There's a fascinating article on IBM's site about the activity of IBM, Mozilla, Sun, W3C and Open Source communities that is making the emerging web accessible. Aaraon Leventhal who is accessibility lead at Mozilla and now works for Richard Schwerdtfeger's Software Group Emerging Technologies Team at IBM, explains how Open Source is leading accessibility of the web.

IBM have contributed code to Mozilla that implements new standards developed with the W3C and that allow web developers to create sites that use compelling dynamic web applications and Ajax sites but that are also accessible via Assistive Technology. This directly addresses a concern about Web 2.0 accessibility that I raised previously in Ability Magazine.

The article also explains something of IBM's business strategies to leverage the effectiveness of Open Source to enable innovation.

There's a detailed review of all the accessibility work that Mozilla are enabling and coordinating around Firefox. Such important work is making the web and indeed Windows, Linux and the Mac more accessible and enjoyable for all users especially those who use Assistive Technology.

Arron concludes this comprehensive tour with a call to contribute and be part of this exciting Open Source activity. 

I'd like to highlight 3 statements as being particularly telling.

Specifically, we'd like to see more organizations use Firefox as a platform to improve Web browsing for users with mobility impairments r learning disabilities. Unfortunately, accessibility techniques have not evolved as quickly for these types of users.'

Web applications are just one compelling story where open source has come to lead the industry in accessibility. On a regular basis, we see detailed exchange of ideas between professionals, students, standards experts, and end users. Community members who previously had to experience with accessibility now ask each other, "how will we make
this new feature X accessible?" Developers new to accessibility, but keenly interested in it, help each other reach new levels of experience. Ultimately, our end users with disabilities are the accessibility experts. We believe that encouraging people with disabilities to partake in our open collaboration will not only yield the highest quality of accessibility in Mozilla, but also bring new levels of awareness to the open source community as a whole.'

'In general, as a team we try to provide practical documentation for developers in other projects. We want to be a beacon for software accessibility, and lead by example. The benefits within the Mozilla community are already apparent. Now developers can be seen discussing accessibility in their blogs and chat sessions. A few years ago you would have never heard that. Over time, open source software may get the good reputation of being on the forefront of accessibility.'

Ian Lynch's The Learning Machine is now a QCA awarding body and only a few final changes need to be made before the The Ingots ICT certificates become part of the National Qualifications Framework. The Ingots strongly feature education in transferable skills  which compares well to the product training approach of some other ICT qualifications. My First Ingot is suitable for young children or adults and both my children have achieved and are very pleased to have joined the Otto Club. The higher Gold level includes a community service element,  requiring that students contribute to an Open Source project such as OpenOffice.org (Ian is education lead of OOo).

First Henrik Omma created a page on the Ubuntu wiki and now we have a Google group which also acts as a mail list.

The idea is to provide a friendly place to discuss and create innovate new ways of making IT easy to use and transparent for users who cannot (or choose not to) use mouse and keyboard.

Here's the group description:

Developing the next generation of Open Source alternative input software such as On Screen Keyboards for users with mobility disabilities. Open to all interested in innovating the use of switch and alternative pointing devices. Includes Alternative and Augmentative Communication devices. (AAC)

One goal is to provide a cross platform (Linux, Mac, Windows) OSK with 'in application' selection, scriptability and attractive visuals. Current projects include:

• GOK
  
• OnBoard
• SAW
• Hawking Toolbar
• Dasher

• Mozilla and LSR both offer features that make enticing platforms.

• The WWAAC project developed a browser that is highly accessible by users of AAC and includes concept coding.
  

We'd love to hear from you whether you're already involved in alternative input or just interested. You can view or join in on the Google group or the Ubuntu wiki page.

I've upgraded my Linux Laptop to Ubuntu 6.10 (Edgy Eft). It went pretty much without a hitch although others apparently had problems. I was a little worried as the upgrade was for Ubuntu and I had Edubuntu but as the core is the same I guessed in the worse case I might just mis out on odd things like the desktop wallpaper or education software. In the end the wallpaper was changed so I guess I'm ok.

More importantly I upgraded that Ubuntu sticker thanks to advice from Benjamin Hawkes-Lewis (aka webben) who commented on my previous post. The original sticker was cut out from the stickers that Ubuntu provide with CDs and all the ink had rubbed off. The new stickers are provided from System76 via the Linux Emporium who kindly sent me 4 gratis. 

The Christian take on the future as set out in the Bible is something of a mystery to most of us, including those who regularly attend church. Apart from general and uneasy ideas of 'Four Horsemen', 'Seven seals', 'the second coming' and a 'judgement'  the details are often fuzzy. A large part of the difficulty is the richly symbolic language used in many passages such as those found in the books of Daniel and Revelation. Another problem is that it is something not often explained, even in churche sermons, perhaps as it is such a complex and often emotional area.

The Hope website analyses and explains the many references, statements and images to be found in the Bible in clear language.  There is description of the situation of those people the passages were written by and for and the often varying views what it means for us are explored.

This resource was created to support a sermon series recently given at at Belmont Chapel.

 

Yes finally after all the rumours and promises the Java programming language is now Open Source. Better it is Free Software and GPL dual licenced. The announcement was made yesterday and finally removes the Java Trap.

OpenJDK is now online and 'ready to rock' and there's plenty of celebrating and comment on the Sun Java site as well as full details in the FAQ. The news on slash dot and more comment by Tim Bray.

I'd like to give the last word to Simon Phipps who as Sun's Opens Source Evangalist has had to keep tight lipped for a long time about something that is so very important to him. Cheers Simon.

