DJCLI: Case Study in how Debian Opens Opportunities for those with Different Needs

Speaker: Sam Hartman

Track: Introduction to Free Software & Debian

Type: Long talk (45 minutes)

Room: Auditório

Time: Jul 26 (Fri), 16:00

Duration: 0:45

As my wedding approached, my longstanding desire to learn about music and about DJing became a driving need. So, what’s the big deal? Go download DJ software and get with the mix. There’s even DJ software in Debian. I’m blind and for the work I’d like to do all the software is visual. So I decided to write my own. This is a case study about how Debian and the free software we curate made it possible for me as someone who sees the world differently to find art and achieve a dream. It’s more about how free software opens opportunities to view the world differently than the technical challenges I faced, although I’ll throw in some code for good measure. It’s a story of opportunities realized but also challenges relating to people who think differently. It’s a story of art and the power of understanding how the world works.