"AI", and the trouble with inaccessible SaaS via @matheusrichMatheus Richard https://lobste.rs/s/llf2uu #a11y #ai
https://localghost.dev/blog/ai-and-the-trouble-with-inaccessible-saas/

“Do Not Publish Your Designs on the Web with Figma Sites…”
https://adrianroselli.com/2025/05/do-not-publish-your-designs-on-the-web-with-figma-sites.html

Figma announced Figma Sites, letting you publish your Figma designs directly to the web like it’s 1997.

#accessibility #a11y

The abbreviation #a11y itself is not very accessible. #accessibility

Are 'CSS Carousels' accessible? https://lobste.rs/s/vcjamu #a11y #css #web
https://www.sarasoueidan.com/blog/css-carousels-accessibility/

Hands up, creative devs! And welcome @Cyd to Mastodon :)

#CSS #accessibility #a11y #frontend #development #welcometomastodon

https://front-end.social/@Cyd/114465575833890514

Balancing Privacy and Assistive Technology: The Case for Large Language Models

In today’s digital world, the tension between privacy and technology is more pronounced than ever. I’m deeply concerned about the implications of surveillance capitalism—especially the spyware embedded in our devices, cars, and even our bodies. This pervasive technology can lead to a loss of autonomy and a feeling of being constantly monitored. Yet, amidst these concerns, assistive technology plays a critical role, particularly for those of us with neurological impairments.

I recently read a thought-provoking post by @sergeSerge from Babka that highlighted the importance of sharing perspectives on this issue.

<iframe src="https://babka.social/@serge/113754269997543779/embed" width="400" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" sandbox="allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox allow-forms"></iframe>

With the rise of large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT, we’re seeing a shift toward more accessible and user-friendly technology. Local LLMs offer a viable alternative to big tech solutions, often running on specially laptops or even compact devices like Raspberry Pi. For many, including myself, LLMs are invaluable tools that enhance communication, summarize information, transcribe voice, facilitate learning, and help manage tasks that might otherwise feel overwhelming. They can help strike the right emotional tone in our writing and assist in understanding complex data—capabilities that are especially crucial for those of us facing neurological challenges.

While the goal of eliminating surveillance capitalism is commendable, banning technology outright isn’t the answer. We must recognize the significance of LLMs for individuals with disabilities. Calls to remove these technologies can overlook their profound impact on our lives. For many, LLMs are not just tools; they are lifelines that enable us to engage with the world more fully. Removing access to these resources would only isolate individuals who already face significant barriers. Instead, we should focus on utilizing local LLMs and other privacy-focused alternatives.

This situation underscores the need for a nuanced approach to the intersection of privacy and assistive technology. Open-source LLMs, like Piper, exemplify how we can create locally run voice models that are accessible to everyone, even on low-cost devices. Advocating for privacy must go hand in hand with considering the implications for those who rely on these technologies for daily functioning. Striking a balance between protecting individual privacy and ensuring access to vital assistive tools is not just necessary; it’s imperative.

In conclusion, LLMs represent a promising avenue for assisting individuals with neurological impairments. By embracing local and open-source solutions, we can protect our privacy while ensuring that everyone has access to the tools they need to thrive. The conversation around privacy and technology must continue, focusing on inclusivity and empowerment for all.

I use SpeechNotes installed locally all the time, and I’d love to hear how you use LLMs as assistive technology! Do you run your LLM locally? Share your experiences!

#PrivacyAdvocate #AssistiveTechnology #LLM #SurveillanceCapitalism #Neurodiversity #Accessibility #TechForGood #a11y #LocalLLM #LocalAI #FOSSai #opensource_ai

Happy Birthday, Zamenhof! 🎉💚

Today, we celebrate the 165th birthday of Ludoviko Lazaro Zamenhof, the visionary creator of Esperanto. His goal was to establish a language that would facilitate communication among people from different countries and cultures, thereby contributing to peace and cooperation among nations.

