This is a new OS, the Adept1, which has just gone open source. I've
been helping to beta test this new OS for the past year or so. It
offers access through both keyboard and voice, and also lets users
exit the Adept1 layer and work from the Linux shell. Announcement and
contact info below.
----- Original Message -----
From: Kenneth R. Ingham
To: 'Alicia M. Verlager'
Sent: Saturday, September 20, 2008 9:40 AM
Subject: Kenneth R. Ingham, Ph.D. - Adept1 - Free Software Adept1
Free Software Version of the Amazability, Inc. Adept1 Assistive
Technology Product
Amazability, Inc. seeks to provide persons with visual impairment and
other disabilities products which have the lowest cost possible and
which meet people's access needs. We have been developing the Adept1
assistive technology product since 2002. Part of the work has been
done with support from the United States Department of Education, as
outlined at http://www.amazability.com/about.htm, and has included
the design and implementation of a series of applications and
activities intended to work with speech. Command interaction may be
done with a mix of voice recognition and keyboard input with all
activities designed to work in a similar manner with a minimum of
voice or keyboard commands needed to carry out complex actions. A
word processor, email with address book, a web browser, and an online
library of books, reference works, and other items are
available. The Adept1 may be used for all types of programming where
software can be developed, debugged, and run by those!
who wish to use the Adept1 as a talking workstation. See the
Amazability, Inc. homepage http://www.amazability.com where there is
a link to a Google Tech Talk that includes, in the latter half, a
demonstration of the Adept1.
Amazability, Inc. is preparing to offer a free software version of
the Adept1 under the terms of the GNU General Public License - GPLv3
- as described at http://www.fsf.org/licensing/licenses/gpl.html
Amazability, Inc. plans to provide the free software version with
publicly available speech engines while at the same time making its
proprietary version, described in the Company's website, available
under dual licensing.
As the free software version is prepared for publication, we are
soliciting volunteers who would help in building a core group of
developers whose task would be to complete and add to the free
software version. Additional documentation to insure the successful
transfer of technology and the future implementation of new features
are near term goals. Longer term goals are to implement portable
versions of the Adept1 and to provide a port of the technology from
Linux to the Windows and Mac OS X environments.
Feasibility studies, focus group activities, and considerable beta
testing have been carried out. This has led to the design of a
product that our testers find highly useful. The Adept1 is readily
learned and can serve the wider population of persons, whether with
disabilities or not, who have little or no technical experience. We
hope that, by making the Adept1 freely available, persons with
disabilities may be able to obtain an assistive technology product
that works for them.
Those interested in participating in the preparation of the free
software version and in forming a support group or who simply have
questions should contact us through email at: ken@amazability.com
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