Re: freebsd installer and blind users

Hi Elias,

On Fri, 22 Aug 2025 at 12:15, Elias Ståhlberg <
elias.stahlberg@harrastenurkka.fi> wrote:

> hi
>
> I am a completely blind user, is there screen reader support in the
> freebsd installation, and like Debian, I have the impression that
> improvements to accessibility are being made, at what stage they are. I
> don't expect a polished, beautiful user experience, I am a nerd who
> lives on the command line and in vim
>
>
>
Thank you for your interest in FreeBSD. Several projects sponsored by the
FreeBSD Foundation are ongoing to improve accessibility in the system,
including the installer.

A draft of the Accessibility Handbook covering the assistive technologies
currently available is now ready. You can find the table of contents, a
preview, and the code for suggestions and feedback in the review at
https://reviews.freebsd.org/D50894. The handbook is expected to be
published shortly.

At the moment, the installer is not expected to be accessible through a
screen reader, but three projects are planned to address this:
Project 1: Connect the virtual console, called vt(4) in FreeBSD, with a
speech synthesizer.
Project 2: Design and implement a subsystem for Braille displays.
Project 3: Implement a one-dimensional, text-only interface specifically
designed for screen readers to install FreeBSD. When the installer starts,
a simple key combination should activate screen reader mode.

The current effort focuses on providing high-contrast themes for the
installer and other system utilities with text user interfaces. Once the
high-contrast project is completed, the 3 projects will start.

All projects and improvements will be announced on this mailing list.
Please feel free to share any feedback or ideas to improve FreeBSD's visual
accessibility.

Best regards,
Alfonso Siciliano