3. Accessibility Solutions

While the graphic user interface (GUI) is convenient for sighted users, it is often inhibiting to those with visual impairments because of the difficulty speech synthesizers have interpreting graphics. Red Hat Enterprise Linux is an ideal operating system for users with visual limitations because the GUI is not required by the kernel. Most modern tools including email, news, Web browsers, calendars, calculators, and much more can run on Linux without a graphical environment. The working environment can also be customized to meet the hardware or software needs of the user.

Red Hat, Inc. is the distribution of choice for people with special needs because of the outstanding support that is offered with the purchase of any boxed set. Many Linux distributions provide limited or nonexistent support to customers. Red Hat's installation support is deliverable via email or via the telephone and special circumstances will be considered and addressed for users with physical limitations. Customers should inform the support technician if they require specialized support.

For more information, refer to:

• http://www.tldp.org/HOWTO/Accessibility-HOWTO/

• http://www.tldp.org/HOWTO/Keyboard-and-Console-HOWTO.html

• The README-Accessibility file provides more information and instructions for using some of the tools available for users with special needs. This file can be found in /usr/share/doc/redhat-release-X/, where X is the release number of your installed product.