Esperanto is now the most successful planned language in the world, with millions of speakers in over 120 countries. It is utilized on the internet, in social media, and even in some universities and institutions. But Esperanto is not just a language—it's a movement. It represents a community of individuals united by the common goal of promoting peace, unity, cultural richness, understanding, and cooperation among all people. Esperanto is a language of hope, unity, and love.

Zamenhof's vision is more relevant than ever. In an era of increasing globalization and interconnectedness, Esperanto provides an opportunity for people from diverse cultures and countries to communicate and collaborate without language barriers.

Moreover, Esperanto serves as a valuable tool for inclusion and accessibility, thanks to its simplicity and regular structure. It not only eases communication between speakers of different native languages but also supports neurodiverse individuals who may struggle with learning natural languages or navigating irregular writing systems like English orthography. Thus, Esperanto can promote accessibility in education.

What makes Esperanto so special? Its simple, logical grammar and vocabulary derived from the most common European roots make it incredibly easy to learn. Its phonetic spelling features one sound per letter and one letter for every sound, unlike English or French. Beyond its practical benefits, Esperanto embodies the noble ideals of mutual understanding, cultural exchange, and the brotherhood of all people.

In our increasingly interconnected world, Esperanto has found new life on the internet, where online communities and resources allow learners to connect across borders. It is truly a language of the digital age, used for everything from casual conversation to academic discourse.

As we celebrate Zamenhof's 165th birthday, let us embrace his timeless vision of a more harmonious world, where Esperanto serves as a bridge between cultures. By learning this beautiful language, we honor the legacy of its creator and take a meaningful step toward a more peaceful and productive coexistence for all.

Happy birthday, Zamenhof! Your dream lives on. ✨ Thank you for your inexhaustible legacy and the inspiration you have given us all. Let us unite humanity and reach for the stars! ✨

---

**Interesting Facts about Esperanto 🌎💚:**

* Esperanto is the 14th most used language on the internet, according to 2022 statistics.
* The website "Duolingo" offers an Esperanto course, which is one of the most popular courses on the platform.
* The University of Amsterdam includes an Esperanto course as part of its program in international communication.

#Zamenhof #Esperanto #Peace #Coexistence #InternationalLanguage #Revival #CulturalRichness #Zamenhof165 #EsperantoOnTheInternet #LingvoInternacia #Planlingvo #Naskiĝtago #FelichanNaskiĝtagon #ZamenhofTago #ZamenhofDay #KulturaRicheco #Paco #Kunlaboro #a11y #inclusion #accessibility

Wikimedia Cloud VPS: IPv6 support https://lobste.rs/s/ozzh1a #a11y #networking
https://techblog.wikimedia.org/2025/05/06/wikimedia-cloud-vps-ipv6-support/

<section> 버리고 <article> 써야 하는 이유 #a11y

〈section〉 태그 안의 글에 헤딩(제목)을 포함하면 화면상에서는 그 헤딩들이 논리적인 순차 구조를 가지고 있는 것처럼 보인다. 하지만 이는 순전히 시각적인 것일 뿐 보조 기술과 연동된 구조 정보가 아니다. 〈section〉 태그의 용도는 무엇이고, 헤딩을 어떻게 코딩해야 보조 기술 사용자에게 정말 중요한 구조 정보를 전달할 수 있을까?

So I wrote this article on Accessible SVG Icons with Inline Sprites and … yeah… shameless self-promotion:
https://www.24a11y.com/2018/accessible-svg-icons-with-inline-sprites/
#24a11y #A11y =)

Thanks to @24accessibility (on Twitter) for having me and @scottoharaScott O'Hara for proofing (maybe here but definitely on Twitter).

