If any of you have #LowVision#accessibility needs AND use the #DarkReader browser extension (unlikely i admit) I've filed a ticket for it's poor handling of large fonts.
whenever using sirens and lights, emergency vehicles (ambulances, fire apparatuses, etc.) ALWAYS have the right-of-way. Be hypervigilant when crossing streets. PAY ATTENTION! Do NOT cross when sirens are barreling towards you. They likely cannot stop/swerve in time to avoid hitting you. Do NOT be the person who learns this fact the hard way.
PS: I am physically fine. Deeply shaken, but am not hurt. I have no idea how, but I somehow tuned out the siren coming at me until someone yelled for me to stop crossing. Had I not heard the person yelling, I likely would have been hit and at the verry least seriously injured. In other words, I made a serious mistake that could have killed me. I still don't know how I did it. I am posting this in the hope that this does not happen to someone else. Please, learn from my mistake.
A busy day at all British henge sites, as staff work to move the stones forward an hour. Twice a year the stones at Avebury are moved for Daylight Saving Time.
Haha! @imalcolm, I knew they weren't actually moving the standing stones for Daylight Savings, but I had no idea the huge "towed" rock was a trick of perspective, thank you! It is an even cooler photo now. This is what comes of someone with #LowVision (and living in the US, home to way too many absurdly large trucks) writing image descriptions.
A total solar eclipse will move across the U.S. on Monday, April 8. People who are blind or visually impaired will be able to experience it as they grow colder and hear birdsong change along with the dimming light, but much of the effect is visual. Planetary scientists Cassandra Runyon and David Hurd have written a guide called “Getting a Feel for Eclipses,” which has tactile graphics that illustrate the paths of the 2017, 2023 and 2024 eclipses. They write for @TheConversationUS about why they made it, and how it works.
What is the sound of an eclipse? For Atlas Obscura, Sara Mellas writes about the LightSound Project, which was started by astronomers and engineers in 2017 and uses a sonification device to sense light changes and translate them into flute, clarinet and bassoon tones, as well as percussive clicks. The original objective was to serve the blind and low-vision community. Listen to their "Symphony of Light" here, and learn more about how you can build your own LightSound sonification device.
Every time I pull out my BrailleNote Touch Plus, I'm reminded of how pitifully stagnated blindness-related products are compared to mainstream systems. Turns out I can no longer install Box because HumanWare has backed themselves into a corner and will not be updating past Android 8.1. This would not be a big deal... except for the fact that it's the only #Braille display I have at the moment, and literally every BRF file I need at Eastman is stored in Box. Way to keep up with the times, guys. /s
Is anyone out there using accessibility apps with Mastodon? After having a sudden vision loss I'm looking for experts for Voice Over and Spoken Content on the Apple platform. Yes I know about Apple's YouTube videos but I have questions about my own system that aren't answered. For instance, can you use their screen reading software on non-Apple apps like Firefox? I've always been a techie but so much depends on having vision. #accessibility#lowvision
@Jude_theone479001 Hello. You should be able to use VoiceOver with the Firefox browser, yes, however your best experience will likely be had with Safari. Not ideal if you are a Mozilla fan, but given that Safari and voiceover are developed by the same company, the experience is more refined. Also, please feel free to tag #LowVision, #Blind, #BlindMasto, #BlindMastodon, #BlindFedi, and @mastoblind whenever you post blindness or low vision related questions. Your posts have a much higher chance of getting noticed that way.
We agree completely - accessibility is an essential human right, no question!
We deeply apologize...
Accessibility has always been a first-order priority for us. It's important as well to not see such essential feature sets as binary - an either "have" or "don't have", and our intention today was to receive feedback on whether we're currently excelling in these areas or if you, our dear users, feel we can do even better.
From all of us in Bits we send to everyone warmest wishes for joy filled and nourishing holidays and comfort to those who need that as well to buoy your heart, soul, and spirit; and a happy and healthy New Year to come. For more about tech from a #Blind and #LowVision perspective come and join us at http://www.joinbits.org
#WebAim#Screenreader survey is open until January 31, 2024. If you're a Screenreader user or know someone who is, ask them if they want to participate.
I always found the results very interesting, especially when it came to headings / heading levels. It helped to make a point why this is so important (and easy to implement and fix).