Accessible software disappearing
While some commercial software packages have interfaces to work with screen readers and magnifiers, open source, or free applications cannot hook up to these helper applications. Because of licensing pricing and the inability of free software to pay for licensing for a large number of users throughout the world, open standards in file formats appears to be creating a perfect storm of problems. In order to keep companies like Microsoft from controlling file formats and applications that can create those formats Internet engineering groups have created the OpenDocument format. This format is completely free and has no licensing or royalty fees associated with it. Programs that use this format can read and write the files making it a Rosetta stone for programs across the enterprise. It also allows individuals to create and work with files generated by Microsoft Office without using that office suite. Free programs like Open Office gives anyone most of the capabilities of Microsoft Office without paying the large fees to get it. But Microsoft uses a proprietary format that only they control forcing people to purchase their software to interconnect. If programs use OpenDocument, then anyone can use any application they choose, dramatically dropping the cost of licensing. However, these free programs are causing problems for the disabled community because they do not connect to any of the helper apps that allow them to read and modify documents. Some disability groups are preparing to sue governments that use formats that are incompatible with helper applications for the disabled. (Source: ComputerWorld)
Forcing everyone to use Microsoft Office because they have good disability readers allows that monopoly to charge large sums of money for word processors and spreadsheets. With programs like Open Office and Oracle’s Star Office there is no reason to pay these large sums of money or to force everyone to buy a product merely because they make it easier to manipulate data. This is a good reason for the disabled to join a open source project and help them to be more disability friendly. Open source, or free programs only work when everyone donates some time and effort to make the program better. In this case the developers of the open source programs do not know what needs to be done to help those with poor eyesight or those that have problems manipulating things in their hands. Many of us have plenty of time on our hands and have access to a computer. That is everything you need to join an open source application and make it more disability friendly.
SourceForge is an excellent website to start looking. Programs that are the most popular are posted that you can look at. These programs have people that you can send emails to or there are chat rooms that you can post your willingness to help. Almost everyone is looking for help and you will be integrated into the development of a program that is used worldwide. This is a win-win situation where you get a chance to go back to work on your schedule without bosses beating you on the head because you are disabled. Rather than sitting in front of the television all day and night you can do things that are fun and worthwhile and meet up to make new friends. This has been a very powerful way of generating programs that everyone needs and there is no reason why the disabled cannot make their mark on how all these programs work.
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