Progressive enhancement is a moral argument (2016) via @RunxiYuRunxi Yu https://lobste.rs/s/4e4fp7 #a11y #practices #web
https://web.archive.org/web/20220316060312/https://whalecoiner.com/articles/progressive-enhancement

I've updated my little article on accessible fonts. Little changes here and there and some more typefaces added. Mind you, the article is designed to empower you to find your own favourite accessible font. So let's make all things more readable 🤗

What's your favourite font for copy text?

#accessibility #a11y #barrierefreiheit

https://www.philliproth.de/the-most-accessible-font/

Inclusive Dark Mode: Designing Accessible Dark Themes For All Users: "Discover how to craft dark modes that don’t just look good but work for everyone, from those with light sensitivity to machine learning algorithms." #a11y https://www.smashingmagazine.com/2025/04/inclusive-dark-mode-designing-accessible-dark-themes/

does anyone have thoughts on the #accessibility impact of Chrome shipping `reading-flow` and `reading-order`? https://developer.chrome.com/blog/reading-flow

seems like it could be misused. and it might encourage bad patterns.

#a11y #CSS

Je sais que vous ne voudrez pas me croire mais l'alternative pour les images (l'attribut alt), c'est pour les personnes aveugles.

Si vous avez plus de choses à dire que ce qui se trouve dans l'image, il faut mettre ce contenu en visibilité de toustes dans votre message, pas dans l'alternative. Parce que, selon comment l'appli implémente le truc :
- non, tout le monde n'y a pas accès ;
- on ne peut pas toujours copier-coller ;
- écouter une alternative trop longue avec un lecteur d'écran ça peut être fastidieux ;
- etc.

Et si votre image contient du texte, vous le mettez dans le message et pas en alternative pour les mêmes raisons en ajoutant que les personnes malvoyantes ou dys pourront comme ça mieux lire le texte en l'adaptant à leurs besoins de lecture, qu'en se coltinant la lecture du texte dans l'image.

#accessibilité #a11y #alt

(Suite dans le pouet suivant)

Édit. : puisqu'on en a fait un article détaillé chez @copsaeCopsaé, j'ajoute le lien : https://www.copsae.fr/partager-image-accessible/

J'ai des demandes d'abonnement en suspens régulièrement. Je traite ça par vagues quand j'ai l'énergie. Des fois, ça met du temps…

Ce qui s'ajoute au relou de gérer ça, c'est les problèmes d'accessibilité que ça me pose parce que la plupart des instances (oui, je dois généralement regarder votre profil sur votre instance sinon ça m'affiche pas toujours des choses à jour) ne sont pas accessibles pour moi : contrastes trop faibles, mode sombre forcé par défaut au lieu de prendre en compte mes préférences…

Bref, Fediverse (ouais c'est pas que Mastodon), tu ferais bien de te mettre à l'accessibilité (si tu me dis que j'ai qu'à contribuer, je te bloque !).

#accessibilité #a11y #Fediverse

OK les admins d'instances Mastodon, il faut qu'on parle.

Je viens d'apprendre que, depuis la version 4.3.0 de Mastodon, enfin, vous pouvez choisir que votre instance respecte, par défaut, le thème de couleurs choisi dans le système d'exploitation des internautes.

Par conséquent, plutôt que de forcer un thème sombre ou clair, vous pouvez respecter notre choix. Ainsi, une personne qui consulte votre instance sans y avoir de compte verra ses préférences prises en compte.

Il s'agit d'un besoin d'accessibilité.

Hé non, le thème sombre forcé par défaut n'est pas une bonne idée.
Il y a des gens qui ne peuvent pas lire les textes sur fond sombre. Et, il n'existe pas d'extension de navigateur pour transformer un site sombre vers un site clair (l'inverse est vrai, par contre !).

