Shopify, accessibility lawsuits & 'Compliance'

buff.ly/3YfG7bn

#eCommerce #Shopify #DigitalAccessibility #Accessibility #A11y #ACR #VPAT

#accessibility question:

Does anyone know if a HTML support for Orca screen-reader exist?
(like @SteveFaulkner's tests on github.com/stevefaulkner/scree…)

#Orca #screenReader #a11y #Linux

GitHub - stevefaulkner/screen-reader-HTML-support

Contribute to stevefaulkner/screen-reader-HTML-support development by creating an account on GitHub.

^GitHub

For those who want a peek behind the scenes – our #accessibility team’s yearly retrospective notes are all public: github.com/wagtail/wagtail/dis…

Highlights of what’s coming up next:

- Accessibility x #django workshop proposals @oscafest and @djangoconafrica 2025
- More testing with our users with disabilities
- More automated tests
- Continue the data-driven accessibility decisions

Accessibility team: meeting updates · wagtail wagtail · Discussion #11394

👋 Subscribe to this thread for regular updates on what our accessibility team is up to, unsubscribe if this isn’t for you (in "Notifications" to the side 👉). 2024-10-18 – retrospective 2024-10-04 –...

^GitHub

Wonderful article from @bas on getting started with #accessibility. basbroek.nl/making-accessibili…

I love how he emphasizes that while accessibility is a vast space, we can start small and learn from the assistive technologies already built into our devices!

A big shout out to everyone at #A11yCamp yesterday. Sean spent a very informative day there leaning and networking on all the latest in #A11y / #Accessibility!

Photos are Sean with Riley Busch from the department of education, and a view of the Clarendon Auditorium filling up before the event started

As noted on the banner in the first photo, A11y Camp is Australia's premier conference on digital accessibility and inclusion.

Right, I'm going to do something I dislike, but I literally don't know how else to get support to follow up with me.
I have indeed submitted two support requests in the intervening time, i'm not just being lazy I promise.
On 17 Aug I made a video about #FloatPlane accessibility and how not good it is.
I wasn't a troll, I was constructive and thoughtful, and yet I cannot get a hold of anyone at either Floatplane Media or LTT.
If *anyone* happens to know someone at one of these companies and could get my video to them, I'd be extremely grateful.
The other thing I really dislike doing is asking if people could boost for reach, but I'll make an exception.
Fedi is big now, and far more reaching than modern-day xitter, so all help gratefully received.
I thank you in advance.

Accessibility Issues With Floatplane (from a VoiceOver Perspective) youtu.be/2sZTsrek08M
#LTT #LinusTechTips #Accessibility #VoiceOver #iOS

Accessibility Issues With Floatplane (from a VoiceOver Perspective)

I've never made a video I wanted to age as badly as this one, but needs must.There are some glaringly obvious issues with LTT's Floatplane app for iOS if you...

^YouTube

@NVAccess posted:

In-Process 23rd October 2024

nvaccess.org/post/in-process-2…

#NVDASR #accessibility

In-Process 23rd October 2024

Over the past fortnight we had a fantastic response to our braille survey, thank you! We already have some learnings to share with you! Plus, we’re nearly ready for NVDA 2024.4, are you? We’ve also…

^{NV Access}

@vick21 @Tamasg

I hope so too. #Accessibility is important -- especially for an app based on music

I've talked to a couple of screen reader users, who have bravely volunteered to test out early versions of this code

They've told me that it works well (mostly) and I'm still running through their feedback to make things better

So I won't say Bandwagon is 100% WCAG compliant, but please try it out and let me know if you have any trouble. I jump on accessibility issues as quick as possible

Summarizing the state of the last few months of #accessibility work, slowly but surely getting a full stack with no vision support across all layers from CLI shell to window management to cooperative clients to uncooperative clients.

arcan-fe.com/2024/10/18/access…

Accessible Arcan : Out of Sight

Our reference desktop environment, Durden, rarely gets covered here these days. This is mostly due to the major features are since long in place and that part of the project is biding its time with…

^Arcan

FINALLY! Open-source LIVE CAPTIONS for your Linux desktop that run locally! No internet connection, no spyware!

github.com/abb128/LiveCaptions

FUTO is a company that grants young developers means to build awesome tools like this one. Tools that help digital sovereignty.

futo.org/projects/

All I need now is a model that will translate all the Russians in #CounterStrike for me :D

#Accessibility #HearingAid #Deaf #FUTO #FreeSoftware #FairSoftware #MachineLearning

👁️ @w3c AGWG (Accessibility Guidelines Working Group) Teleconference
15 Oct 2024 - draft minutes

"RESOLUTION: We will explore having a set of required provisions that is somewhat comparable to WCAG 2.2 A & AA and a set of provisions and assertions that can be used to build upon that through points, percentages, or predefined sets of provisions (modules)."

