The framing of accessibility as a leadership conversation is overdue. Forbes is covering it now, with practitioners and investors weighing in. This is the shift from "legal compliance box to check" to competitive advantage and brand value. Worth reading if you're making the case to stakeholders who don't get it yet.
#accessibility #leadership #a11y
accessibility
Please do not put links in the AltText. Just put them in your text.
They don't work as links there, and are read out loud character for character by screen readers, which is an assault on people's ears.
#Accessibility & #Disability accounts to follow:
WRITING
@WeirdWriter (main) & @weirdwriter@makertube.net (audio & video) - Writer, blogger, advocate for accessibility
HISTORY
@BlindHistoryLady - Historian based in US writing on blind individuals from various periods
FILMS & TV
@index - Film news, reviews written by disabled journalist
@socialaudiodescription.com - Collective producing high quality audio description for TV, films, videos etc
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And again, the world shows that our accessibility needs don't matter, but when loser nerds need them, The Web Is Being Made Accessible for AI, Not People https://www.techpolicy.press/the-web-is-being-made-accessible-for-ai-not-people/ #Accessibility #A11y #AI #LLM
Edited 86d ago
When creating a new #GitHub organization, they populate it with default labels. Very recently they added #Accessibility as one of them. So, anybody who creates an organization, has accessibility as default label for their issues in all repositories. Nice job, GitHub, I appreciate!
RE: https://social.coop/@scottjenson/117473614309131678
I mainly use third party clients but who in the #Accessibility space played with this yet?
So Google showed off a new feature on their Android keyboard where you can use ASL for dictation. On paper it seems very useful, but when I stopped to think about it it didn't make much sense to me.
Voice dictation has advantages over typing in that it's faster (albeit with less control over the exact transcribed text), and can be done with one hand or sometimes even hands free without looking at the screen. Meanwhile the new ASL dictation is still faster with less control, but seemingly requires three hands (one of them can be a mount) and to look at the screen while you use both hands for signing. In what situations would this be better than typing?
Can I get any thoughts on this from any deaf/mute people? Or even from hearing/voiced people who use voice dictation, as I almost never use that feature. It's entirely possible I missed something, but my current analysis is that it's yet another flashy yet ultimately useless feature.
#Accessibility #A11y #Deaf #Mute #Google #Android #ASL #Gboard #SignLanguage
Okay people, new instance, new #Introduction!
I'm Andre, a (mostly) backend software engineer and accessibility specialist from Ukraine living in Strasbourg, France.
I'm married and happy, we have two cats.
My main interests are #Technology, #Books, #Music, #Languages, #Accessibility.
I'm blind from birth, if it matters (it may, because I will ask for image descriptions if you send me images without alt text).
My operating system of choice is #Windows, my AI coding assistant is #ClaudeCode, my smart speaker assistant is #AmazonAlexa.
I use my phone far more seldom than 99% of you, preferring my laptop.
I love various kinds of music, especially renaissance and traditional folk music of most peoples of the world.
I'm Pagan, but I revere Jesus christ and his Mother Mary (it might sound complicated, so ask if interested, I'm open to such discussions), so Christians won't see any blasphemy in my posts.
I like talking politics also, but in our times it becomes tougher and tougher, as many people tend to take bold actions if you disagree with them politically. Long story short: I'm pro-Occidental, pro-American, pro-European, leaning right.
I'm in the beginning of develloping our small business (together with my wife, of course). We have some smaller pieces of software and libraries, also my wife has finished a hexalogy (six-book series) of fantasy novels, for now in Russian, but I hope we'll find ways to translate at least into English and French.
That was long already, so ask for more. Oh yeah, I'm a language nerd!
Big news! 🎉
Earshot Podcasts was officially approved by Apple and launched on Wednesday!
I've been a little quiet because #ACB2026 has kept me busy, but I wanted to take a moment to say thank you to everyone who tested early versions of the app. Your feedback, bug reports, and ideas helped make this launch possible.
If you haven't checked it out yet, I'd love for you to give it a try and let me know what you think.
Download Earshot Podcasts:
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/earshot-podcasts/id6770760602
Thank you again to everyone who helped get us here. This is just the beginning.
Someone asked me the other day if #accessibility has been getting better over the last years.
I feel that's a difficult question to answer. Relatively speaking, maybe, in some aspects, yes it has.
But if I'm brutally honest, better does by no means mean good.
Right now, I'd say accessibility as a whole can be described thusly:
People have, on a whole, felt largely ignored and essentially akin to a dog begging for scraps at the dinner table. Maybe every so often someone somewhere decides to do something, but in general, accessibility is ignored, deprioritized, devalued and at times derided by those who should often know better.