Pouvez-vous activer ça sur vos instances s'il vous plaît ?
Allez, c'est Noël, offrez-nous un peu d'accessibilité 🥺

#accessibilité #a11y #Mastodon #CadeauDeNoel

https://github.com/mastodon/mastodon/pull/29748

As part of our volunteer-driven accessibility initiative in GNOME Calendar, and for the first time in the 10+ years of Calendar's existence, we finally completed and merged the first step needed to have a working calendar app for people who rely on keyboard navigation. This merge request in particular makes the event widgets focusable with navigation keys (arrow left/up/right/down) and activatable with space/enter. This will be available in GNOME 49.

Most of GNOME Calendar's layout and widgets consist of custom widgets and complex calculations, both independently and according to other factors (window size, height and width of each cell, number of events, positioning, etc.), so these widgets need to be minimal to have as little overhead as possible. This means that these widgets also need to have the necessary accessibility features reimplemented or even rethought, including and starting with the event widgets.

We also hope to get other parts of GNOME Calendar accessible before GNOME 49, but I can't promise anything at the moment. We did start working with making the month view accessible: https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/gnome-calendar/-/merge_requests/564

#GNOME #Calendar #GNOMECalendar #GTK4 #GTK #Libadwaita #Accessibility #a11y #Linux

Hey #a11y friends — looking for a resource guide on writing an a11y statement, especially in “what makes an effective a11y statement”. Maybe common mistakes to look out for and such :)

#webdev #frontend

👋🏽 Hey everyone!
Professionally, I'm a Staff UI Engineer, Certified #Accessibility Professional, and international speaker. I have an educational background in #BehavioralPsychology, #Neurology, and #GraphicDesign.

When I'm not helping companies build accessible applications, I'm with my family, writing music, scuba diving, gaming, or in the dojo.

#introduction #introductions #helloMastodon #a11y #UI #UX

Today's Web Design Update: https://groups.google.com/a/d.umn.edu/g/webdev/c/psPhA7ypY38

Featuring @aardrianAdrian Roselli, @yatilEric Eggert, @scottoharaScott O'Hara, @homerHomer, CPACC, @deconspray, @sarajwSara Joy , @heydon, @EdentTerence Eden, @stephaniewalterStef Walter, @pxlnvPixel Envy, @Amy_Hupe, @boagworldPaul Boag,
and more.

Subscribe info: https://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/webdev_listserv.html#subscribe

#Accessibility #A11y #WebDesign

Remove these tags from <head> via @RunxiYuRunxi Yu https://lobste.rs/s/hnqkhk #a11y #web
https://getoutofmyhead.dev/

It's a designer's job to design for people who use
- screens
- screen readers
- screen magnifiers
- touch screens
- trackpads
- voice input
- keyboard-only
(a non exhaustive list)

#a11y #accessibility #design

Terms like 'edge case' and 'niche' should refer to *tasks* you know from research are uncommon. They don't refer to access needs. No one should be deprioritised in your service because of disability.
#a11y #accessibility #design

The final talk from #SotB2025
Oliver Schöndorfer - Typographer vs. Accessibility
Is now available for your viewing pleasure.
https://2025.stateofthebrowser.com/speaker/oliver-schondorfer/
#Fonts #Typography #a11y #Accessibility

關於 #QRCode #望周知

1. 提供 QR Code 時，一併提供文字型態網址（仍然有人需要用桌上型電腦操作）
2. 不要把 QR Code 當成可以使用超長網址的撇步（會影響 QR Code 的辨識容錯跟顯示尺寸限制）
3. 務必考量使用情境來決定 QR Code 的呈現尺寸以及容錯率（LED 廣告招牌跟名片上的 QR Code 需要不同設計，即使兩者辨識結果相同）
3. 同一個畫面內盡量不要有多個 QR Code（使用者可能設定成自動開啟，導致開錯連結）
4. 數位媒介上的 QR Code 建議做成可直接使用的超連結；如果網址就在旁邊，建議兩個元件包成一個超連結。
5. 數位媒介上的 QR Code 要注意反相、高對比、強迫指定色彩模式等使用者偏好，尤其要注意使用「透明背景色」可能讓事情變得更複雜，務必完整測試
6. QR Code 圖片替代文字設定「*連結目標標題* 的 QR Code」
7. 實體物件上的 QR Code 建議提供可觸摸辨識的特徵，例如凸起或 #貝爾曼截角 https://jedi.org/blog/archives/006406.html