#WCAG3 #WCAG #accessibility #WebStandards

w3.org/2024/10/15-ag-minutes.h…

Not so short note on aria-label usage – Big Table Edition

“aria-label is one of a number of secondary methods to label native HTML UI elements. It works particularly well on interactive elements, it also works well on most block level elements old skoolterm that have explicitly or implicitly defined structural roles. It works less well or not at all on text level semantics.”

#aria #HTML #accessibility #WebDev

html5accessibility.com/stuff/2…

Ever find that sitting in front of your unnecessarily complex music rig is hard sometimes? Creative block hits and there's nothing you can do about it?
I certainly find that lately, more often than not.
One device has come into my life and changed a lot of that however. Ableton Move.

In this world-first video, I take you through making a beat without sight, just using the undocumented screen-reader function within the web-based Move Manager.

It's incredibly freeing to be able to just load a fresh set, be presented with four random sounds and perhaps one of them will inspire you so you just begin doing a thing that you had absolutely no plan to do before you started.
#InspiredBySound - Let's Move! (Ableton Move Accessibility Overview) youtu.be/p8IbinbOhY4
#Accessibility #Ableton #ScreenReader #Blind #Music #Composition

#InspiredBySound - Let's Move! (Ableton Move Accessibility Overview)

Check out the official Ableton Move website: https://www.ableton.com/en/move/Ableton Move is the first piece of hardware I've personally been excited by in y...

^YouTube

“Shopify, accessibility lawsuits & ‘Compliance’”
nicchan.me/blog/shopify-access…

Long read that looks at responsibility, content accessibility, the ACR of one theme, and drive-by lawsuits.

This quote tho: “In a way, the Shopify app store and theme store create a parasitic ecosystem.”

#accessibility #a11y

One of the benefits of keeping a gratitude journal is that every so often, I find myself using an app I’ve used for years and thinking, “dude! I am so glad I have this app, and I am grateful for the indie developer who cares about #accessibility”.
This morning I am feeling that way about the Broadcasts app. In case you’ve not discovered it, here’s the description from the App Store.

The award-winning Broadcasts 3 introduces a brand new iPhone app, a beautiful new Now Playing screen, and a revamped Search experience. Now available on Apple Vision Pro. Listen to streaming internet radio in an ultra-simple, single-purpose app. Broadcasts makes building a library of stations from around the world easier than ever — no subscription required. Use completely free with a limited-size library of stations, or upgrade to the full version to unlock the library limit and add as many of your own stations as you like from the Station Browser, or manually via URL. Search for stations from around the world as easily as from your own library. Showcase gorgeous station and track artwork (for supported stations) with the all-new Now Playing screen. Use Shazam (Beta) to power the Now Playing screen with artwork and metadata for stations that do not provide it, or simply to provide an ambient Now Playing experience for music playing nearby. Show the currently playing artwork and metadata on external displays if you want an all-screen experience. Sync your library across iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and Apple TV with iCloud & Universal Purchase. Browse stations in grid or list view. Listen in Light or Dark mode. Edit stations to provide your own artwork, or use the Artwork Chooser to generate something fun and colorful. Thoughtful mouse, trackpad & keyboard support provides a great experience on iPad. Perform common tasks from the Command menu, and control playback using keyboard shortcuts. Use Handoff to transfer playback between devices, or AirPlay directly to a home speaker. Listen with just your Apple Watch (Cellular) while out and about, or on Apple TV at home. Supports CarPlay on certified devices; stream internet radio on your CarPlay-enabled head unit directly. Automate playback using Shortcuts.

OK, it’s Jonathan talkin’ again now. This app is a fully accessible experience with VoiceOver. I particularly like the collections feature, because you can organise your radio stations however you like. If you want to create a system where you have your favourite stations organised by genre, knock yourself out. Or maybe you prefer to have stations you listened to regularly organised by country.
The app is updated frequently, and I do find stations in there that don’t seem to show up on some other apps.
It’s definitely worth a look if you’re after an excellent, accessible, well-supported radio app, and there’s an account for the app right here on mastodon, @broadcastsapp

Here’s the App Store link.

apps.apple.com/app/id146999535…

‎Broadcasts

‎Listen to streaming internet radio in an ultra-simple, single-purpose app. Broadcasts makes building a library of stations from around the world easier than ever — no subscription required.

