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Items tagged with: Accessibility
Found a new way #WebDesigners are blocking #Accessibility.
Because I am legally #Blind, with less than 10 degrees of vision, I cannot visually solve #Captchas
Because I am mostly #Deaf, I cannot solve vocal Captchas.
Therefore, I added block and solve Captchas extensions to my browser.
On three major sites - I could no longer access, as they had added Captchas that bypassed the blockers!
FaceBook, Amazon, and Submittable do not allow Captcha blockers.
So, I had not been able to access those sites at all for a while.
When I found Submittable blocking me today, for the first time, I decided to turn off the Captcha blockers, as they obviously aren't working.
Instantly, Amazon and Submittable are working.
I haven't tried FaceBook.
#CaptchaBlockers are and #Accessibility need for blind, deaf, #DeafBlind, and multiple other disabilities. It is Disability Discrimination for sites to block Accessibility Access helpers.
I shouldn't need a sighted and hearing person, likely a stranger, to be given my login information, username and password, to log me into every site I need to go to every day!
#Tech people, please respect people with disabilities. Disable and Remove Captchas. Disable and Remove Block the Block Captchas extensions.
I wasted a lot of hours trying to figure out why suddenly I could not login to sites.
Hours because some tech people decided to break and block accessibility for a DeafBlind #Author!
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.
I think #Anki holds a great deal of potential for #blind learners of #languages and other subjects:
The desktop app uses Qt 6, so isn't entirely unusable. It's also fully open source.
The iOS app is extremely usable with VoiceOver, albeit relatively expensive for a mobile app at £24.99, and not open source.
The web interface is usable, but would currently cause people to think more about how to use it than the actual subject they were studying. Still, with some user scripting, it could be workable.
And finally, all Anki functionality is available via their Python library, which could be used in a command line app or more #accessible frontend.
Of course, the issue is always the time needed to take things from where they are now to where they need to be. And I suspect a significant challenge would be having screen readers speak/braille things in the correct language as hopefully declared by each flashcard.
Is it ironic (or just plain hypocritical) how the full legal text of the EAA directive is entirely structured with `<table>` markup (for content that isn't tabular, and it isn't declared as presentational).
#accessibility #a11y #eaa
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.
🌟 #Sharkvember excitement is in full swing with Freedom Scientific's **Next Big Thing** contest! Last year, the winning idea was all about AI-generated image descriptions—a game-changer for accessibility! 🎉🤖 This year, the competition's fierce, and it's anyone's guess what brilliant idea will take the crown. Will it be another AI marvel, or perhaps something totally unexpected? 🤔✨
Submissions are in soon, and on November 19th, finalists will showcase their visionary ideas for JAWS and ZoomText. I can't wait to see the creativity and innovation at play this year! 😍💡 The thrill of seeing our accessibility tools evolve is so inspiring. We might just see new features that transform how blind and low-vision users interact with the world! 🌐👀
Catch the live event and let’s cheer for these pioneers pushing the boundaries of tech! #NextBigThing #Accessibility #JAWS #ZoomText #Sharkvember2024 🦈💙
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
Open source: you all should use open source and private services because we’re not a corporation out to exploit you or your data.
Disabled users: hey, your registration edit field is not labeled so I can’t use my adaptive technology to register or even use your platform. Could you fix it, because, right now, the mainstream/corporate offering has taken accessibility more seriously and I’d rather use a tool/service that I won’t need to struggle with in order to operate.
Open source: what exactly do you expect? We can’t be expected to make things accessible for you, so you can either fork it yourself or just not use our software/services. We’re a small team and corporation has more money than we do so they can devote more time and effort to accessibility. You can always fork the project though and make accessibility yourself!
Disabled user: well, I can’t code, so it looks like I don’t have any other choice but to go back to using this corporate offering that at least took the time to label their registration field correctly and actually took my request more seriously. Oh well, maybe open source tools just aren’t for me.
TL;DR:
1. Probably don’t add `` without guidance from a copywriter.
2. Probably don’t add `` to foreign words without expert guidance.
3. Probably don’t add `` to URLs, email addresses, code blocks, etc.
4. Probably restrict `<wbr>` to URLs, email addresses, code blocks, and similar where technical accuracy is key.
5. Probably restrict `<wbr>` to before periods and dashes and maybe slashes in URLs and emails.
#accessibility #a11y #css #html
@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.
Reading the manual of my new #Shearwater dive computer before class, as one does, and I noticed a note "Color Blind Users:"
The warning or critical warning states can
be determined without the use of color
Color blind users
Warnings display
on a solid inverted
background
Critical Warnings flash
between inverted and
normal text
The note is illustrated with gray scale pictures.
I'm not color blind (that I know about), but I appreciate the attention to #accessibility.
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.
Reminder: new home for the Inclusive Design Principles
inclusivedesignprinciples.info… the old domain has lapsed and now advertises gambling 😑
📢 *AI-generated podcasts aren't here to replace human creativity* 🎙️—they're enhancing accessibility, especially for people like me who learn best by listening. As a blind student, tools like NotebookLM turning PDFs into podcasts help me absorb material more effectively. 🎧 It’s about *learning in a way that works for you*, not replacing the personal touch of traditional podcasts. 🧠💡
#Accessibility #AI #AIforAccessibility #Podcasts #Blind #AIAccessibility #LearningTools #NotebookLM
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…
A complex and challenging case in accommodations, accessibility and creating healthy, respectful and effective inclusive workplaces.
For all of interested and engaged in accessibility and disability inclusion rights, it will be important and to follow this one through the legal processes.