After a few rough years, adaptive technology is again making the desktop friendlier to the disabled. Emacspeak, a speech generator program for people who use the Emacs text editor, can control a range of Unix tasks. Visually impaired users hear all the commands and resulting computer actions within Emacs. You'll also need the Free Software Foundation's Gnu Emacs 19 Version 19.23 or higher, plus an audio card and TCLX 7.3B, an extended version of the Tool Command Language. This tool set will make almost any type of Unix work accessible to visually impaired employees.
Impaired mobility can limit workers' access to the Internet and other graphical environments.
In some cases, all that's needed is a utility to click a highlighted button automatically if the cursor stays on it long enough. EyeMouse, a combination of video camera and software, tracks pupil movement in a user's eye to control the cursor. HeadMouse is a similar device for people with good head mobility. Attached to eyeglasses or a headband, it tracks small targets. Mobility impairment caused by repetitive stress sometimes can be nipped in the bud by good work habits and ergonomic keyboards.