[prev in list] [next in list] [prev in thread] [next in thread] 

List:       kde-devel
Subject:    UI design proposals II
From:       Christoph =?iso-8859-1?Q?Sch=F6nfeld?=
Date:       2000-03-03 15:42:41
[Download RAW message or body]

Hi,

The ideas I mentioned in my previous posting "UI design proposals I" are
good for 'normal' people. But visual effects don't help people with
disabilities. If anyone deserves good UI design, they do! Most of them
use the console and screen readers, if they use a computer at all. They
don't have the chance to use new programs.

KDE has been innovative and on a professional level from the beginning.
I think we (I know, I shouldn't be using the word 'we') should continue
in this tradition and stop ignoring these people and establish low-level
API mechanisms to make the support of disabled people easy for
application programmers. This is a great chance for KDE to expand its
user base.

Here are some first thoughts: If you want to support blind people, you
have to store more information about the contents and semantics and
usage of the desktop:

- consequent keyboard support

- good reaction on input errors. ("you entered an invalid number. please
enter...")

- intelligence on the application side: The application knows what
information is important in a certain situation. Current screen readers
can't tell you stuff like "Please chose a file to open. Current
directory is ...". What they do is, they read the title of the dialog
box "Open File" and the text of all buttons and control elements in it.
But they don't really know what's happening and can't provide real help.

- information about what's going on: Imagine Konqueror saying "Please
wait, retrieving web site now."

- high-level descriptions for programs and dialogs and low-level
descriptions for input fields that enable guidance through sequential
tasks. ("This is step n of m, please enter <ITEM DESC>")


- KDE-wide integration of speech synthesizers that can read these
descriptions 

- ...

Right now, I have no more time thinking about details but I hope I've
made a good start for discussion.

I know, I have not submitted any patches yet, so you might be asking
yourselves who this guy thinks he is to make proposals. I'd love to
contribute some code and I will do, but currently I have no time to do
it because I have some tests next two weeks...

Imagine the headline: "KDE first GUI to support blind people". I bet
this would boost ego quite a bit... ;-))


waiting for comments,

Christoph

--
The following sentence is true.
The preceding sentence is false.

[prev in list] [next in list] [prev in thread] [next in thread]