Greetings;

I'm wondering if there's a good screen reader app for the blind on linux, something equal to JAWS for Windows. I have a blind user who wishes to get off Windows and migrate to linux but I'm not familiar with programs for the blind and know of none for linux. Any input would be appreciated.

Thanks much!

... Deja-Moo: The feeling that you've heard this bull before.
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Re: Apps for the blind
By: Brian Rogers to All on Thu Nov 25 2021 11:40 am

Greetings;

I'm wondering if there's a good screen reader app for the blind on linux, something equal to JAWS for Windows. I have a blind user who wishes to get o Windows and migrate to linux but I'm not familiar with programs for the blin and know of none for linux. Any input would be appreciated.

Thanks much!

... Deja-Moo: The feeling that you've heard this bull before.

I don't know if it counts as "good" since I don't use it, but Linux has Orca. "Orca is a free, open source, flexible, and extensible screen reader that provides access to the graphical desktop via speech and refreshable braille [...] Orca works with applications and toolkits that support the Assistive Technology Service Provider Interface (AT-SPI), which is the primary assistive technology infrastructure for Linux and Solaris."

The Knoppix distribution has integrated support for blind users, since KnopperÅ› wife is sight imparied herself. Maybe you can give it a try.

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Hello Richard;

Richard Falken wrote to Brian Rogers <=-

I don't know if it counts as "good" since I don't use it, but Linux has Orca. "Orca is a free, open source, flexible, and extensible screen
reader that provides access to the graphical desktop via speech and refreshable braille [...] Orca works with applications and toolkits
that support the Assistive Technology Service Provider Interface
(AT-SPI), which is the primary assistive technology infrastructure for Linux and Solaris."

The Knoppix distribution has integrated support for blind users, since Knopper¨ wife is sight imparied herself. Maybe you can give it a try.

Thanks for the input, I'll pass the information along. I have a small handful of friends who are blind and they lean on me to help them. I haven't figured out why since I really don't know a thing about their applications but I seem to do good by them.

... If a cow laughed, would milk come out of her nose?
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On 25 Nov 2021, Brian Rogers said the following...

Hello Richard;

Richard Falken wrote to Brian Rogers <=-

I don't know if it counts as "good" since I don't use it, but Linux h Orca. "Orca is a free, open source, flexible, and extensible screen reader that provides access to the graphical desktop via speech and refreshable braille [...] Orca works with applications and toolkits that support the Assistive Technology Service Provider Interface (AT-SPI), which is the primary assistive technology infrastructure fo Linux and Solaris."

The Knoppix distribution has integrated support for blind users, sinc Knopper¨ wife is sight imparied herself. Maybe you can give it a try.

Thanks for the input, I'll pass the information along. I have a small handful of friends who are blind and they lean on me to help them. I haven't figured out why since I really don't know a thing about their applications but I seem to do good by them.

The federal agency I work for uses JAWS for Windows. We are supporters of open source works, so I was wonering what kind of
support Orca has both for Windows as well as for commercial, enterprise level support you pay for?

... Confucius say: "Man who runs behind car gets exhausted"

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* Origin: fidonet.winserver.org * Cordova, TN USA (1:116/18)

Hello Brian!

25 Nov 21, Brian Rogers wrote to All:

I'm wondering if there's a good screen reader app for the blind on
linux

If there is then it's well hidden. Web searches of "linux for blind" reveal pages that are approx. 10 years old as first hits, at least in my language space.

blind user who wishes to get off Windows and migrate to linux but I'm
not familiar with programs for the blind and know of none for linux.
Any input would be appreciated.

My result to go further with the 10y old information failed. Some tools like brltty can be found and it's still in activ development, others like festival or txt2pho with MBROLA or Aranea seem to be discontinued.

I think the best way to find a tool for the blind is to ask the blind community.

Regards

Kai

--- GoldED+/LNX 1.1.4.7
* Origin: Monobox (2:240/77)

Re: Re: Apps for the blind
By: Robert Wolfe to Brian Rogers on Fri Nov 26 2021 01:15 pm

On 25 Nov 2021, Brian Rogers said the following...

Hello Richard;

Richard Falken wrote to Brian Rogers <=-

I don't know if it counts as "good" since I don't use it, but Linux h Orc
"Orca is a free, open source, flexible, and extensible screen reader that
provides access to the graphical desktop via speech and refreshable brail
[...] Orca works with applications and toolkits that support the Assistiv
Technology Service Provider Interface (AT-SPI), which is the primary
assistive technology infrastructure fo Linux and Solaris."

The Knoppix distribution has integrated support for blind users, sinc
Knopper¿ wife is sight imparied herself. Maybe you can give it a try.

Thanks for the input, I'll pass the information along. I have a small handful
friends who are blind and they lean on me to help them. I haven't figured out
since I really don't know a thing about their applications but I seem to do go
by them.

The federal agency I work for uses JAWS for Windows. We are supporters of open sou
works, so I was wonering what kind of
support Orca has both for Windows as well as for commercial, enterprise level suppo
you pay for?

As far as I know, Orca is a Gnome project, so I doubt it will be easily portable to
non POSIX Operating Systems.

I have never given it a try. I might fire up some testing install just to check how
good it is, if any.

The Knoppix solution sounds also very promising, but it is not supposed to be a general purpose thing.

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On 28 Nov 2021, Richard Falken said the following...

Re: Re: Apps for the blind
By: Robert Wolfe to Brian Rogers on Fri Nov 26 2021 01:15 pm

On 25 Nov 2021, Brian Rogers said the following...

Hello Richard;

As far as I know, Orca is a Gnome project, so I doubt it will be easily portable to
non POSIX Operating Systems.

I would assume that if one used a toolset like CYGWIN, it could be a cross-platform tool and run on Windows as well.

... BREAKFAST.COM Halted... Cereal port not responding.

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