@Ulf I actually wouldn't recommend Debian for desktops at all, and I definitely wouldn't recommend it for beginners. Debian suffers terribly from stale packages, which people running servers seem to like, so it's more an LTS type of OS for server admins. Debian, even unstable, also tends to mix versions of components of desktop environments. I ran a Debian stable system for a time, and needed an upgrade to the latest GNOME for #a11y purposes. Looking at the packages, I saw two different versions of the components of the GNOME desktop, even in the stable branch. Upgrading to unstable gave me three versions of the components. Even experimental didn't help.

I'm actually more likely to recommend Fedora to new users, as it keeps everything grouped together by its major versions, has an easy to use installer, has flatpak enabled and working by default (flathub support coming to 38), has snap and podman available, has a predictable release lifecycle, and only withholds updates if they would break something. These days I use the MATE desktop, a11y and I just like the interface, and the only version mix I see is point releases of a couple of things where some packages see point releases upstream and others do not. Major versions are always in sync. Following GNOME developments, I see the same thing here. I have been running Fedora since 35, have upgraded quite smoothly all the way to 37, and haven't had any major problems. Maybe it lacks the polish of Elementary or Mint with their downstream modifications that make things look better and maybe more beginner-friendly, but Fedora is definitely good for both new users and oldheads like me, and it seems to work more closely with upstream developers, even though it is in actuality more of a corporate distro like Ubuntu. I especially like how it withholds nothing from us, giving us its own package management system, Flatpak, Snap and Podman. The only thing I find missing are the appImage tools that build appImages and the appImage launcher that automatically registers appImages on the system, but I'm hoping these things can be added at a later date.

Regarding appImage not having a central repository, there is AppImageHub, but the best part is its decentralized nature, where I can have a project website, offer my appImage for download right on the website, and I can even supply a checksum that can be verified so that anyone who wants to ensure they have my release and not some kind of compromised malware can verify it. As Flathub is essentially becoming its own corporate walled garden of a sort, complete with financial subscriptions, the beauty of appImage is in its decentralization, especially since no appImage ever has to be installed. They just work(tm).

I have no experience with Podman, so I can't make an argument for or against it, except that I did try playing with Docker containers and found them quite clunky for running server applications. For example, why should I run 5 Docker containers to get 5 websites working? That uses more RAM and more disk space than just setting up virtual hosts for the 5 sites. Then again, reverse proxies work with or without containers, but the Docker images are just so much larger and are harder to get running. AppImages are in fact larger than the system packages, but it seems running so many Docker containers is even larger. Still, if Podman makes this easier and less clunky, then I would certainly be willing to give it a shot. But I can more easily reverse proxy to an appImage than I can get a Docker container working at this point. Perhaps it's just me, as I like to take the easy route wherever possible.

The Iconfactory's @gedeonm was welcomed by Double Tap, a podcast about #accessibility and the blind community, to talk about Twitterrific's removal from the App Store.

Ged chats about what happened, how it affects our fellow Twitter developers like @tapbots, and much more. Check it out. #a11y podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/…

‎Double Tap: Twitterrific Developer Tells All About Decision To Pull The App on Apple Podcasts

‎Show Double Tap, Ep Twitterrific Developer Tells All About Decision To Pull The App - Feb 16, 2023

^{Apple Podcasts}

Web Accessibility Global Usage Survey

“The Data:
We will have data from this survey available at webaccessibilitysurvey.com and on /r/blind later this year (2023) for everyone in raw versions and in reports.”

#a11y #accessibility #web

72pcs53kctq.typeform.com/to/LD…

Web Accessibility Global Usage Survey

Participation in this survey can change the perspective of different industries and communities on accessibility and its impact on real-world issues.

^{72pcs53kctq.typeform.com}

Please always add alternative text images every time you post them. On #Mastodon it is a standard code of conduct. Otherwise you exclude people who cannot see the images.

#a11y #accessibility #Alt4Me #AltText
@ivory

The #scrcpy utility is super useful. It is open source and available for free.
Connect your phone to your PC with USB or Wi-Fi:
✅ mirror the phone's screen to your PC
✅ use Windows Magnifier to zoom in on the phone
✅ copy paste text in both directions
✅ use the PC keyboard and mouse with your phone
✅ record the phone's screen while mirroring

Download `scrcpy` from...

github.com/Genymobile/scrcpy

#blind #lowvision #visuallyimpared #andoird #a11y

GitHub - Genymobile/scrcpy: Display and control your Android device

Display and control your Android device. Contribute to Genymobile/scrcpy development by creating an account on GitHub.

^GitHub

“Automation is not the enemy”
karlgroves.com/automation-is-n…

Karl argues a different point, which is not the opposite of Eric’s.

I agree automation is not the enemy, I also agree automation will not solve web #accessibility. It’s nice when #a11y practitioners agree on things.

Automation is not the enemy - Karl Groves

Before you read this, I want you to spend a few moments looking around where you are right now. Ponder, for a moment, the furniture you’re sitting on, the room you’re sitting in, and the computer you’re reading this on.

^{karlgroves@gmail.com (karlgroves.com)}

One WCAG 2.2 change that is mostly uncontroversial is the purging of SC 4.1.1 Parsing.

If you find it controversial, my post mapping 4.1.1 to other SCs might be helpful:
adrianroselli.com/2022/12/the-…

#a11y #accessibility

The 411 on 4.1.1

There is a non-zero chance that WCAG Success Criterion 4.1.1 Parsing will go away in WCAG 2.2. This isn’t a problem for users, regardless of the problems it may pose for the WCAG process, ACT rules, automated testing tools, or ossified testing proces…

^{Adrian Roselli}

These magnetic USB C adapters are truly fantastic! Recommended for anyone blind or visually impaired.
Available from Amazon, eBay, and AliExpress.

✅ Makes fitting a USB cable easy - the magnet pulls the cable into place.
✅ Saves wear and tear on the USB C port.
✅ Can be used with chargers, wired earbuds and data sync cables.
✅ Acts as a quick release if the cable gets yanked.
✅ They work well with phones, laptops, and tablets.

amazon.com/Magnetic-Adapter-Co…

#blind #lowvision #visuallyimpaired #a11y

Glad <dialog> focus is finally being implemented/defined in a reasonable way after a torturous years long, largely pointless, discussion.

“1. Make the dialog focusing steps look at sequentially focusable elements instead of any focusable element.

2. Make the dialog element itself get focus if it has the autofocus="" attribute set.

3. Make the dialog element itself get focus as a fallback instead of focus being reset to the body element.”

#HTML #WebStandards #a11y

github.com/whatwg/html/commit/…

Implement dialog initial focus proposal · whatwg/html@a9f103c

This implements the changes proposed here: https://github.com/whatwg/html/wiki/dialog--initial-focus,-a-proposal#dialog-draft-text Specifically: 1. Make the dialog focusing steps look at seq...

^GitHub