New blog post out (finally) ✨ I tested the dataviz accessibility of the 2024 presidential election dashboards, and (as expected) found a lot of issues to write about:
fossheim.io/writing/posts/2024…
I tested how well different election dashboards implemented common dataviz accessibility princples, and explained where things went wrong (including lots of demos).fossheim.io
I saw a post on Facebook the other day. Someone, probably a student, but maybe a child, was asking if they could use AI to format an assignment. The poster specifically said they were not looking to have the AI write the report, just format the margins, font, line spacing Etc.
Some helpful soul replied along the lines of – just do the work yourself like the rest of us…you get the gist.
I am not advocating using AI to cheat. But I am aware of how modern word processors work – the concept of ‘WYSIWYG’ extends to far more than the text – sighted people can ‘see’ the margins, line spacing, justification Etc. Of course this information is also visible on the screen and blind people can navigate to it or can use a keystroke to have it spoken to them…but it takes a bit longer and you have to remember the keystroke. In fact, you have to remember a lot of keystrokes to use a graphical interface designed for mouse users using just a keyboard.
There is a Blindness Productivity Gap, everything takes a little bit longer, is a little bit harder to learn, a little bit harder to do, when you are blind. This is not about effort, or intelligence, it’s just how life works – ‘monkey see, monkey do’ is practically a law of nature.
One of the reasons why I am so excited about advancements in AI is that I see in it a real chance to finally reduce or eliminate the blindness productivity gap. I’d also like to live forever!
You may recall that in October I spoke at A11y Camp in Melbourne. I shared my slides, but being text-free they weren’t terribly useful.
Well, the video of my talk is available!
adrianroselli.com/2024/10/a11y…
There is also a link to the entire playlist for the event.
Download a 3.6MB tagged PDF of my slides or try the embedded view if your browser displays PDF inline. The text in the slides is set in Atkinson Hyperlegible. The PDF is exported from PowerPoint, after confirming reading order and alternative text.Adrian Roselli
Blind People Problems:
Lately I'm encountering instances where people writing substitute a small letter L for a capital i. For example writing Al (AL) instead of AI (ai).
This fools the eye, but not the text-to-speech engines used by blind and low vision users to listen to the text.
This morning I copy and pasted the title of a novel from the story graph and it turned out that the word Idea was written with an L (ldea) instead of a capital i.
I wonder what is behind this phenomenon. Is it a virtual keyboard speed writing thing? Saving the user the extra click on the shift key?
What is for sure, this practice is bad for accessibility.
Edit:
Since not everyone sees all the replies I'll summaries:
The main possible explanation for the use of an l in place of a capital I, was the use of OCR to digitize text in an image.
Considering the fact that OCR is built into mobile OSs and apps these days it is quite possible that is was used and as a type of AI it is clear why it would not understand the context and mistake identical letters for one another.
A second possible reason suggested in the comments was that people are trying to obscure the use of the term AI from filters or crawlers by using the wrong letter.
#BlindPeopleProblems #accessibility #blind #LowVison #TTS #TextToSpeech
#AI spurs revolution for some visually impaired people:
bbc.com/news/articles/cg4lvw6v…
AI services that can describe pictures and scenes are helping the visually impaired.Suzanne Bearne (BBC News)
Happy to have my work in the Accessibility Chapter of the HTTP Archive's Web Almanac featured in StateScoop.
statescoop.com/state-websites-…
I belive that this is the first government-wide scan of USA states for web accessibility. The report averages over 34,000 state government web pages to create a meaningful snapshot of how inclusive government sites are.
#accessibility #Section508 #USAGovernment #GoogleLighthouse #axe #WebAccessibility
An audit of state government websites shows that none meets all accessibility requirements soon to be required by the Department of Justice.Keely Quinlan (StateScoop)
Am pleased that the @tetralogical.com blog articles are all knowledge, not marketing bumpf
Accessibility consultancy with a focus on inclusion. We can help you with knowledge, experience, strategy, assessments, and development.TetraLogical
Meet Andre Louis, a music producer and blind screen reader user who can be found playing jazz clubs in London, streaming his performance using Meta Glasses.
In our latest post in our series on disabled people’s experiences browsing the web, Andre tells us about his love of consistent design and dislike of accessibility overlays.
Read Andre’s story: tetralogical.com/blog/2024/11/…
Photo: Jonathan Bowcott
#Accessibility #InclusiveDesign #ScreenReaders #WebAccessibility #SustainableAccessibility
Meet Andre, a music producer and blind screen reader user who is not afraid to take his custom elsewhere if your site is not accessible.TetraLogical
Did you catch our last "In-Process" blog? Lots of handy info in there from info on NVDA 2024.4.1, to our Contributor Documentation Survey and more info on our add-on compatibility process! Find it all here: nvaccess.org/post/in-process-1…
#NVDA #NVDAsr #Blog #News #ScreenReader #Accessibility #Newsletter
Welcome to a jam packed In-Process. We have a release, a survey, several expos, an award finalist and more add-on info. Let’s dive in: NVDA 2024.4.1 Released NVDA Contributor Documentation Su…NV Access
Angaben zur #Rollstuhltauglichkeit eines Ortes sind zwar in der @openstreetmap@en.osm.town eingetragen, werden aber auf der #wheelmap nicht angezeigt?
