Well now I know for sure my audio block for UK users is in place.

I'm so sorry.

The online Safety Act is disadvantaging disabled people. I'm allowed to publish my work in writing, but people who can't see to read it, can't access the audio.

Screen reader software is great. But for absorbed immersion, for true feeling, second best to your own pacing and imagination is the author's reading of their stuff. That's why I make audioporn. It's really upsetting.

#blind

i want to hear from people who use screen readers: what makes alt text useful to you? what doesn't help?

#accessibility #a11y #blind #alttext

Well now I know for sure my audio block for UK users is in place.

I'm so sorry.

The online Safety Act is disadvantaging disabled people. I'm allowed to publish my work in writing, but people who can't see to read it, can't access the audio.

Screen reader software is great. But for absorbed immersion, for true feeling, second best to your own pacing and imagination is the author's reading of their stuff. That's why I make audioporn. It's really upsetting.

#blind

i want to hear from people who use screen readers: what makes alt text useful to you? what doesn't help?

#accessibility #a11y #blind #alttext

RE: https://wetdry.world/@micr0/115804648175726731

NO NO NO

#WarAgainstAltbot

"the vision stuff"

#blind

Working as fediverse ambassador around the world. Doing my best, at least.
I wrote an e-mail to Fovionics, one of blind-dedicated smart glasses companies.
They have a Facebook group to join in, as a community service.
This is the text:
----
Hello, I joined the list of people interested in Fovionics smart glasses product, as a blind person working in tech environment. 
But I must be honest towards you: I don't like the facebook-only approach. 
True that Meta sells rayban which are very much used by blind people all over the world. But Facebook, Instagram and similar, are no longer caring about diversity-inclusion policies, their algorithms are promoting mostly far-right oriented contents, if you are a serious company you don't force people to join a third-party social network who decides what and when contents are shown. Even groups, algorithm decides to shadowban some contents.
I don't consider a good customer service when I'm forced to choose which social network to be in.
I'm in the Fediverse, Mastodon. If you run WordPress you even could become an instance yourself... https://jointhefediverse.net 
or, better, a forum based on Lemmy which can be accessed via web or followed via fediverse client.
Beyond facebook, there's the world. Goodbye.
----
I've received a reply where they said Facebook group is optional and they're working to include "more open technologies, including direct e-mail", they created Facebook group as many of their customers are in that platform.
I won't post their reply as I didn't ask for consent. And until someone doesn't explicitly say "share it", I never share others' words. With mine, I do what I want.
I have this goal, to help more blind people join federated platforms and the best way is involving companies who can mention fediverse in their newsletters. We can't rely on sites only, or worse on social networks. Newsletters, podcasts, places people attend. #fediverse #blind

Working as fediverse ambassador around the world. Doing my best, at least.
I wrote an e-mail to Fovionics, one of blind-dedicated smart glasses companies.
They have a Facebook group to join in, as a community service.
This is the text:
----
Hello, I joined the list of people interested in Fovionics smart glasses product, as a blind person working in tech environment. 
But I must be honest towards you: I don't like the facebook-only approach. 
True that Meta sells rayban which are very much used by blind people all over the world. But Facebook, Instagram and similar, are no longer caring about diversity-inclusion policies, their algorithms are promoting mostly far-right oriented contents, if you are a serious company you don't force people to join a third-party social network who decides what and when contents are shown. Even groups, algorithm decides to shadowban some contents.
I don't consider a good customer service when I'm forced to choose which social network to be in.
I'm in the Fediverse, Mastodon. If you run WordPress you even could become an instance yourself... https://jointhefediverse.net 
or, better, a forum based on Lemmy which can be accessed via web or followed via fediverse client.
Beyond facebook, there's the world. Goodbye.
----
I've received a reply where they said Facebook group is optional and they're working to include "more open technologies, including direct e-mail", they created Facebook group as many of their customers are in that platform.
I won't post their reply as I didn't ask for consent. And until someone doesn't explicitly say "share it", I never share others' words. With mine, I do what I want.
I have this goal, to help more blind people join federated platforms and the best way is involving companies who can mention fediverse in their newsletters. We can't rely on sites only, or worse on social networks. Newsletters, podcasts, places people attend. #fediverse #blind

Looks like vscode no longer announces the current line and character when hitting ctrl+g, at least when using NVDA. Anybody know if there's an alternative method to get the current position?
#nvda #nvaccess #vscode #blind

A severe #accessibility issue I've seen very few people talking about is the widespread adoption (in my country at least) of touch-only card payment terminals with no physical number buttons.

