Accessible Aesthetics

[Image Description: Avatar showing a white acessiblity symbol against a light purple background. End Image Description]. This is a blog that strives to make its content accessible. I take requests too! Let me know if you need an image or video described. I'm also happy to do audio transcriptions.

[accessibleaesthetics]

I have a lot of resources and references on my blog alongside the aesthetics. But I wanted to highlight a few resources in particular here for those who don't feel like going through my tags.

For the Casual Blogger or Generally Curious:

Why Write Image Descriptions?

How Screen Readers Read Content

How to censor words without messing it up for screen readers

Accessible Revamps (blog theme)

Accessible (3.0) (blog theme)

Accessibility-Related Google Chrome Extensions

How to make the colors on your mobile theme accessible

For Image, Video, and Audio Describers/Transcribers:

I see an image and want to describe it: a step by step guide

All About Image Descriptions (with lots of examples!)

People's Accessibility Discord Server Info Post

How to write an image description

Writing Alt Text

text alternatives are about the purpose of the image, not about every little detail

Guidelines for Creating Image Descriptions

Cooper Hewitt Guidelines for Image Description

Free Online OCR Website

OCR Space

a11ies.info

For Developers and Content Creators:

WebAIM

Dos and don'ts on designing for accessibility

How to Make Your Art Accessible

How to Make Your Stimboards Accessible

Making Your Games Accessible

Tips on making comics accessible

HTML Accessibility

Color Contrast Tools

How to Write Alt Text for Digital Comics

Accessibility in the Arts: A Promise and a Practice

Accessibility Options for Online Businesses

For Writers:

Making Your Blog More Accessible For Your Readers

Sensitivity Readers (blog)

Resources For Writing Deaf, Mute, or Blind Characters

Comprehensive guide to writing deaf characters

Tips on hearing aids and writing them

What is Legal Blindness?

Personal Accounts from Legally Blind People

Writing characters with one eye

Writing Blind Characters

Writing a Blind or Visually Impaired Character

A Characterisation/Writing Guide - Autism and ADHD

BPD videos

Disability in fanfiction: a few thoughts

Writing a disabled character who is frustrated with their limitations

Free resources for various sign languages

For Roleplayers:

Trimming Posts with XKit Rewritten

Writing Blind/Visually Impaired Characters in TTRPGs

Running RPGs with the Deaf and Hard-of Hearing

[marian-devotee]

I took my little brother (autistic, mostly non verbal) out and he was using his voice keyboard to tell me something, and this little boy (maybe 4 or 5?) heard him and asked me "Is he a robot??" I tried to explain to him that no, he isn't a robot, he just communicates differently, but my darling brother was in the background max volume "I am robot I am robot I am robot I am robot"

[accessibleaesthetics]

Very Silly Concept: a show called "Accessibility Nightmares" but it's structured exactly like Kitchen Nightmares. An accessibility specialist goes to different establishments and helps them make their businesses more accessible.

The accessibility specialist asks why the door at the top of the small set of stairs has a wheelchair symbol on it. The owner replies that's the accessible bathroom. The camera zooms in on the specialist as they process this information.

A customer with a service dog comes in to a restaurant. The hostess tells them they don't allow dogs. The accessibly specialist looks over at the hostess like

And there are web accessibility episodes too. The accessibility specialist stares at the white text on the light pink background of the home page like

The specialist asks why not a single product picture has alt text, and the business owner says "Well I mean, it's makeup, why would a blind person be shopping for makeup?" The specialist just

The specialist asks the web designer how a screen reader user is supposed to complete the captcha portion of the password reset process when there is no audio alternative. The designer admits they don't know.

[accessibleaesthetics]

#this post has 10k notes to me

When you left this tag three days ago, I thought "that's so sweet, but no. No way this concept is even close to that popular."

[undefinedadult]

This and also the "My cat from hell" show but about Autistic Children and someone comes in and tells them "it's your fault your kids melting down, just don't force them to hug you, why are you filming them?!?!"

*this was not my idea but I can't find the OG post about it! If someone finds it please drop the link!*

[accessibleaesthetics]

Oh my god YES

[rikaklassen]

In addition to Pride, it's also Deafblind Awareness Month. Remember to add alt text and video transcripts to your pictures and videos. Thank you!

[accessibleaesthetics]

Friendly reminder to all my US and UK people who take SSRIs, those meds can increase your sensitivity to heat. Take it slow and be extra cautious because this summer is kicking off with its first heatwave already.

[breelandwalker]

Beating The Heat On The Cheap

For all my European darlings who are suffering through this horrible heat wave, my American friends who don't always have access to air conditioning, and anyone else who needs it....

Here are some tips on how to survive the heat of summer at home when you have next to no money and only household basics to work with.

(I'd love it if readers would reblog this and add their own ideas - people need all the help they can get right now!)

Stay hydrated. This is the most important thing. You're going to sweat a LOT and your body needs that replenished as often as possible. Drink WATER as much as possible and cold is best. Soda won't cut the mustard and sports drinks may replenish your electrolytes, but they are not meant for subsistence. If you need to flavor your water to make it more palatable, do it. And I know cold tea is anathema to some, but a glass of sweet or citrusy iced tea might be just the thing to get you through.

Wear loose, breezy clothing. I know the instinct is to wear your smallest, briefest summer garments, but sometimes wearing something larger, looser, and flowy helps to cool you down. The movement of the fabric creates a little bit of a breeze to draw heat away from your skin and helps all that sweating actually cool you down.