#a11y #accessibility

The penultimate talk from #SotB2025
@sarajwSara Joy - Whimsica11y: bringing the joy and whimsy to *everyone*
Is now avaliable for your viewing pleasure.
https://2025.stateofthebrowser.com/speaker/sara-joy/
#a11y #Accessibility #Whimsy #Fun #PersonalSites

I get that font type is important as it is how your content is presented. But accessibility is fore most important. And limited internet quota is a more serious accessibility problem than readability.

Using a native font is a great way to reduce your site's size. If you are not sure which font stack to use for your website, take a look at Modern Font Stacks project.
https://github.com/system-fonts/modern-font-stacks

#typeface #accessibility #a11y

Reintroducing a thing I tried during Corona lockdowns.

Lea's Open Office Hour. Need someone to talk to? Distraction from shit on social media? Talk about #webdev or #a11y, or creative coding? Or a rubber duck while debugging something? You can book a meeting with me.

https://calendly.com/learosema

🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝

Werde nie den Tag vergessen, als ein Bienenschwarm für ca. 30 min. eine Bienentraube in einem Baum hinter unserer Hütte ausbildete und dann weiterschwärmte. Hier das Geräusch, als die Bienen vor der Traubenbildung im Garten herum schwärmten.

#Bienenschwarm #a11y #AltTxt #PlayItLoud

I design greeting cards for my company Valley Oak Paper. You can see my designs on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/valleyoakpaper/. Cardmaking tutorials on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@ValleyOakPaper

I'm a recovering #UXdesigner in #SiliconValley and I #blog about my entrepreneurial journey at https://www.valleyoakpaper.com/post

Amazon wishlist: https://a.co/2W69mIu
Buy me a coffee: https://ko-fi.com/valleyoakpaper

New friends welcome! 🤗

Please include #altText for all images, so I can boost them in good conscience. #a11y

#IndieGaia: opinionated adaption of the famous #Marp #Gaia theme. Support for `color-scheme: light dark` and `prefers-contrast: more/less`, plus some nice typographic features.

Project: https://github.com/tomkyle/marp-indie-gaia

Demo: https://tomkyle.github.io/marp-indie-gaia/

Visual #a11y #colorscheme #contrast

How navigation should work for keyboard users: "The web is a network of pages that are linked together, with those links often grouped in a navigation. Here’s how keyboard users traverse navigation." #a11y https://www.tempertemper.net/blog/how-navigation-should-work-for-keyboard-users

My talk with @firesidefedi is up! It’s on PeerTube but the audio is at https://audio.firesidefedi.live/@firesidefedi/episodes/robert-kingett-accessibility-in-the-fediverse #Fediverse #Podcast #Podcasts #IndieWeb #Mastodon #Interview #A11y #Accessibility

#introduction Hi, I'm Laura! I'm a #DeveloperAdvocate specializing in #docs, previously a #math prof. I'm in the #ADHD or maybe #AuADHD zone of the #Neurodivergent world.

I'm comfiest coding in #Python, and I'm into #ResponsibleAI, #BicycleInfrastructure, #ResearchAsRecreation, #SocialJustice, #Pedagogy, #OwnYourData, #a11y, and #FuckWhiteSupremacy.

I like meeting kind people who do neat things!

My employer (e-commerce agency) is finally starting to take #accessibility more seriously. Are there any consultants who could help us with #a11y audits and/or training?

Hello #a11y people - I've been wanting to get some sort of training & certification, that'll allow me to officially perform accessibility audits for websites. Is the IAAP still _the_ thing to do? Or is there a different type of certification that I should work towards?