Dann könnte es sein, dass die Beschreibung nicht dem Basis-Attribut wheelchair_description sondern dem mit der Erweiterung der Sprache zugeordnet wurde, z.B. wheelchair_description:de
Wie mir der Support mitteilte, arbeitet man aber daran, auch die Sprachdefiition zu berücksichtigen.
wheelmap.or
#Accessibility #Barrierefreiheit #Inklusion #OSM #OpenStreetMap
Can anyone recommend an accessible course to learn html? It must work with NVDA. I've heard of Code Camp and W3Schools, but how accessible are they and how do they differ in content and style? I like courses with a structured approach, where things are explained i.e. a deductive and not an inductive approach. I usually don't need a tutorial, but I am fine with general instructions. In this case, though, exercises would be very beneficial. I am using this prior to beginning Part 2 of the Web Developer's course at Deque. I am not a developer, but they don't have one for accessibility testers.
#accessibility #blind #blindness #computing #DequeUniversity #html #learning #NVDA #programming #screenreaders #W3Schools
My sister texted me today asking if I have a wish list for my birthday on December 3. Usually, I get gift cards, socks, or other random things because no one knows what to get me. But this year, I'm prepared! I've been using a site called Chestr to create a wish list. It's not perfect—there are some accessibility issues—but it's usable.
I’ve been adding things all year, and now my list has nearly 50 items, from tech gadgets to fidget toys and puzzles. The fidget toys and puzzles are a favorite since I'm autistic, sometimes bedbound, and need things to do with my hands that provide sensory stimulation and keep me engaged. Hopefully, this makes gift shopping easier for my family this time around! 🎉🎁
#BirthdayWishlist #Chestr #Accessibility #FidgetToys #Puzzles #SensoryNeeds #AutisticJoy #DisabilityLife #DecemberBirthday
#flohmarkt needs an #accessibility review to leave beta phase.
Is there someone in the #fediverse who can help on #a11y?
Boosts 
highly appreciated!
codeberg.org/flohmarkt/flohmar…
Okay, this is a big one and ongoing effort. So definitely not doable in a single PR. Let's find accessiblity issues on flohmarkt: * not keyboard navigateable * not properly labeled for screenreaders * mediocre color contrast * more?Codeberg.org
Your home for news, podcasts and much more from NPR and local public radio.play.google.com
🎉 Limited Time Deals from @atguys 🎉
Don’t miss out on discounts through Dec. 4th on:
👉 Zoom Essentials line
👉 MEATER smart meat thermometers
👉 Keyboards
👉 Selvas SensePlayer
👉 Shokz OpenRun Pro
Shop now: atguys.com/collections/deals
Hey y’all, how’s it going? Quick question for those on Bluesky: I just started trying it out this morning, and it’s pretty cool so far. Are there any third-party apps you’d recommend that are more accessible? The official app is good, but I’m curious about other options out there. Let me know!
#Accessibility #Bluesky #ThirdPartyApps #BlindUsers #TechSupport
Just did the "Global Digital Accessibility Salary Survey" by #WebAim. Looking forward to the results!
If you want to participate, go here:
webaim.org/projects/salary/sur…
The link on the website shown after submitting the survey is wrong, by the way...
#a11y #accessibility #disability #survey #salary
There's an interesting #accessibility webinar next Tuesday by Funka on EN301549 requirements that go beyond WCAG.
Especially relevant for public sector bodies, which must fulfil EN301549 Annex A, some of which is beyond the scope of WCAG.
Free registration: us06web.zoom.us/webinar/regist…
#accessibility #standards #ElectronicAdministration #PublicSector #technology
A free 24-hour online community event on accessibility and inclusionInclusive Design 24 (#id24)
I'm happy to announce that I will be presenting about the #WebAlmanac for the December Boye & Co Member Call:
boye-co.com/groups/conference-…
Using the Web Almanac to Understand Trends with Mike Gifford
I will be talking about #CMS, #JavaScriptframeworks and of course #sustainability and #accessibility
10 December - Free with Registration
Today's Web Design Update: groups.google.com/a/d.umn.edu/… Subscribe info: d.umn.edu/itss/training/online… #Accessibility #A11y #WebDesign
Featuring @todd@a11y.info, @theaccessibilityguy, @TPGi, @ozewai, @ScopicEngineer, @codepo8, @medienbaecker, @shadeed9, @LFLegal, @heydon, @tbroyer, @jarango, @AlexDawsonUK, @InesAkrap, @mgifford, and more.
Web Design References: News and info about web design and development. The site advocates accessibility, usability, web standards and many related topics.www.d.umn.edu
I have emphasized numerous times in the past why you should not use #HCaptcha, especially in situations where equal access is vital. Their practices are not inclusive, locking out users who have no other way to access whatever the captcha protects. This blog post illustrates one of the scenarios: michaels.world/2023/11/i-was-b…
Here's to better captcha solutions in the future, or to indeed existing ones, such as mcaptcha.org/ #a11y #accessibility #blind #captcha
Also known as: why you shouldn't trust a company who makes their product intensionally inaccessible with allowing you an accessibility workaround Update: I've been informed that hCaptcha now has a text captcha option.Michael Taboada (The Blog of Michael Taboada)
I'm happy so many people liked my first article!