Not only do these devices offer no tactile affordances, but the on-screen numbers move around to limit the chances of a customer's PIN number being captured by bad actors. In turn, this makes it impossible to create any kind of physical overlay (which itself would be a hacky solution at best).

When faced with such a terminal, blind people have only a few ways to proceed:

* Switch to cash (if they have it);
* refuse to pay via inaccessible means;
* ask the seller to split the transaction into several to facilitate multiple contactless payments (assuming contactless is available);
* switch to something like Apple Pay (again assuming availability); or
* hand over their PIN to a complete stranger.

Not one of these solutions is without problems.

If you're #blind, have you encountered this situation, and if so how did you deal with it? It's not uncommon for me to run into it several times per day.

why do you think this is not being talked about or made the subject of action by blindness organisations? Is it the case that it disproportionately affects people in countries where alternative payment technology (like paying via a smart watch) is slower to roll out and economically out of reach for residents?

Accessibility, The Origin of Innovation: In this article, I will discuss the details of 10 innovations throughout history that were only possible through unlocking the power of accessibility and including the voices of people with disabilities. In the #disability community, it is a deeply believed and often repeated fact that improving #accessibility leads to innovations that improve the world for everyone. Necessity is the mother of invention is, after all, a proverb so frequently quoted that it has become a cliché. And yet, people with disabilities still find ourselves left out of research and design, and all too often we don’t get a seat at the product development table. This leaves our inventions overlooked, unrecognized, and sometimes unrealized. https://stuff.interfree.ca/2025/12/16/origins-of-accessibility.html
#a11y #InclusiveDesign #pwd #blind

Accessibility, The Origin of Innovation: In this article, I will discuss the details of 10 innovations throughout history that were only possible through unlocking the power of accessibility and including the voices of people with disabilities. In the #disability community, it is a deeply believed and often repeated fact that improving #accessibility leads to innovations that improve the world for everyone. Necessity is the mother of invention is, after all, a proverb so frequently quoted that it has become a cliché. And yet, people with disabilities still find ourselves left out of research and design, and all too often we don’t get a seat at the product development table. This leaves our inventions overlooked, unrecognized, and sometimes unrealized. https://stuff.interfree.ca/2025/12/16/origins-of-accessibility.html
#a11y #InclusiveDesign #pwd #blind

Okay this is wild. So there was this third-party screen reader for the Mac called Vosh. It's recently been picked up by some one who has had enough of Apple's neglect of the Mac and canned responses. And I understand that. But also I kinda want to ask why not Linux, but I understand that as well, that everything else they like about the Mac except the screen reader.

https://www.applevis.com/forum/app-development-programming/work-progress-vosh-third-party-screen-reader-macintosh

#accessibility #mac #blind #apple

#Blind friends. It is long since time we took our responsibilities far more seriously and ensured our #sighted friends are more aware of where they are, where they are going and even where it is they hope to get. Next time an over eager person with sight approaches you, stop and ensure they know where it is they are, which direction they are traveling and even if they know what their destination is. when you encounter one who does congratulate them and see them on their way. #blindtravel #a11y

Looks like vscode no longer announces the current line and character when hitting ctrl+g, at least when using NVDA. Anybody know if there's an alternative method to get the current position?
#nvda #nvaccess #vscode #blind

Okay this is wild. So there was this third-party screen reader for the Mac called Vosh. It's recently been picked up by some one who has had enough of Apple's neglect of the Mac and canned responses. And I understand that. But also I kinda want to ask why not Linux, but I understand that as well, that everything else they like about the Mac except the screen reader.

https://www.applevis.com/forum/app-development-programming/work-progress-vosh-third-party-screen-reader-macintosh

#accessibility #mac #blind #apple

Good day all! Fireside Fedi TODAY! Yes we're still on, internet was fixed, thank you Brightspeed techs!

Livestream: ⁨https://stream.firesidefedi.live⁩

Special Guest: @elettrona
#ally #accessibility #blind #wordporess #designer #hivawareness

Date & Time: 2025-12-02 1500 UTC-5

After the show:
⁨#Peertube⁩ ⁨#VOD⁩ - ⁨https://video.firesidefedi.live⁩
⁨#Castopod⁩ ⁨#Fedicast⁩ - ⁨https://audio.firesidefedi.live⁩

⁨#Youtube⁩ - ⁨https://www.youtube.com/@btfree_org⁩