The Emmabuntüs Collective is pleased to announce the release, on September 28, 2026, of the Emmabuntüs Debian Edition 6 1.03 64-bit update, based on Debian 13.7 Trixie, with the Xfce/LXQt desktop environments.
This new version is primarily dedicated to improving accessibility, with the integration of two new utilities: Easy Menu and Easy Reader TTS.
These developments reflect our commitment to making free and open-source computing ever simpler and more accessible to as many people as possible, particularly for people who experience difficulties when using a computer in the traditional way.
They are also part of our collaboration with our friends at A.S.I. YOVOTOGO and the Togolese Federation of Associations of People with Disabilities (FETAPH).
Simpler-to-use accessibility features
These new features were inspired by the remarkable work carried out by the ACIAH association through its ACIAH-Linux distribution.
In particular, after reading the article “Digital inclusion: the ‘Heart’ button that aims to replace complex computer shortcuts with Linux”, we wanted to take up and adapt some of the concepts developed by ACIAH.
Our goal was to preserve the spirit of this approach: making accessibility features immediately available without requiring users to memorize numerous keyboard shortcuts.
Easy Menu: one key for simple access to accessibility features
The Easy Menu provides quick access to Emmabuntüs’ main accessibility features through a dedicated key: Right Control or F12.
A simple press of this key opens a menu containing the main available functions. Users can therefore access the tools they need more easily, without having to remember a multitude of key combinations.
This approach is particularly useful for people using the Orca screen reader, but it can also make computers easier to use for anyone who needs simplified access to assistive features.
From the main menu, Easy Menu also provides direct access to certain frequently used functions through dedicated keys.
To discover all the possibilities offered by Easy Menu, please consult the manual.
Easy Reader TTS: making document reading easier
The second major new feature in this version is Easy Reader TTS, designed to make document reading easier in an accessibility context.
From the Caja file manager, the F7 or F8 keys provide simple access to functions for reading and extracting the contents of a document, including its text and information contained in images.
The retrieved content can then be read aloud using text-to-speech (TTS).
This feature is based in particular on Easy Player TTS, a player developed from scripts created for ACIAH-Linux and adapted for Emmabuntüs.
Its development also benefited from the use of artificial intelligence tools such as ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Grok, which were used as development assistance tools.
Once again, the goal is very simple: to allow a person who cannot easily read the content displayed on the screen to retrieve information from a document and have it read aloud more easily.
To discover all the features offered by Easy Reader and Easy Player TTS, please consult the Emmabuntüs manual.
Accessibility that goes beyond disability
These new features were primarily designed to meet the needs of people with visual impairments and, more broadly, people with disabilities.
But we believe that accessibility can benefit everyone.
Simplified access to computer functions can also be useful for beginners, older people, users who temporarily experience difficulties with reading or handling a computer, or simply anyone who would like to have simpler tools for interacting with their computer.
With Easy Menu and Easy Reader TTS, Emmabuntüs is continuing its work toward free, supportive, inclusive, and accessible computing for as many people as possible.
Acknowledgements
We would like to warmly thank everyone who contributes to advancing accessibility in the world of free and open-source software.
In particular, we would like to thank the members of the ACIAH association, whose work on ACIAH-Linux has greatly inspired these new features, as well as our partners at A.S.I. YOVOTOGO and FETAPH for their commitment to digital inclusion in Togo.
We would also like to thank all the contributors to the Emmabuntüs project who, through their feedback, testing, and work, help this distribution continue to evolve.
Corrections and improvements introduced in version 1.03
Regarding the base system and general features:
- Based on Debian 13.7
- Added an option to reduce the number of windows displayed during post-installation
- Added firmware-sof-signed
- Updated: Thunderbird 140.16.0esr, Thunderbird 140.16.0esr, Ventoy 1.1.17, Turboprint 3.01-1, CTparental 5.3.10-1
Regarding accessibility:
- Added the Easy Menu accessibility feature
- Added the Easy Reader TTS accessibility feature
This version will be available starting September 28, 2026, from our website: emmabuntus.org, or via download.emmabuntus.org.
We will also include these developments in EmmaDE5, based on Debian 12, which will be released a few days after EmmaDE6.