Draw the shades. If you have curtains or blinds or window shades, cover the windows, especially on the sunny side of your home. Shading the place will help keep the heat out, at least a little.

Use fans and appliances judiciously. Keep the air moving. I know sometimes it's just blowing hot air around, but it's better than stagnating. Also if you have an exhaust fan above your stove, USE IT. Draw off some of that heat from your cooking and for the love of all things holy, try not to use the oven. (Also, if you're not using your desktop computer or gaming system, unplug it for a while - those things generate a lot of heat!)

Eat cool and light. Try to avoid making meals that are going to heat up the house. If you can, make cold meals or use the microwave instead of the stovetop or oven. If you have an outdoor grill, use that for the evening meal instead of the stove. Also, if you have a blender handy, smoothies are a great way to cool down and also get in a few servings of fruit or vegetables.

Swamp coolers are your friend. If you've got a towel, a drink cooler, a bag of ice, and a box fan, you can make a homemade swamp cooler as well. Put the towel on the floor and the drink cooler on top. Fill the cooler with ice and position the fan so that it's blowing over and around the open cooler from less than two feet away. Elevate it on a box or chair if necessary. This isn't going to cool your entire home, but it can cool a small space and provides a little relief. Just be aware that there will be some sweating from the cooler and you'll need to replace the ice after a while. (The meltwater may be good for watering the garden or doing the washing up though.)

Cold showers take the edge off of many things. At the end of the day, take a shower that's a few degrees cooler than body temperature. Even if you don't do a full scrub or wash your hair, get in and sluice down, or use a pitcher of room-temperature water to give yourself a rinse. This helps your whole body cool down, cleans off the sweat of the day so you don't get breakouts, and helps you sleep cooler and less sticky. (Also, try sleeping under the duvet cover without the duvet inside to stay cooler at bedtime. And definitely have a fan in the bedroom.)

Make some homemade cold spray. This is something I used to make for camping trips. In a spray bottle, combine tap water and aloe gel in about equal measure. Then, if you have it, add 2-3 drops of peppermint essential oil. Shake to combine. You can store the bottle in the fridge when you're at home or tuck it into your bag if you're out and about. A few spritzes on the chest or the back of the neck helps immensely. (Don't spray it on your face or near your eyes. If you have any allergy or sensitivity to peppermint, leave the essential oil out.)

Keep reusable ice packs in the freezer. These can be a lifesaver. They're a quick way to cool down during the day, by cuddling or leaning against while sitting. If you can't find ice packs, fill a freezer bag 3/4 full of ice water with half a cup of rubbing alcohol, squeeze out the air before closing, and reinforce the seams and edges with duct tape. In an emergency when nothing else is working, or if someone starts to overheat, take an ice pack and put it under the arm. There's a whole host of major circulatory vessels in that area and it's a fast way to bring down body temp if someone's in trouble or while you're waiting for emergency services.

Please feel free to add your own tips and stay safe out there!

[discount-supervillain]

[accessibleaesthetics]

You know, I've found that the more concise an anti-AI statement is, the more ableism tends to be baked into it.

Because there are anti-AI arguments that are not built on ableism. They just tend to be a lot more wordy and nuanced. And people who like to make sweeping statements get really defensive when you point out all the people they are leaving out.

"Well I didn't mean those uses, I meant—"

Then say it. Say what you mean. Stop moralizing entire technologies and start targeting practices you claim to mean.

[fishbonesart]

Care for a drink?

[pocketss]

houseplant type friend

[disasterhimbo]

[ID: a comic in which two characters, an elf and a dryad, are in a library with towering bookshelves. The dryad is a muddy green color, and their hair strongly resembles dying plant leaves, wilting with big brown spots around the edges, holes in them, and small pieces falling off.

The elf is standing near a table with a lantern, holding a book, and says, “Woahh Pips, check it out, this book is all about dryads!” The dryad approaches the elf and responds, “OMG meee!!”

With the dryad looking over her shoulder, the elf says, “This is so cool! I guess I’ve never seen any other dryads before.”

The next three panels each show different spreads of the book, depicting lush green dryads, and are each devoted to a single word: “just,” “uh,” “you.”

The last of these three panels has the book surrounded by illustrations of lush green dryads and shows the elf and dryad characters small in the corner, at which point the viewer becomes acutely aware that Pips looks very different than the illustrations.

The elf raises an eyebrow asks, “Pips, do you drink enough water?” Pips responds “Pfff, no…” as the elf looks over at them. The dryad looks like they’re trying to act chill as dried bits of their leaf hair continue to fall off.

End ID.]

[longingforrotkehlchen]

I just thought they're very cute.

Kolbenenten (red-crested pochards) am Max-Eyth-See, Mühlhausen.

[footlongdingledong2]

[saqnupuas]

I'm the master of me, and isn't the thought enough to lift me off of the ground?

[saltygempearl]

[Image Description: Pearl from Steven Universe in her final form, wearing her jacket and smiling. End Image Description.]

[accessibleaesthetics]

Hey, I know I try to keep politics out of this blog most of the time, but if anyone voted in North Carolina this past election, check the Griffin List to see if your ballot is one being contested.

[discount-supervillain]

[celesse]

Welcome Spring 🌼🐰🌼

[camilicy]

Its me and the rats running my life 🐭

[accessibleaesthetics]

[Image Description: Cartoon illustration of rats in varying shapes and sizes. The word "Camilicy" is written amongst the rats in very light tan font. End Image Description.]