#accessiblity

[left-lateral-incisor]

Hey, so this update also causes accessibility issues.

Often, when people have undescribed media in their posts, people will reblog with a description in a comment and ask the OP to edit the description into their post. Great, right?

Except if the OP won't see anything not reblogged from the original post, there is no chance they'll be able to edit the description in. And if the new etiquette becomes to avoid adding commentary in reblogs, describers may come under fire for accessibility.

I genuinely hate this update so much.

[herbal--fuckery]

Don’t put typing quirks in alt text or I’ll explodify you <3 (heart)

[weirdstrangeandawful]

You know what I’ve never understood? When you ask if a building is wheelchair accessible and they’re like ‘oh yeah! We have a stairlift!’

I asked wheelchair accessible, not just accessible to someone somewhere. Ignoring the fact that most stairlifts are the most frustrating instruments on the planet, they are tools for someone who can walk on flat ground (maybe with some supports) but can’t climb stairs. They are all but useless for a wheelchair user. Someone would have to carry the wheelchair up the stairs (and down again) without damaging it which, depending on the chair can be impossible.

The only possible situation I could see this being at all usable is if you had wheelchair on every floor and could safely transfer that many times.

[weirdstrangeandawful]

Just saw something saying that people complaining about the $5000 asset limit on disability is not true because you can own a home.

Yes. You can own a home which can be an exempt asset. No, there is no way in hell you will be able to buy a home with an income of $1400 a month and no ability to save for a down payment. This stipulation is entirely meant for older people who led relatively privileged lives before becoming disabled.

Which is stupid for anyone who became disabled before age like… 40 by the way because it means you can’t live somewhere that you can modify to be accessible (oh but the law says… yeah, going to court every time you need a new grab bar or a different style of sink or a new outlet or an accessible appliance or curtains or light fixtures is not the same as just being able to do those things).

[heretherebewolves]

Adventures as a Cripple™️, part 2948.

So, I once saw a post that discussed that yes, actually, if you are disabled, you are literally the reason that folks are told not to use the elevator in a fire (that, and in case the fire department needs it, or obviously in case there *is* structural damage).

I am an ambulatory wheelchair user, and i am currently in a hotel.

And amongst a *spontaneous* line of enquiry we just recieved (after having been here for several days, and having consistently used our wheelchair for the last two), including, but not limited to, "are you staying with someone?", complete with a concerned head tilt - we were informed than in a fire, the elevators will shut down, and I will have to walk down the five or so steps (luckily, we're on the ground floor, and there's just a couple to the front door).

Fortunately, I can do that. I have a cane, and if it's *really* that bad that I cannot stand at all in that moment, I could certainly butt-shuffle down a few steps in an emergency.

But also... What the fuck?

There is an evac chair, but she did not as much as glance at it, let alone mention it (let me guess - nobody would know what the hell they're supposed to do with it?). Nope, just "You'd have to walk. Can you walk? You're not booked into one of our accessible rooms." (Bearing in mind, we haven't actually seen this particular receptionist so far).

She was nice, certainly. She encouraged us to come to reception if we needed anything. And she didn't, I'm assuming, go out of her way to make me feel ick.

But the fact that a) the lifts *shut down* in a fire drill, and b) she was very focused on 'do you have someone with you', has left such a bad taste in my mouth. I struggle a lot with not feeling "disabled enough" to use my chair (I have a balance disorder, and one of the things that causes flare-ups in being unwell, which, you guessed it, decided to coincide with the beginning of our meet up with our partner, yaaaay). The fact that my limbs technically fully work means that yeah, on some days, I can even run! My legs work fine. But the way people look at me if I stand up from my chair low-key makes me hate using it. And the knowledge that in an emergency with doubtless countless people around I'd have to shuffle my cripple ass down some stairs with only my stick at best - and then stand outside for an indeterminate amount of time and just hope I don't end up on the ground! Yay! /sarc - has made me wildly uncomfortable.