I am understanding that certification does not equal ability.

#webdev #accessibility

RFC 1855: Netiquette Guidelines (1995) via @confusedalex https://lobste.rs/s/2xa4gw #a11y #email
https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/rfc1855/

I made that thread from yesterday into a brief post.

“Automated WCAG Testing Is Grrreat!”
https://adrianroselli.com/2025/04/automated-wcag-testing-is-grrreat.html

#accessibility #a11y

Yesterday, I got my eyes checked, and pupils dilated as a result. It was a cloudy day so I thought walking home would be fine, but damn, what an uncomfortable feeling of being permanently…sun dazed (is there a term?). I also couldn't see things up close (which felt weird as I am near-sighted) for some hours.

Anyways, I guess the moral of the story is: sighted people browse the web with 150% zoom enabled for a variety of reasons, even if very briefly. Remember to test it! #a11y

Thanks to @TheBreadmonkeyBennu I learned of the existence of @altbot !

Some people have to do a lot of work to get text typed out, and find posting images much quicker - it makes total sense not to suggest someone typing with a sip-puff or other switch to have to also fill in the ALT text.

Also sometimes we're in a hurry. Or we're wanting to report on a fast changing situation. Or whatever other myriad reasons! Looks like altbot can help :)

#accessibility #a11y #AltText

Sharing some cursors. I modified the Hackneyed cursors to be high contrast and disable the animation, available as monochrome or multicolour. They use the Windows 10 and 11 default cursor colours. You can also pick any colours you want if you build from source (Codeberg).

You can download directly from my website or OpenDesktop.org.

https://futurehorizondesign.net.au/portfolio/hackneyedhighcontraststaticcursors.html

#cursor #linux #foss #opensource #windows #accessibility #a11y #accessible #ui #uidesign #retrocomputing #retro #xfce #kde #freesoftware

Kevin Powell has an #accessibility intro video:
“Quick accessibility wins that are easy to implement”
https://youtu.be/pJ0GPI7BMIs

This isn’t for practitioners; this isn’t new stuff.

This is for folks who are new to it, who learn better with videos, who know his name and will believe him more than us, who want recent examples, etc.

#a11y

I am working on creating a handbook that describes the assistive technologies available in the FreeBSD operating system, which will be freely available online for anyone to consult. Currently, the effort is focused on gathering and documenting accessibility features for visual impairments, and it is sponsored by the @FreeBSDFoundation

If you are interested in the topic, a public repository is available for suggestions and corrections: https://gitlab.com/alfix/freebsd-accessibility

#FreeBSD #UNIX #OpenSource #Accessibility #a11y #Blindness #LowVision #ColorBlindness #AssistiveTechnologies #Inclusion #Documentation #Coding

So you think you know how to navigate websites? 👀 #a11y #WebDev https://nonvisualwebsite.com/

#introduction 👋
I’m a web developer with focus on semantic #HTML and #A11Y. I’m from Austria, working in Vienna. I’m into #CSS since its early days. On the previous platform I only t***ted about web development stuff, which I will continue to do here. So I guess I’ll never run into the need to set a content warning. But I anyhow prefer to post on my #blog https://cssence.com, which has no character limit.

busy (working) by @patrick_h_lauke

#a11y #merch

https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/1556077069/busy-by-lauke-unisex-t-shirt

Tough times for my fellow accessibility workers so I have cut prices on a range of shirts. Now only $US 12-14 (+VAT where applicable)

#a11y #accessibility #workers

https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/HTMLZ?ref=seller-platform-mcnav&section_id=52874298

mind the WCAG automation gap

"Disclaimer: this content was partially produced via automation FTW! Don’t fear the AI future or the reaper."

#a11y #WCAG #testing #automation #ai

https://html5accessibility.com/stuff/2025/03/27/mind-the-wcag-automation-gap/