WhyNot?

OS for visually impaired

Category: Software
Responses: 4 (4 in support, 0 neutral, 0 in opposition)
Number of views: 1058
Tracking: Track this idea
Community Rating:Average AverageYour Rating:

Maybe this already exists, and I just haven't heard about it. Would there be value in creating an operating system, maybe a new Linux distribution, targeted at the visually impaired? Rather than trying to layer "accessibility features" on top of applications designed with sighted users in mind, the new OS would consist of software designed entirely around non-visual interfaces. You would want interoperability with standard software (ability to read and save files in Word format, for example), but this doesn't seem very difficult.

Does something like this already exist? If not, does it sound like a good idea? I should say, I'm a sighted person myself, but I've met a few visually impaired folks that put up with a lot of badly conceived "accommodations."

david, Apr 26 2004

What do you think of this idea or comment?
(You can change your vote at any time)

agree I agree no opinion No opinion disagree I disagree

Users who liked this idea also liked:

Better Brake Light (465 votes) Very strong
Attachment Notation (139 votes) Very strong
Audio-in Jacks in Cars (186 votes) Very strong
GPS and Digital Photos (177 votes) Very strong
Elevator DeSelect (167 votes) Very strong
Airport charity (150 votes) Very strong
This concept is great! (143 votes) Very strong
Refrigerator (121 votes) Very strong
Key Number (43 votes) Very strong
Drivers Ed (26 votes) Very strong

Other ideas in category (Software):

Better error messages (2 votes) Average
Upper/Lower Case Switching (1 votes) Average
Attachment Notation (139 votes) Very strong
Salty encryption (1 votes) Average
mute a web page (11 votes) Strong
Distributed set with bittorren (1 votes) Average
Text VoIP (1 votes) Average
Economics Simulation (9 votes) Strong
Invention Management Software (3 votes) Average
Fight Recognition Software (3 votes) Average
Make Photo Slideshow yourself (2 votes) Average
Studying leaf patterns (3 votes) Average
Encryption (3 votes) Weak
Searching for images (6 votes) Average
Compiler Security Optimization (4 votes) Average
Vector Datatype (3 votes) Weak
LIP-C (1 votes) Average
Spell checker collector (2 votes) Average
Cascading search (3 votes) Average
Software Formula for 2000 Years (3 votes) Weak
Triangular Pixels (4 votes) Average
Forwarding sent email message (5 votes) Average
Organise the Start menu (6 votes) Average
Simple Shared Key Setup (1 votes) Average
DDR-style piano software (4 votes) Average
root means suid (2 votes) Average
Scorchware (2 votes) Average
Six Degrees of Computation (2 votes) Average
X-drive ==> 2 physical drives (3 votes) Average
Fast parallel secure hashing (1 votes) Average
Standardized EULA (2 votes) Average
Description field for email (3 votes) Average
Honeypot feedback/automation (1 votes) Average
Audio bass and treble (3 votes) Average
Extension that highlights tags (1 votes) Average
Upper-lower case (2 votes) Average
New image file format (2 votes) Average
dual scroll bars (6 votes) Average
Tabbed Working (3 votes) Average
Temporary file highlight (5 votes) Strong
Better Search Engine Links (2 votes) Average
Smarter Programming (5 votes) Strong
Linux Distro for Business (2 votes) Average
File multiple rev eliminator (3 votes) Average
Mech. Design Software (2 votes) Average
Checking email addresses (3 votes) Average
Why Powerpoint? Be nonlinear (6 votes) Strong
Chat with iTunes Listeners (3 votes) Average
Ebay database (2 votes) Average
Encrypts the whole OS (2 votes) Average
Wind offset for car (3 votes) Weak
Collaborative License Rating (4 votes) Average
Multiscopic image modeler (2 votes) Average
Simple fix for posting here (1 votes) Average
Torrent-based podcasting (2 votes) Average
Browser Preloads Next Page (4 votes) Average
Officepets (3 votes) Average
Self Authentication & Decryptn (1 votes) Average
Ductile disk encryption (2 votes) Average
Printing Cost per Page (2 votes) Average
Community Font Classification (1 votes) Average
Ubiquitous virtual honeypots (7 votes) Strong
MS Outlook spouses (1 votes) Average
MS Outlook Contacts updates (1 votes) Average
One card for the wallet (12 votes) Strong
Camera as A4 Scanner (6 votes) Strong
Ogg/PCM (3 votes) Average
Keyboard equivalents (1 votes) Average
OS for visually impaired (4 votes) Average
Window Size Limiter (1 votes) Average
Print Police (1 votes) Average
MS Outlook Highlighter (1 votes) Average
Eye-Tracking Video Drivers (2 votes) Average
Linipedea (3 votes) Weak
MS Word Bookmarks & Summaries (3 votes) Average
anti-virus T-cells (2 votes) Average
savable scroll bars (2 votes) Average
save changes dialog options (3 votes) Average
Viral Marketing in Open Source (7 votes) Weak
Microsoft CD Bug Fixes (4 votes) Average
Virtual Scanner Software (6 votes) Average
Better Shrink Wrapped License (3 votes) Average
Bayesian learning for (4 votes) Average
enclosures (2 votes) Average
Chat Prog & Problem Solving (2 votes) Average
Comments from other members:

Add your comment

It's not an OS per se you want, it is either a BUI (Blind Users Interface), or actual apps created from the ground up for visually impaired people.

classicsat, Apr 29 2004

apple has developed several UI features into OS 10.3 that are for the visually impaired. i have several friends that use these features. it would be nice to see more companies develop tools similar to these. someone should be able to considering that most of the apple apps are open-source.

drtecno, May 17 2004

You could consider using a text interface over a braille terminal. Linux has everything from games to web browsers and office applications that operate natively over a text terminal.

MikeMol, Sep 17 2004