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Category: software

Open Source Accessibility Summit in October!

Published August 26, 2025 by Liz Henry

Coming up in October 2025, the Open Source Accessibility Summit! This is a one-day conference in North Carolina, for open source software contributors who are interested in building accessible tools and it is part of the (huge) All Things Open conference!

Do you have a passion for innovation? Do you believe everyone should be able to realize the benefits of technology? Please join us! Everyone is welcome to attend the summit. We need a diverse set of skills, experience, and perspectives.

Goals of the summit are to:

  • Make connections between people who have a shared interest in improving the accessibility of open source software.

    Share knowledge and current best practices for creating diverse, inclusive, and accessible open source projects.

    Define a public roadmap for improving the accessibility of open source software so the community can collaborate to realize it after the summit.

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    Open data for CPAP machines

    Published April 25, 2025 by Liz Henry

    OSCAR looks like a great project; well maintained with many different CPAP machines supported. It has a lively community as well at ApneaBoard.

    This is another great example of machines we depend on, that are very intimately entwined with our lives, and that produce a lot of data. What data? Where is that data going? Who has access to it? Manufacturers seem to assume that the users of this equipment won’t want or need their own data. But the more open the platform is, the more possible tools we can develop!

    OSCAR is an acronym that stands for, “Open Source CPAP Analysis Reporter”. OSCAR provides for the viewing of the high-resolution sleep data that is generated by the CPAP and stored on the SD card. OSCAR converts this data to graph form allowing the user to view this data down to a breath by breath level. OSCAR is free to use and is compiled in formats that will operate on Mac, Linux, and Windows. OSCAR can be downloaded from https://www.sleepfiles.com/OSCAR/. It is this information that enables you to provide data for discussion with your doctor and/or to view and optimize your personal therapy.

    OSCAR is also used by many physicians and therapists who consult with patients, and by medical researchers comparing patient/machine responses across multiple platforms. OSCAR provides visual and statistical data details and enables comparisons across machine types and manufacturers, that are not available from proprietary manufacturer software and data products. Professionals who rely on OSCAR to provide research and to serve patient needs will lose this valuable resource if data becomes inaccessible, or only available through the manufacturer’s data products.

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