KubuntuAccessibility

Summary

Make sure all of KDE's accessibility tools are available in main (as long as they work) and create an accessibility live CD profile.

Rationale

We want everyone to be able to use Kubuntu; for people with disabilities this is not possible without accessibility tools currently only in Universe.

Use cases

There is a large range of use cases representing users with different disabilities (visual, physical, auditory) using computers for different purposes (general school/office work, design/composition or development/sysadmin). See more details UserGroups.

Scope

Test the existing KDE accessibility tools for main inclusion and seed them on the Live CD. Also consider non-KDE apps like SOK.

Design

We should follow the same set of options as on the Ubuntu CD, but use KDE tools to meet these needs where appropriate. Technologies to be used are:

  • High contrast - Use KDE high contrast themes
  • Magnification - Use Kmag or possibly MCM/compiz-mag if ready in time
  • Screen reader - Use kttsd support in applications - investigate if Orca will run in KDE (i.e. gets any useful input)

  • Keyboard and Mouse - Turn on the KDE keyboard and mouse features like StickyKeys by default, use KmouseTool

  • On-screen Keyboard - Use SOK if KDE port exists by this time

These options should be selectable from the Live CD boot menu as with the Ubuntu version.

Implementation

Edit casper to load profiles equivalent to that done on the Ubuntu. The profiles will mirror those used in Ubuntu.

  • Lesser Visual Impairment
    • Enlarged, no high contrast theme
    • High contrast, not inverted
    • Plain background
    • Magnifier
  • Moderate Visual Impairment
    • High contrast theme, inverted, large
    • KDE Text To Speech turned on for supported applications
    • KSayIt loaded
  • Minor Motor Difficulties
    • Sticky keys
    • On-screen feedback for sticky keys
  • Motor Difficulties - Pointing Devices
    • Kmousetool
    • Henrik's Simple Onscreen Keyboard project if ready
  • Blindness
    • Not possible yet in KDE because we do not have a proper on-screen keyboard

Code

Put configuration files for profiles into kubuntu-default-settings in separate directories from the normal default-settings. Casper will then edit /etc/kderc to add the appropriate profile directories to prefixes=.

CategorySpec CategoryKubuntuUseful