Now I wrote about why focus outlines deserve better treatment in web design, and how to make them both beautiful and accessible ✍️
medienbaecker.com/articles/foc…
#accessibility #webdev #webdesign #indieweb
Baker’s son turned web developer, kneading pixels and code for 15+ years. I help you bake your ideas into websites 🥨.Thomas Günther (medienbaecker.com)
Are you in Melbourne today? Come down to Statewide Vision Resource Centre in Donvale and see Sascha and Quentin, learn about what's new with NVDA, and check out everything else at SVRC's Tech Expo!
#NVDA #technology #accessibility
From 2023, but i only read it today: michaels.world/2023/11/i-was-b…
Also known as: why you shouldn't trust a company who makes their product intensionally inaccessible with allowing you an accessibility workaround Update: I've been informed that hCaptcha now has a text captcha option.Michael Taboada (The Blog of Michael Taboada)
@TPGi is looking for a Full-Time, Remote in US Accessibility Engineer. The core responsibility will be to Perform accessibility evaluations of web pages, desktop applications, mobile apps, and other emerging platforms. Interested? Please send your resume to Careers@TPGi.com.
#Jobs #A11yJobs #AccessibilityJobs #DigitalAccessibility #Accessibility #A11y
Accessibility Engineer Full-Time // Remote in US Primary Function The Accessibility Engineer will advise our clients on how to make their digital offerings conform with the standards of accessibility and...TPGi
Extended Reality (XR) experiences tend to focus on providing rich, visual content to convey information. But we need to consider how we convey the information in these experiences to people who can’t see them.TetraLogical
Finished @viscousplatypus’s “The Accessibility Operations Guidebook” this morning. Probably a good idea to read if you do digital accessibility and want to scale up your impact. I recommend.
This quote from a former independent consultant who has become an employee really lands.
Info on The Storygraph:
app.thestorygraph.com/books/82…
Buy (I did the Payhib ebook but read it on my Kobo; no Amazon in this house):
devonpersing.netlify.app/book/
![My kobo against an outdoor cafe table with a flat white behind it. The following interviewee quote is visible: “…defined. [But] when I get into an organization, when I find gaps, I just flow into them, I fill them, I try to address them, I call them out. I don't do very much of that anymore. I have a team now of three other people. Now I'm spending a lot of time dealing with management issues, running the team, which was a thing I said I never wanted to do when I joined. But the alternative was that I hire somebody else [who didn't have accessibility experience, to manage the team].”](https://fedi.ml/photo/preview/640/609523 "My kobo against an outdoor cafe table with a flat white behind it. The following interviewee quote is visible: “…defined. [But] when I get into an organization, when I find gaps, I just flow into them, I fill them, I try to address them, I call them out. I don't do very much of that anymore. I have a team now of three other people. Now I'm spending a lot of time dealing with management issues, running the team, which was a thing I said I never wanted to do when I joined. But the alternative was that I hire somebody else [who didn't have accessibility experience, to manage the team].”")
The accessibility field has a burnout problem. People get into this work to make accessible produ...app.thestorygraph.com
Some of the most common #accessibility issues I see in the shortlist of 300-400 sites (filtered from 10 million):
header, main, section, footer, and/or aside are what you typically want on the top-level, directly under body. main is the most important.h1 that titles the page, not your entire website. Don’t skip heading levels just to get smaller text. Don’t use headings for stylized text. A lower heading following a higher heading looks like a subtopic of the higher heading, not its own thing.prefers-reduced-motion.Link imperceptibility, missing landmarks, and heading misuse are really common.
A common nit-pick: lists of links (e.g. in nav) would benefit from ul or ol parents.
A common issue that isn’t exactly an accessibility issue: toggles like hamburger menus that require JS don’t work in the Tor Browser’s “safest” mode. I’m looking at simple websites that have no need to exclude anonymous visitors.
Good morning everyone! As you all know if you follow me, I'm a sighted dev whose focus is on accessibility for the blind. I got into the space of accessibility and learned how important it was because I joined an accessibility jam and got first hand experience speaking with blind gamers. So I'm inviting you to the type of jam that changed my outlook! So join the discord for "Games for blind gamers" and ask your questions!
discord.gg/tqQXqX8gEq
Check out the Games for Blind Gamers community on Discord - hang out with 183 other members and enjoy free voice and text chat.Discord
Today's Web Design Update: groups.google.com/a/d.umn.edu/… Subscribe info: d.umn.edu/itss/training/online… #Accessibility #A11y #WebDesign
Featuring @aardrian, @piccalilli, @yatil, @mgifford, @karlgroves, @seaotta, @jakelazaroff, @theadamsilver, @AlexDawsonUK, @gerrymcgovern, and more.
Web Design References: News and info about web design and development. The site advocates accessibility, usability, web standards and many related topics.www.d.umn.edu