^{App Store}

The last time I made a video about #Ableton, it was to do with Note, their iOS music-making app.
This video is an Ableton-first, in which I bring you their newest piece of hardware, #AbletonMove.
It ships with a web-based screen-reader and I've been enjoying it for many months.
It uses sounds from Note, but in a hardware form.
32 poly-aftertouch pads, four tracks of midi (or samples,) 8 knobs, USB-C for power and controlling Ableton Live and a USB-A port for connecting class-compliant midi devices, should you wish to trigger it from a keyboard.

Please be advised that screen-reader support is currently an experimental feature and is not fully fleshed out.
Not all aspects of the experience are as desired and there are a few kinks, but it is very much better than nothing whatsoever, and I am extremely thankful to the team that made this possible.

Ableton themselves are not talking about this screen-reader function in any of their literature, but I think it's important enough that it deserves recognition, and to bring an accessible groove-box to blind people in this way.

#InspiredBySound - Let's Move! (Ableton Move Accessibility Overview) youtu.be/p8IbinbOhY4
#Accessibility #ScreenReader

To challenge the notion that the Mastodon has a strong tradition of #accessibility…

5 years since I tried to improve the accessibility of Mastodon and, despite overwhelming support, the project owner refused to merge my commit, then closed and locked the issue because he thought it was ugly.

github.com/mastodon/mastodon/p…

Compared to Threads, Mastodon is very good. But compared to Threads, getting kicked in the shin is also pretty good.

Seen in Seattle. Accessibility Matters

#Accessibility #Seattle #Lime #Scooters #AccessibilityMatters

I appreciate the smaller indie developers, particularly in the Apple world, who specialise in a certain field and do it well, and take pride in being accessible. Rogue Amoeba is one. Their audio products are one of the best advertisements for Mac. Agile Tortoise is another, with the fabulous Drafts app. And another is Flexibits, who make the Fantastical Calendar app. This is a sound investment for management of the several calendars I keep. And they care a lot about #accessibility.
I use their Openings and proposals feature regularly in my professional life. Now they have added RSVP. Here’s the explanation from their blog. If you’ve not checked out Fantastical yet, I did a demo on Living Blindfully and they have plenty of videos and help guides. I highly recommend it.

flexibits.com/blog/2024/10/rsv…

Reading WITHOUT Sight: Challenging the Ableist Assumptions of Non-Visual Literacy

In today’s world, where accessibility is supposedly ever-expanding, comments on how blind people read – or rather, whether we “really” read – reveal a significant amount of latent ableism. When someone remarks, “You’re not really reading because you have to listen to it,” they are unwittingly touching on deep-seated biases that marginalize blind people and our experience. For me, as a blind person, these comments feel aggressive, like a slur that undermines not only my intellect but my very existence within a literate society. The underlying suggestion that my method of consuming literature is somehow less legitimate than traditional reading reflects a lack of understanding and a failure to appreciate the richness of alternative literacy.

At its core, this statement implies that visual reading is the only valid form of reading – an attitude deeply rooted in ableist assumptions. Just as the sighted world learns and adapts to new ways of accessing information, blind people, too, use technology to bridge gaps that were once insurmountable. By suggesting that listening to an audiobook or using a screen reader is inferior to reading with one’s eyes, the speaker perpetuates a narrow view of literacy that excludes anyone who does not fit their narrow definition of a reader.

The Emotional Impact of Dismissive Comments

Hearing such remarks can be hurtful. When someone tells me I’m not “really reading,” they trivialize the effort, love, and passion I pour into every book. Reading, in any form, is more than just a mechanical process; it’s an engagement with ideas, narratives, and emotions. Denying my capacity to “really” read is akin to erasing my agency in choosing to explore literature. It dismisses my experience and can feel like a personal attack, minimizing my intelligence and curiosity.

Moreover, these comments strip away the nuances of my identity and life experience as a blind person. They ignore the reality that many of us navigate systems not designed with us in mind, yet we adapt with resilience and creativity. Listening to a book, for me, is as much an engagement with its content as sighted reading is for others. This medium allows me to dive into narratives, to imagine worlds, and to connect with characters just as vividly as if I were reading visually. Such a remark does not just invalidate my experience, but it also points to a societal failure to recognize and celebrate the diverse ways people interact with literature.