Accessibility is in a state where people would rather use a planet-destroying, ethically questionable slot machine to fix things, because the human slot machine of getting people to care has far worse odds and requires far more effort with often nothing to show for it.
And yet, that probably is still better than a decade ago.
My good friend Jennissary is streaming Marvel's Wolverine! Jennissary was the producer and one of three script writers for the audio description for the game! Come in and ask her all your questions :)
If any of my #France #Accessibility people have weight here, make sure they require #Disability support because to a lot of the open source community, disability access is a feature, not a right. These corporations software are more disability friendly France ditches Microsoft for Linux to achieve digital sovereignty – and it's not the only one! | Tuta https://tuta.com/blog/countries-ditching-microsoft-choosing-linux-digital-sovereignty #OpenSource #Linux
I believe that the #accessibility of everyday tech for #screenReader users is on a slow but consistent decline. Operating systems, browsers, messaging apps, email clients, even command line tools.
These things are not being replaced with more #accessible alternatives, but nor does the investment exist to stop the rot within the current options.
This in itself is concerning, particularly as it mirrors tech trends more broadly. But what I worry about quite a bit is what it does for user expectations.
What happens when generations of people grow up with inefficient keyboard access models, faux desktop apps, and a thousand tiny papercuts here and there? When the new baseline is worse than it was before, it takes that bit more effort to imagine and advocate for best rather than just better.
Steam just added screen reader support in the latest Big Picture Mode beta. On the Deck. On SteamOS. On Linux.
Not hacked in. Not community-patched. Built-in. From Valve.
There's an accessibility tab. There's a screen reader. There's high-contrast mode, UI scaling, color filters, reduced motion, and more.
I can’t believe I’m saying this but: I need a Steam Deck now.
Accessibility isn’t just coming to gaming — it’s here, and it’s official.
Let’s make some noise so they keep going.
🔗 https://www.theverge.com/games/689922/steam-is-adding-screen-reader-support-and-other-accessibility-tools
#Accessibility #Gaming #SteamDeck #ScreenReader #Linux #valve edit: because this post was getting some more traction, it's worth pointing out I've heard nothing further on this since this announcement.
Edited 52d ago
If you really want to tell disabled people to use an open source or alternative thing instead of the proprietary thing, you better make damn well sure that open source or alternative thing is at least screen reader friendly as a bare minimum when it comes to disability access if you're the developer.
If you're a user of the open source or alternative thing, encourage the developer to do better than the proprietary developers on all disability developments, even when the developer tries to make the excuse that they are not a large corporation and can't afford the accessibility developments.
If you can't figure out why disable people continue to use proprietary thing when open source or alternative thing exist, shut the fuck up and do a lot more reading instead of replying.
Update from the nursing home. My gastroparesis is flaring again and the facility can't provide liquid nutrition. I've been asking since Saturday. The dietician thought I meant broth. The doctor didn't let me explain. They keep bringing me solid food I can't eat.
My mom brought medical food shakes from home that work, but I'm out and she can't keep supplying them. My SSI check this month is $30 because the nursing home takes the rest. That doesn't cover my phone bill, let alone the AI tools I use to function, or medical food if we have to keep buying it ourselves.
If the nursing home can't feed me, my mom may have to pull me out, which could derail the group home placement we've been working toward.
If you can help, here's the link: https://gofund.me/56352d472
If you can't donate, sharing helps. Thank you.
#Disability #Gastroparesis #ChronicIllness #Accessibility #DisabledWriter #NursingHome #MedicalNutrition
I WILL NOT BE BULLIED 💎
I received a vicious reply today because I use AI. It wasn't a disagreement. Nor a criticism. It was a full-frontal personal attack! And I’ll admit it affected me more than I expected.
I USE AI MAINLY BECAUSE I'M PARALYSED.
Typing is physically difficult for me. I have the use of only one hand. So, tapping out a post or email with one finger is exhausting. Voice and AI help me turn my own thoughts into usable writing in a normal amount of time.
THAT SHOULD NOT REQUIRE A DEFENCE.
You can dislike AI. You can distrust it. You can argue about copyright concerns, energy and water use, labour, culture, or anything else that concerns you. I will listen to you and answer you.
But attacking people simply for using AI is not principled.
IT'S BULLYING.
And disabled people should not have to produce a medical justification every time they use a technology that makes their life easier.
AI is a tool. How it is used matters. Who gets harmed matters. Context matters. What does not help is turning “AI user” into a moral accusation and deciding that cruelty is suddenly acceptable.
I’m quite happy to discuss the technology with anyone.
HOWEVER, I WILL NOT BE BULLIED FOR USING IT.
I didn't need to do anything about the attack. Before I could even decide how to respond, both the post and the person disappeared from my notifications.
