[Tutor] Interactive editing of variables.

[Alan Gauld]

On 02/06/2019 01:10, mhysnm1964 at gmail.com wrote:

> What I do not know, how this applies to open source. If there is no
> commercial transaction. Then this is the area I am unsure if any of the laws
> I am indirectly referring to impact. 

Caveat: I am not a lawyer...

I know it has a big impact on commercial software but that has some
potential return on investment in terms of increased market share.
For open source it is hard to see the return and the most likely
scenario would be to greatly reduce the availability of such
software. Consider the potential impact of applying such
requirements to open source or other "free" software.
This would potentially mean that any software that was
shared or distributed in any way would need to comply.
That would include a bit of code I knocked together for
my own benefit and my friend wanted to get a copy.
I've got to say, sorry I need to make it accessible
first... now consider that my friend and I are working
on some scientific research, maybe even medical research
into treatments for blindness or cancer or whatever.
Now I can't share my research tools with other
researchers because I lack the time and or knowledge
to convert the software to be accessible.

The implications are that a lot of software would never
see the light of day regardless of the potential benefits
it could deliver. It would be a foolish law which prevented
(or even substantially delayed) progress in the name of
making all software accessible. It would also be very
difficult to enforce since you would need to either
prohibit the sharing of all non-accessible software or
somehow, arbitrarily, define what constitutes regulated
"distribution".

Legislating for commercial distribution is much easier
and more justifiable since profits are available to pay
for the extra effort/costs. Where no profit exists
then distribution is much less easily defined; it would
be a legal minefield I suspect.

> Anyway, this is getting off scope. Just highlighting 
> so people are aware. Accessibility is a part of best practice
> for UX, UI and development.

Indeed, and in an ideal world all of the building blocks
would incorporate it at the foundation level. Unfortunately
we are a long way from that. Also, in most cases the supporting
hardware is not readily available to deliver the potential
accessibility options that could be provided. It is very
difficult to write software for features that you cannot
test (think cursor control via blow tube or eye movement
or command input by tones. All possible now but need
specialist kit which individual developers won't have.)
It is hard enough testing software for all the "standard"
forms of input - mice, pens, touch screens, keyboards,
voice, etc....

-- 
Alan G
Author of the Learn to Program web site
http://www.alan-g.me.uk/
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