Java Desktop System Release 3 Accessibility Guide

A.1.2 To Start Assistive Technologies at Login

If you load the keymouselistener and dwellmouselistener GtkModules in the GDM configuration file, you can assign user actions to launch specific assistive technologies at login time. These user actions are called gestures. The gesture associations are contained in the following GDM configuration files:


Note –

If you modify these files, you must restart your system before the changes take effect.


The following sections contain examples of the gestures that you can add to the GDM configuration files.


Note –

The gestures must be contained in a single line in the AccessKeyMouseEvents file without line breaks. The formatting of this guide might display the examples in the following sections over two lines.


A.1.2.1 To Start Screen Reader Using a Keyboard Shortcut

Edit the AccessKeyMouseEvents file to associate keyboard shortcuts with assistive technologies. For example, the following line enables you to press-and-hold Ctrl + S for one second to start Screen Reader and Magnifier in speech and Braille mode:

Solaris:

<Control>s 1 1000 10000 /usr/sfw/bin/srcore --login --disable-magnifier --enable-speech --enable-braille

Linux:

<Control>s 1 1000 10000 srcore --login --disable-magnifier --enable-speech --enable-braille

A.1.2.2 To Start Magnifier Using a Keyboard Shortcut

Edit the AccessKeyMouseEvents file to associate keyboard shortcuts with assistive technologies. For example, the following line enables you to press-and-hold Ctrl + M for one second to start Screen Reader and Magnifier in magnifier mode:

Solaris:

<Control>m 1 1000 10000 /usr/sfw/bin/srcore --login --enable-magnifier --disable-speech

Linux:

<Control>m 1 1000 10000 srcore --login --enable-magnifier --disable-speech

A.1.2.3 To Start On-Screen Keyboard Using a Switch or Button Gesture

Edit the AccessKeyMouseEvents file to associate switch, key, or button gestures with assistive technologies. Since the primary input device for many On-Screen Keyboard users is a switch or button, this is a good way to enable users to start On-Screen Keyboard at login time.

If there is a tendency for a user to start an application unintentionally, you can associate the gestures with multiple switch presses or minimum durations. For example, the following line starts On-Screen Keyboard in inverse scanning mode when the user presses the switch that is defined as Switch 2 three times within two seconds, for a minimum of 100 milliseconds for each press:

Solaris:

<Switch2>3 100 2000 /usr/sfw/bin/gok --login --accessmethod=inversescanning --scan-action=switch1 --select-action=switch2

Linux:

<Switch2>3 100 2000 gok --login --accessmethod=inversescanning --scan-action=switch1 --select-action=switch2

Users who use single switches may prefer to start On-Screen Keyboard in automatic scanning mode. The following line starts On-Screen Keyboard in automatic scanning mode when the user presses the switch on an alternative access device for more than four seconds:

Solaris:

<Switch>1 4000 5000 /usr/sfw/bin/gok --login --accessmethod=automaticscanning --scan-action=switch1 --select-action=switch1

Linux:

<Switch>1 4000 5000 gok --login --accessmethod=automaticscanning --scan-action=switch1 --select-action=switch1

For information about the On-Screen Keyboard operating modes, see the online Help for On-Screen Keyboard.

A.1.2.4 To Start On-Screen Keyboard Using a Motion-only Gesture

You can define gestures that involve only the motion of a pointing device such as a mouse, or an alternative pointing device, such as a head pointer or trackball. The syntax of the gesture does not change depending on whether you are using a mouse or an alternative pointing device. Edit the AccessKeyMouseEvents file to associate motion gestures with assistive technologies.

If the dwellmouselistener GtkModule is loaded, alternative pointing devices are temporarily latched to the core pointer. This means that if the user moves the alternative pointing device, the onscreen pointer moves.

For example, the following line starts On-Screen Keyboard in dwell mode when the user moves the onscreen pointer from inside the login dialog through the top edge, back into the dialog through the top edge, out of the dialog through the left edge, back into the dialog through the left edge, and similarly through the bottom and right edges of the dialog in a cross pattern:

Solaris:

TTLLBBRR O 10000 /usr/sfw/bin/gok --login --access-method=dwellselection --input-device=MOUSE[3]

Linux:

TTLLBBRR O 10000 gok --login --access-method=dwellselection --input-device=MOUSE[3]

Note that the --input-device parameter specified in the gesture must match the name of the extended user input device, such as a head pointer or trackball, as specified in /etc/X11/XF86Config.