@3goodthings @DigitalCoup @meditation @economics_that_works @startrek
#AI #Accessibility #Disability #AssistiveTechnology #Fediverse #Bullying #PWD #Tool
YachtSinkers!, our accessible game about orcas sinking billionaire yachts, is done!
https://peterdrake.itch.io/yachtsinkers
#GameDev #orca #accessibility #a11y #blind #deaf #BlindGamer
I’m not sure if anybody orders from Jimmy John’s, but there website was a breeze to order from, screen reader wise. I’m the kind of person that places a delivery order for almost a week in advance or days in advance and I would say that is an exemplary website on how to make it successfully accessible with the screen reader. Even on mobile devices, it was not painful. #WebDev #Accessibility #A11y
Thinking about launching an accessibility overlay with the most honest feature set of any on the market.
When the widget comes into focus, it just turns into the baby emoji and makes a soft whimpering noise while sobbing “Please don’t sue me.”
Edited 72d ago
PROGRESS FOR WHOM? 💎
There is something almost completely missing from the public argument about AI.
PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES.
We talk endlessly about jobs, electricity, lazy students, creativity and billionaires. Meanwhile, something much quieter is happening.
AI IS GIVING PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES LOST PARTS OF THEIR LIVES BACK.
I am disabled following a stroke, so this is not abstract for me. I’m always happy to discuss my own experience, but this post is about what AI is making possible for people around the world.
For someone with impaired vision, AI with video glasses can describe surroundings in real time, read labels and signs, identify objects and people, and explain documents.
Someone who struggles to speak can get help communicating. Someone who cannot hear can have speech transcribed. Someone with dyslexia can have dense writing explained. Someone with cognitive difficulties can ask for instructions one step at a time, as often as needed, without embarrassment. Someone with limited mobility can rely more on speech than keyboards, mice and touchscreens. Someone who cannot easily leave home can still learn, create, participate and communicate.
And yes, there is another one we seem almost frightened to mention.
LONELINESS.
AI can talk to someone who is alone. No, that does not mean replacing human beings. A telephone did not replace friendship either. It means that at three in the morning, or during a long day when nobody visits, there can be a voice answering back. For an isolated elderly or disabled person, that is not trivial.
THEN THERE IS PRIVACY.
Every time technology lets someone do something without asking another person for help, a little independence and dignity returns. And we have barely started.
Give AI reliable eyes and ears. Let it operate computers without keyboards and mice. Connect it safely to homes, vehicles and eventually robots capable of fetching, cleaning, cooking, navigating, dressing and helping with personal care.
ISN'T THAT WHAT WE WANT TECHNOLOGY FOR?
We are not only talking about clever chatbots.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT INDEPENDENCE.
I understand the concerns about AI. Some are serious and deserve serious answers. But when deciding what this technology is worth, do not measure it only in jobs lost, electricity consumed or dollars made.
ASK WHAT IT GIVES BACK TO PEOPLE WHO HAVE HAD THINGS TAKEN AWAY BY DISABILITY.
For some people, the AI revolution is not waiting in the future.
IT HAS ALREADY BEGUN.
@3goodthings @DigitalCoup @meditation @economics_that_works @disability @pwd @joinin
#Disability #Accessibility #AssistiveTechnology #AI #DigitalAccessibility #Independence #Inclusion #PWD
My GitHub Sponsors profile is finally live! 🎉
I'm Demir, a blind developer from Serbia and a JAWS user for 20 years. I'm building the Ultra Creative Suite: open-source video, audio and photo tools designed to work equally well for blind and sighted users.
Support starts at $3/month: https://github.com/sponsors/demirajvazi10-max
Boosts help just as much! #Accessibility #A11y #Blind #ScreenReader #OpenSource
(Drafted with AI assistance)
I built ClearWave Cast Player — a screen reader–first iOS app. Import podcasts via OPML, stream global radio, play offline MP3s. No subscriptions, no ads. Built by a blind dev, for accessible audio. Try it: https://testflight.apple.com/join/RVpsHcMf
#blind #accessibility #a11y #podcast
I'm looking for recommendations for someone who is #blind (0% vision) and doesn't have a computer (so, using their phone - specifically, an iPhone).
They're looking for a way to publish texts or blog posts. They tried and were very disappointed by substack and tumblr.
And also potentially a Mastodon client.
Is there anything I should or even could recommend them?
RT appreciated!
Edited to add that they were using an iPhone, since I realized after the fact that this mattered a lot.
Edited 56d ago
Recently I learned about TouchMapper: Create tactile maps easily for any address.
They use #OpenStreetMap to create printable 3D models of an area, for people with no/bad vision to literally get a feel for the place.
I love the initiative!
#maps #accessibility #inclusion #vision #3dprinting #AwesomeStuff