[Oer-community] Free and Open Source Software and access issues

[Susan D'Antoni]

Dear Abel, Esperanza, Wayne and Duda,

These are important considerations to keep in mind if a map were to be
built - free and open source software - and access for people with
disabilities.

Best,

Susan

On Sun, Nov 18, 2012 at 4:56 AM, Caine, Abel <a.caine at unesco.org> wrote:

>  Dear Susan,
>
>  Please consider the FOSS-based OpenStreetMap for the following reasons:
>
>  1.  FOSS tools are the practical and philosophical basis of OER;
>
>  2.  All data contributed by members belong to members (this is not the
> case with Google Maps);
>
>  3.  I will confirm this but I'm fairly certain OSM supports the relevant
> W3C standards for access by People With Disabilities.
>
> Regards,
> Abel
>
>  Sent from my iPhone
>
> On 18 nov. 2012, at 09:55, "Lic. Esperanza Villafuerte" <
> evillafuerte at speedy.com.pe> wrote:
>
>   Dear Susan and OER Communitty members.  This is Esperanza Villafuerte,
> now political science postgraduate student here. greetings from Peru.  I
> really can't check and enjoy  this tool, maps are still not accessible for
> us, people with bisual disability.  How ever I think maps provides an
> important support to the initiatives, giving to them additional  value.  I
> want to invite you to think of this tool like an advantage, as an step of
> various to know the soul of this community, probably We have the same
> dreams and the same vision, so diversity is the main feature of our
> educational needs and opportunities, such cultures and lifes too.
> Possibilities to pay attention to this feature will increase as much known
> and as this has been acquaintes for us.  Allow me to share a dream, I see
> without use my eyes, more and more people with disabilities studying and
> improving their own lifes and our poor community, because the support
> services at the universities and others leave the starters phase and
> finally improve.    many Universities around de world offer different kind
> of support services for blind and low vision student, those are
> also different on  size either quality, so most of those are disconnected
> between them, there's not a  single structure to share their experience,
> and besides they are years of years giving the same support for people with
> similar needs those are still as poor as they were when they started theyr
> actuvities.
> I hope let you know my mind, sorry if there some language mistakes, best
> regards.
>
> ________________________
> Lic. Esperanza Villafuerte
> Maestranda en Ciencia Política y Gobierno PUCP
>
> e-mail: evillafuerte at pucp.pe
> Phone: +51-1-3245407
> Mobile: +51-1-990328796
>  Nextel +51*834*1438
>
>

>  ******************************************
>
> Hi everyone,

Duda raises an important question regarding open file formats.

As an OER initiative we should be sensitive to learners and institutions
worldwide who may not be able to afford the licensing costs of non-free
software or choose not to sacrifice their freedoms by using non-free
technologies.

This is particularly important when taking decisions regarding the
technology choices for the mapping initiative. There are a number of open
projects worldwide that would not be able to implement a Google Maps based
solution for our OER global map due to the proprietary nature of the
software.

Should we establish open file formats as a foundation principle for
building the OER map?

Wayne
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