Advice for blind linux newbie

[Simon Greaves]

Hi, I have just subscribed.  Hello to everyone.  I was hoping for some 
advice.  My friend is visually impaired and has been struggling with windows 
for the last year.  The GUI is what is causing him the most problems.  As he 
has never been able to see well enough to grasp concepts such as tabs, menus 
and the desktop, he often gets lost and doesn't know where he is.  His 
learning has come to a halt and he is getting frustrated, so I have come 
here.  I have wanted to try Linux myself and thought I could learn a little 
along the way by setting it up for him.

On windows he uses Zoomtext (screen magnifier) and Jaws (screen reader).  I 
think this causes him more problems as he won’t rely on either completely.  
So I am looking for a simple setup that allows him to play music, read 
emails and browse the web.  Can anyone recommend which Linux distros I could 
use and what I should install for accessibility with your reasons please?  
This would be a great help.

Thank you

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