Understanding the Roots of Ableism

Ableism, at its core, stems from a belief that certain abilities, like sight, are inherently superior. This mindset manifests in the way sighted people sometimes view adaptations like screen readers or braille as substitutes, rather than as equally valid methods of accessing information. This thought pattern diminishes the lived experiences of blind individuals and subtly implies that we’re only half-participating in the world of literature. The comment reflects an ideology that upholds one mode of experiencing the world as ideal, while relegating others to second-class status.

Furthermore, literacy is a concept that should not be defined by sensory modality. Whether through braille, audio, or screen readers, blind readers engage in the same cognitive processes of understanding and analying text. These methods are not merely compensatory but rather alternate pathways that lead to the same destination.

Responding Constructively

Addressing this kind of ableism requires a blend of assertiveness and education. In responding to these comments, I could say something like, “When you suggest that I’m not really reading, it feels as if you’re diminishing my engagement with the text. For me, listening to a book offers the same intellectual and emotional journey as sighted reading does for you. It’s not about the method; it’s about the experience of connecting with the material. I’d appreciate it if we could acknowledge that there are many valid ways to be a reader.”

By framing the response in this way, I affirm my own experience while gently inviting the person to reconsider their assumptions. Another approach could be to highlight the diversity of literacy methods available today: “There’s a wide range of ways people can read now, whether through audio, braille, or text-to-speech technology. These methods open up the world of literature to more people and should be celebrated rather than diminished.”

My hope is that, in responding to these comments, I can foster a moment of reflection for others. Reading is about engaging with ideas and stories, not about the medium through which we access them. Ableist remarks about non-visual reading, though sometimes spoken thoughtlessly, present an opportunity to open minds and broaden perspectives. By sharing my experience, I contribute to a more inclusive understanding of literacy and help to dismantle the harmful stereotypes that still persist.

Conclusion

Reading is not an act confined to the eyes; it is an intellectual and emotional endeavour that transcends sensory modality. For many blind people, it is the ultimate expression of our love for stories, our curiosity, and our intellect. When someone diminishes my experience as “not really reading,” they underscore a fundamental misunderstanding of what it means to be a reader. As we continue to expand our understanding of accessibility, it is crucial to challenge and reframe such biases. Only by doing so can we begin to recognize and respect the many ways in which people interact with the written word, enriching our collective experience of literature in all its forms.

#Ableism #Accessibility #Audible #Blind #Braille #Disability #Equality #Inclusion #Kindle

@tink will be attending #DevFestNantes to share her talk: “The Land That Time to Interactive Forgot.” 🌐

She’ll explore how Time to Interactive (TTI) impacts web performance, accessibility, and user experience, offering insights into how we can all make the web faster and more inclusive.

Read more about her talk and find the full schedule at: devfest.gdgnantes.com/en/sched…

#WebDevelopment #Accessibility #SustainableAccessibility #DevFest

I have failed to promote this very much.

In a couple weeks I’ll be presenting at A11y Camp in Melbourne, Australia.

On Tuesday, 22 October I am running a workshop:
a11ycamp.com.au/workshops/#wsh…

I'm keynoting the talks on Wednesday, 23 October:
a11ycamp.com.au/program/

So if hashtags #accessibility and/or #inclusion are your deal, then you should attend. You can get 10% of tickets with the code A11Y FRIEND10.

One of the themes which came through from the NVDA Satisfaction Survey earlier this year, was to improve Braille support. To help us target the most needed improvements, we have created a short survey. If you use NVDA with braille at least some of the time, please consider completing this survey.

docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAI…

Please also share with anyone else who may be interested.
#NVDA #NVDAsr #ScreenReader #Braille #Accessibility #A11y #Survey #CommunityInput

It seems time again to remind everyone not to use ARIA `menu` roles for web site navigation:
adrianroselli.com/2017/10/dont…

From a technical perspective, there is no such thing as “dropdowns”:
adrianroselli.com/2020/03/stop…

That imprecise terminology leads to more miscommunication between sales folks, designers, and devs than is necessary. Then weird stuff gets built from scratch instead of leaning on existing patterns.

You should dismiss articles that conflate the two.

#accessibility #a11y

Reminder: new home for the Inclusive Design Principles
inclusivedesignprinciples.info… the old domain has lapsed and now advertises gambling 😑

#ux #accessibility #design

Where web #accessibility, digital #sustainability, #contentManagement, open-source software, and web standards intersect, you'll find @mgifford always advocating for content, people, and the planet.

In his practice, Mike ensures that the content systems they deliver are built as sustainably as possible, deliver accessible experiences to citizens, and work well for authors and others who use the system.

ellessmedia.com/csi/mike-giffo…