From: martin@datacomm.ucc.okstate.edu (Martin McCormick)
Newsgroups: misc.handicap
Subject: Re: ada and computers
Date: 10 Oct 92 04:01:02 GMT
Reply-To: martin@datacomm.ucc.okstate.edu (Martin McCormick)
Organization: Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK
X-Fidonet: Blink Talk Conference
Originator: wtm@sheldev.shel.isc-br.com

Index Number: 24836

The only reason that a GUI is a problem for blind computer users is
that there isn't a good method for handling the icons.  This is
really more of a technology problem than it is a visualization
problem.  Humans function on the object-oriented level.  Our lives
are full of objects which we manipulate in order to do tasks, what
ever they are.  GUI's are attractive to people because they reduce
a task or a concept down to some object that can be used.  The
trash can icon for deleting documents and other types of files is a
good example.  You don't have to remember some tortuous syntactical
expression for deleting the file.  All that is necessary is to
locate the condemmed file, push a mouse button, and drag it to its
death over the trash can.  I've never actually done this, but the
idea is so basic, it needs no real discussion.  The problem of the
graphical interface is how to really make it work for us as well as
it works for normally sighted users.  It is my understanding that
each icon is tocanized which means that there is a descripter which,
when encountered, means that particular icon and nothing else.
Sure, tactile displays would be useful, in certain applications,
but a speech synthesizer-based program could tell a user a lot about
the looks of a screen without having to say much.  Such a program
would have to have an open-ended method for naming icons since icons
are just pictures and there is an unlimited range of possibilities.

The issue of color was raised in a previous posting.  As far as I
can tell, color is only a problem if the access program can't tell
what color is being displayed.  Based upon a previous posting, I
believe that the windowing interface produces a deluge of
information about the screen display including color.  If the
access program can handle that information gracefully, then there
really isn't a problem.

It really sounds like GUI's will soon be a help for us rather than
the hinderance they presently are.  What is needed is for as many
different people and organizations to work on this problem as
possible.  It is like any other technical problem.  The more people
who attack it, the more likely we are to have products that are
really useful and affordable.

I would, also, like to work on solving this problem, but I am not
sure where the best sources for the kind of technical information
needed to tap into the graphical interface and its controlare to be
found.

The real problem is that there isn't a huge market for this kind of
technology so that those who create access programs must recover
their costs from a very small group of people.  The rest of the
world couldn't care less.

Look at "Kermit."  It is a telecommunications program and file
transfer protocol which just keeps getting better and better every
year.  It started because people were sick of trying to get their
incompatible computers to be able to exchange information.  Now, it
has a beautiful terminal emulation package, a pretty good scripting
language, and works to a greater or lesser degree on many personal
computers and main frames.  What's even better, it's free.

What we need is a similar colaborative effort to solve some of the
problems like what to do with graphical interfaces.

Martin McCormick WB5AGZ   Stillwater, OK
O.S.U. Computer Center Data Communications Group