Date: Sat, 4 Oct 1997 16:36:45 -0500 (CDT) From: Douglas Carmichael <dcarmich@mcs.com> To: sos@freebsd.org Cc: freebsd-hackers@freebsd.org Subject: Update on accessibility w/FreeBSD Message-ID: <199710042136.QAA00718@dcarmich.pr.mcs.net>
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One manufacturer of augmentative/alternative communication and assistive devices (Prentke Romich Company (or PRC), http://www.prentrom.com) makes a box that translates the infrared output or RS-232 output of the communication device into standard PS/2 keyboard/mouse signals. However, when I contacted PRC, the only mention of UNIX support was for Sun systems (with their HeadMaster alternate mouse): >From fetchpop Tue Sep 30 17:10:23 1997 Received: from dilbert.prentrom.com (root@dilbert.prentrom.com [208.4.213.198]) by Mailbox.mcs.net (8.8.7/8.8.2) with SMTP id SAA26819 for <dcarmich@mcs.com>; Mon, 29 Sep 1997 18:35:58 -0500 (CDT) Received: from [208.4.213.54] (macluser51.prentrom.com [208.4.213.54]) by dilbert.prentrom.com (8.6.12/8.6.12) with SMTP id QAA13600 for <dcarmich@mcs.com>; Mon, 29 Sep 1997 16:28:12 -0400 X-Sender: mlb@dilbert.prentrom.com Message-Id: <v01510101b055c84326f2@[208.4.213.54]> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Date: Mon, 29 Sep 1997 16:07:04 -0500 To: dcarmich@mcs.com From: mlb@prentrom.com (Mary Bing) Subject: Unix on-screen keyboard X-UIDL: 245cdbedc564f8ac7bc65d7fa1ef27a9 Status: RO Dear Doug, I am responding to your inquiry about an on-screen keyboard for a Unix system. The HeadMaster is compatible with the Sun workstation. It also emulates a 2 button Microsoft mouse or a 3 button mouse systems mouse. Earl Johnson at Sun was previewing an on-screen keyboard he was working on at a conference 2 years ago. You can reach him by e-mail at earljohnson@eng.sun.com I don't know of anyone else woring on a unix on-screen keyboard. Sincerely, Mary Bing +--------------------------------------+--------------------------------+ | mlb@prentrom.com (Mary Bing) | | | | | +--------------------------------------+--------------------------------+ | Prentke Romich Company | | Augmentative and Alternative Communications devices for | | individuals with disabilities. | | (800) 262-1984 (330) 262-1984 | | | |Please note our new Web address http://www.prentrom.com | +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ Ideas: 1) Make an on-screen keyboard that fits into the XKB framework and injects keystrokes into the X server. 2) Hack the console driver to only require one key (which could be defined on the device's keyboard) to switch to a certain VT (and distribute FreeBSD with all eleven VTs (leaving 1 free for X) enabled) 3) Hack the X server to also display the current window in focus out on the serial line back to the device's LCD screen (any more?)
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