmulationThe mouse keys feature enables you to use the numeric keypad on the keyboard to emulate mouse actions. This feature benefits users who have difficulty using a mouse or other pointing device. To enable and configure the mouse keys feature, perform the following steps:
When you enable mouse keys, the keys on the numeric keypad have the following functions: Table 5-1. Numeric Keypad to Mouse Function Mapping
The Toggle Mouse Button key enables the currently selected mouse button until the Mouse button click key is pressed. This allows you to perform drag and drop operations. The Mouse button click emulates the currently selected mouse button. Pressing /, * or - will change the behaviour of this. The currently selected mouse button can be seen in the Keyboard Accessibility Status panel application, discussed in Section 5.2.3.
Some Solaris systems also use the function keys to emulate the mouse buttons. The function-key-to-mouse-button mappings are described in the following table: 5.2.2.3. Enabling Slow KeysThe slow keys feature enables you to customize how the keyboard handles user input in the following ways:
To enable and configure the slow keys feature, perform the following steps:
5.2.2.4. Enabling Bounce KeysThe bounce keys feature enables you to customize the keyboard to ignore rapid, repeated keypresses of the same key. For example, users with impaired motor skills might press the same key several times when they intend to press the key once. This feature enables you to customize the keyboard to ignore repeated keypresses. To enable and configure the Bounce Keys feature, perform the following steps:
5.2.2.5. Enabling Sticky KeysThe sticky keys feature enables you to press key combinations in sequence rather than simultaneously. This feature is designed for users who are unable to press two or more keys at the same time. To enable and configure the Sticky Keys feature, perform the following steps:
You can use the Sticky Keys feature in Latch or Lock mode. The following table describes how to choose a mode and the difference between the two modes: Table 5-3. Sticky Keys Latch or Lock Mode
Example 1: If you want to press Alt-F1, do the following:
Example 2: If you want to press Ctrl-Alt-Tab, do the following:
5.2.2.6. Enabling Audible Toggle Key NotificationsA toggle key is any key on the keyboard that can switch between two states. The Num Lock, Caps Lock, and Scroll Lock keys are toggle keys. Most toggle keys have an associated light emitting diode (LED) on the keyboard that lights when the toggle key is active. To assist users with visual impairments, you can customize the keyboard to emit an audible notification when a user presses a toggle key. For example, when you press Num Lock, you can determine whether the key is toggled or not by the sound emitted. To enable accessible toggle keys, perform the following steps:
When you activate the Num Lock, Caps Lock, or Scroll Lock keys, the system beeps once. When you deactivate a toggle key, the system beeps twice. 5.2.2.7. Enabling Repeat KeysThe Repeat Keys feature enables you to repeat a keystroke multiple times without pressing the key more than once. This feature is designed for users who cannot release keys quickly; for example, users who operate a mouth stick. When you enable repeat keys, you can specify the duration for which you must press a key before the key starts to repeat. To enable and configure the Repeat Keys feature, perform the following steps:
5.2.3. Using the Keyboard Accessibility Status Panel ApplicationThe Keyboard Accessibility Status panel application shows you the status of the keyboard accessibility features. This panel application displays icons to indicate which keyboard accessibility features are enabled in the Keyboard Accessibility preference tool. To add the Keyboard Accessibility Status panel application to a panel, right-click on the panel, then choose and select . The following table describes the icons that the panel application displays and the status that each icon represents: Table 5-4. Keyboard Accessibility Status Icons
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