Sometimes I can't help but wonder whether some large fraction of product designers actively hate people with low vision. For example, I just had to take a photo and use zoom and image enhancement to determine that this Keurig pod is decaffeinated.
If I were Empress of Earth, I would allow only vision-impaired people to work as product or UX designers.
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.
#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).
Looks like I'm likely to lose a summer teaching gig because I won't/can't commute to a campus to teach in person. I managed to hold a fairly well-attended and well-received online-only course for two years but the organization is pushing hard to eliminate online teaching.
I am a low-vision person and cannot legally drive a car. This campus is far enough away from me that even if I wanted to I could not commute there(1). This mad push to make everything in-person again has numerous consequences for #accessibility, even for relatively privileged people like me.
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
Order Free At-Home COVID-19 Tests for Blind or Low Vision People
As of September 25, 2023, you can place another order for one set of #12 free at-home tests with enhanced accessibility for blind or low vision people, while supplies last.
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.
Q for #Blind / #lowVision / #visuallyImpaired folks / #screenReader users: are any of these styles (in poll below) preferred as a way to add emphasis to words in plain text? Wondering which if any of these are communicated effectively while also not being irritating.
Please DO NOT vote based on visual aesthetic preference!!
👁️ How Does Reflowing Content Affect People With Screen Magnification?
"People using screen magnification software may experience problems when navigating a website. Part of that is down to the magnification software itself, but part of it is how content flows on the website."
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.
I thought it couldn't get any worse, but the Instagram website, specifically the direct messaging chats list, has gone even further down the accessibility toilet. As of now, my screen reader cannot see chats that I know exist. Particularly frustrating as fellow students and student groups use Instagram direct messaging religiously.
Want cities that are more easily navigated by short walks and public transportation? Sounds like a win for the blind & disabled communities. This NPR article lays out how NIMBY'ism and conspiracy theories are threatening to derail efforts to make cities less dependent on car travel.
Anyone else noticing how conspiracy theories pop up whenever someone wants to change the status quo?
Link: https://www.npr.org/2023/10/08/1203950823/15-minute-cities-climate-solution
How do you feel about duplicate links in articles, blogs, whatever? Meaning: A certain word is a link (let's say "HEALTH") leading to an external website.
Would it annoy you if this word was always a link and it's mentioned for example 20 times in an article? Or would you rather have it only once to make it easier to scan for links?
This is an excellent guide about the different types of white canes available to assist blind and low vision people. They cover what is available, how & why to use each type.
Produced by charity Henshaws. #blind#lowvision https://youtu.be/v6I5D98AKj0?si=6c4Jq1cKK7WwDVlK
The podcast by @blindguyschat is always a good listen. Delighted to hear @TimDixon82 on the latest edition.
Tim, I hear what you say about not having enough hands when using a cane + bags + phone etc. I've recently started using a short cane.
I use a backpack so I decided to clip the elastic cord of my cane to the backpack, using a quick release carabiner. When I temporarily run out of hands, I can let go of my cane and it hangs conveniently in place. Worth a try maybe? #blind#lowvision
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