The document discusses the SUE open source screen reader project. It aims to develop a free screen reader for Linux to support office tasks, and provide training materials for teachers and visually impaired students. SUE works with Ubuntu distributions and GNOME software. It supports applications like OpenOffice, Evolution and Firefox. Training materials are available in several languages to teach users how to operate SUE and accessibility software. Future work includes adapting SUE for new versions of Ubuntu and applications.

1. The Open Source Screen Reader SUE
- Access for the blind by means of training materials -
Ramona Bunk, Andrea Gaal, Gerhard Jaworek, Joachim Klaus
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2. Screen Reader & Usability Extensions
Funded by the German Federal Ministry
of Labour and Social Affairs
01/2007 – 06/2010
Study Centre for the
Visually Impaired
Students
AEGIS Conference, Sevilla, 7-8 October 2010
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3. Aims of the Project
• Development of a free and open source
screen reader for graphical user interfaces
on Linux supporting typical office tasks
• Special training course instructing teachers
and students at institutions for the visually
impaired in using the screen reader
AEGIS Conference, Sevilla, 7-8 October 2010
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4. Linux distributions
• Developed for Ubuntu 8.04 – 9.04
• Ubuntu – „the Linux for all“
• Can run under other distributions as well
• Requirements: GNOME desktop with
its accessibility infrastructure
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5. Technical Details
• Profiting from the great accessibility
infrastructure under the GNOME desktop
• Using ATK/AT-SPI to gain information from
the running applications
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6. Supported Software
● GNOME desktop
● OpenOffice.org Writer
● OpenOffice.org Calc
● Evolution
● Firefox (partly)
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7. Additional functions and features
• Extensive Braille output (BrlTTY)
• Enjoyable audio interface
(SpeechDispatcher, different TTS)
• Magnification support (Compiz)
• Flexible, individual key commands
AEGIS Conference, Sevilla, 7-8 October 2010

8. SUE in various languages
• English 100 % • Swedish 59 %
• German 100 % • French 53 %
• Hungarian 96 % • Portugese 47 %
• Romanian 96 % • Czech 12 %
• Dutch 68 %
AEGIS Conference, Sevilla, 7-8 October 2010

9. Modular training programme – based on the ECDL
• Using IT systems
• Using the computer and managing files: Linux
• Word processing: OpenOffice.org Writer
• Spread sheets: OpenOffic.org Calc
• Information & communication:
Evolution + Firefox
AEGIS Conference, Sevilla, 7-8 October 2010
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10. Download of training materials in English
• training script for handling SUE and ORCA
• Workshop script with guided exercises for SUE
and OpenOffice.org
Download:
http://service.it-science-
center.de/mediawiki/index.php/4.4.3_Download
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11. Latest state of the project
• SUE release 1.0
• Support Ubuntu 10.04
• Gnome desktop
• OpenOffice.org Writer + Calc
• Basic functions Evolution + Firefox
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12. Future steps
• Adaption to the latest Ubuntu version
• Support Gnome 3.0
• Adaption to new accessibility interfaces
• Revision of the magnification support
• Completion of OpenOffice.org support
• Firefox access
• Change from Evolution to Thunderbird
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13. Sustainability / building up a community
We need:
• Persons for programming and developing SUE
• Screenreader testers
• Fundraisers
• Companies to take over the project
• AT companies for testing devices
• Educational institutions to teach and develop
training materials
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14. SUE Wiki: www.sue-projekt.de
SourceForge: http://sourceforge.net/projects/sue/
Mailing list: sue-list@lists.sourceforge.net
Contact: info@szs.kit.edu
AEGIS Conference, Sevilla, 7-8 October 2010