We are "go" on Mozilla OSK proposal

Is how Frank Hecker, director of the Mozilla Foundation, announced the board approval of our Accessibilty Grant application to Optimise Switch and Alternative Pointer Access to Firefox on Windows. The program will enable users with physical disabilities such as cerebral palsy to more freely and transparently access the wealth of website services that provide information, social communication, work and fun. Firefox provides a proven, highly usable, popular and standards conforming tool for life on the web. We aim to make Firefox more usable by individuals who have a hard time accessing technology.

Arriving at this point has been made possible by Aaron Leventhal, the lead of the Mozilla Accessibility activity and organiser of the recent Mozilla Accessibility Summit. Aaron has been awesome in supporting and guiding me through the process, inviting me to the Summit, providing encouragement and adding ideas that have helped to craft the proposal. My thanks also go to Frank Hecker for being committed to accessibility, and of course all the board members for being supportive. 

But this is only a stop on a roadmap for the greater vision of simplifying switch and alternative pointer access to Linux, Mac and Windows. The OSK-ng project wants to foster innovation in an area which is underdeveloped when compared to  the state of the art in Assistive Technology such as screen readers. A goal is to allow users to interact with a pallet of devices, methods and gestures that suit their abilities and preferences. That includes on screen keyboards, direct in-application selection for control and Dasher or speech for text. Integration of output capabilities such as graphics, symbols and speech will allow for use as Alternative and Augmentative Communication (AAC) devices such a Voice Output Communication Aids (VOCA).

So here is the Proposal (pdf). I've already had some good feedback and will incorporate it in an on-line version. Hopefully it doubles as a useful if brief introduction to the switch user's world of computer access.

[Update Jan 07] We now have a project name, Jambu.  Plus I've started a project website on the www.0atsoft.org project forge.

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Becta advise the UK government on ICT use in schools and their current recommendations for software procurement effectively remove Open Source from the options. The Open Schools Alliance has formed to lobby for this to be changed and to allow free choice and a level playing field.

As an important step towards getting MPs aware of the issues John Pugh, MP, has posted an Early Day Motion on Software in Schools, EDM 179. Please encourage your MP to sign it! We have more information and news on schoolforge-UK.

I wrote the following to my MP Ben Bradshaw who is also  Minister of State ( Local Environment, Marine and Animal Welfare)

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Dear Ben Bradshaw,

I'm writing to ask that you sign John Pugh's Early Day Motion EDM 179 on Software in Schools. In a nutshell the issue is that BECTA's recommendations to schools for buying software are adversely affecting both schools and businesses by unfairly barring Open Source software and the companies wishing to supply it. This will mean grossly inefficient use of public money and suboptimal provision (something  I fear we have already seen in the NHS) and is at odds with Government policy to consider Open Source during procurement.

I wish to to see a change in the BECTA guidelines and that government ensure public money is invested in sustainable education and business through the inclusion of, and investment in, Open Source solutions.

A clear explanation of the issues is available on the Open Schools Alliance website www.openschoolsalliance.org . A summary of recent news coverage is available on the Schoolforge-UK  community site, http://schoolforge.org.uk/index.php/Schoolforge-UK:EDM.

You can find EDM 179 at http://edmi.parliament.uk/EDMi/EDMDetails.aspx?EDMID=31752

Open source is being successfully used in many schools around the world, often as part of innovative education. As the successful method of creating and licensing software chosen by  SUN, IBM and HP and others, Open Source offers many advantages to both business and users compared with the older proprietary regime still followed by some including Microsoft. In addition to large licence cost savings (60% according to BECTA themselves) there are other benefits and I've expanded on the key themes as I seem them. Many of these stem directly from the model of communities operating around a software 'commons' that is central to Open Source.    

Economic
------------
Free access to the code encourages derived works, collaboration and innovation, thus expanding the economy. Thus Open Source can represent an investment in the economy and skills, not in cash. Sustainable software if you like. Energy not spent on protecting propriety can be invested in providing benefits to users and creates 3rd party business opportunities. SMEs and large corporations alike can provide value-add services such as supply, support and tailored solutions. Companion products and services can be developed utilising  the Open Source commodities. Open standards for data allow interoperability and avoid 'lock in' to one vendor. All this at a global scale. Savings can be invested in developing skills and provision or providing new services.

Environment
----------------
Prolonged life of older hardware reduces landfill and toxic waste  (what happens when the next version of Windows requires large scale hardware upgrades). Ability to use very low power workstations in networks. Less packaging as software can be freely passed on from person to person.

Social
--------
Reduces digital divide through low cost and freedom to pass on. Children can take home and give to family and friends. Deprived, elderly and third world can afford. Savings and ability to 'pass on' allow community support programs to be developed. Ability to contribute to projects at any level encourages global citizenship skills. We're seeing a meteoric rise in on line Social Software (a feature of the so called 'web 2.0') fuelled by Open Source software and ideas. This is set to revolutionise how we engage in education, media and other activities content.

Ethical
--------    
Ethical values are ingrained through sharing and mutual support, not secrets and self protection.

In addition I'm convinced that these benefits combine with Assistive Technology to have enormous potential for benefiting people with disabilities and the elderly. So much so that I've just resigned my job at Exeter College to concentrate on developing solutions, starting with a grant from the Mozilla Foundation to improve switch access to the Firefox web browser (http://elgg.net/stevelee/weblog/139997.html).
 
I'm very happy to discuss any of this in more detail.

By the way I've contacted you via writetothem.com which is itself an example of how mySociety are using Open Source principles in areas other than software to the great benefit of us all.
    
Kind regards

Steve Lee
www.oatsoft.org
www.schoolforge.org.uk
www.fullmeasure.co.uk