Anyway. Don't shut off elevators in an emergency. Don't basically demand that disabled folks have a *minder*. Don't generally make folks uncomfortable.

Also, mobility issues =/= wheelchair user. Why isn't running through evac protocol for folks with mobility problems standard procedure? You don't know if someone is like me, or needs an aid for anything over the distance between the front door and reception, or maybe is fine on flat ground but can't do steps.

Tldr: I'm irked and sad and sick. And I'm tired. Sigh.

[alemanbarbecue]

Accessibility Is An Ethical Issue, A Conversation With Mike Paciello, SPaMCAST 851

SPaMCAST 851 will feature our interview with Mike Paciello. Accessibility which should be a basic human right has always been a struggle and now seems even farther from reality. Mike and I talk about the definition of accessibility, the issues we face, and why this is an ethical issue not just a compliance problem. Mike Paciello is the Chief Accessibility Officer at AudioEye, Inc., where he…

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[halliescomut]

General question regarding alt-text descriptions:

Part of my resolutions for this year is to be more actively working to make my posts as inclusive as possible. I consistently slack on including alt-text descriptions, and I want to be making a consistent effort to fix that. I've done my own sort of separate research, but as always, many things come down to individual preference. Which leads me to ask my audience: How descriptive do you want the alt-text to be?

For screen shots of websites/text, in the alt text I just post the what the text says that's been screenshot and where it is from, as that's the relevant information. This is more about photos, and specifically the types of photos I tend to use. If I am posting a screenshot of a show/movie, would you prefer I stick the information that's relevant to my point, and keep the description minimal, or be more descriptive, even if that's not really necessary to the discussion?

And I will provide some examples, as I think that's the most helpful. I'm goin to use the same picture, and would be using it in this context to talk about the use of color with-in the series.

Most-relevant info, minimal other information:

Now more information, but not all of it relevant.

Both are helpful, but are the additional details truly needed, or are they just kind of nice to have, would they sort of muddy the point if you were reading through the post? I don't use a screen reader, but my assumption would be that they would read the alt text at whatever point the picture shows up in the post, and so I do want the alt text to be informative, but I also don't want it to be so jarring that it kills the flow of my post overall either. I want it to give the necessary information, so that people will have the needed context without basically info-dumping. And I would assume that someone reading my posts would have the basic needed information, i.e. know who the characters are, be aware of which actor is portraying them, have a general idea of what they look like.

In the case of me discussing something like a photoshoot, or costuming, I would be more specific, both in the post itself, but also in the alt-text, because that would be relevant information at that point.

Anyway, please give me your feedback, especially if you regularly rely on the alt-text to engage with posts here or other social media sites. If you have resources you think would be helpful to me, I'm happy to check those things out.

[decervantes]

Physical Disability as a Parameter

I wanted to share a personal anecdote for this prompt as I celebrated a personal milestone yesterday. In October of 2018, I was hit by a car while riding my motorcycle. Yesterday, 10/21 marked 6 years since my accident. I had several intense orthopedic surgeries, spent about 2 weeks in the ICU, spent another chunk of time in the recovery ward, and then went to an in-patient rehab facility before finding my way back home (but still in a hospital bed). I am quite familiar with physical constraints and all the design (and life) challenges they bring.

The entire experience allowed me to discover my own resilience and strength. It also allowed me to build deep empathy for disabled folks and people who deal with chronic pain. I was a wheelchair user for a few months after the accident, and I was shocked at how inaccessible our world is.

My physical parameters include the need for rest, stretching, and movement throughout my workday, but it doesn't decrease my productivity. In fact, it helps. Taking care of myself makes for better, more creative work.

When I experience pain, I consider it a daily reminder to put my physical and mental health first, and I encourage others to do the same when they can. While I am not 'thankful' for the physical trauma I had to endure, I can say that it made me a better person and a more considerate and holistic designer.