Preface

Table of Contents

Intended Audience

This handbook is intended for anyone interested in the assistive technologies available in the FreeBSD operating system. Users and administrators can learn how to configure the system for accessibility. Developers will find resources and guidance to help them create, improve, and test accessible software.

Organization of this Book

This book is organized into sections, chapters, and paragraphs, all of which can be read independently and out of order. The first section, Part I. General, provides guidance on how to seek help and includes various miscellaneous topics. The second section, Part II. Vision, focuses on assistive technologies for visual accessibility; It is intentionally free of images to maximize accessibility All sections and chapters are self-contained and can be read in any order.

Chapters:

Help

Explains where and how to seek support within the FreeBSD community.

Virtual Terminal

Highlights features of the system’s virtual console for visual accessibility.

Colors

Describes how to customize color settings in graphical environments for better visibility.

Low Vision

Introduces tools and settings for users with low vision.

Blindness

Covers accessibility tools and configurations for blind users, including screen readers, text-based utilities, and relevant ports.

Development

Offers guidelines and resources for developers to enhance accessibility for users with visual impairments.

Commands

FreeBSD offers a powerful command line interface that enables users to execute a wide range of text commands to set up and use the operating system. This Handbook, like all official FreeBSD documentation, follows these command prompt conventions:

  • A command preceded by % can be executed by any regular user.

  • A command preceded by # must be executed by the root user (the system administrator).

Last modified on: July 13, 2025 by Alfonso Siciliano

Home