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Mastodon's "missing alt text" warning badge is getting an update 👀

#AltText #accessibility #mastodon #design #UXUI

Big update to the annotated edition of G.H. Hardy's ‘A Mathematician's Apology’: the PDF is now *tagged* (plus various minor improvements).

(A #TaggedPDF contains extra semantic information to assist screen-reading software etc.)

The new version is available (#OpenAccess as always) at https://archive.org/details/hardy_annotated

The LaTeX tagging system is still under development [https://latex3.github.io/tagging-project/], but I have been making progress in adapting my LaTeX styles to be tagging-compatible.

For the annotated ‘Apology’, I also had to re-implement a subset of the functionality of the "manyfoot" package (which is currently not tagging-compatible), because there are two different kinds of footnotes in the annotated ‘Apology’. (Hardy's original footnotes and the annotations.)

Although the PDF passes VeraPDF validation, there may of course be mistakes in the tagging. Feedback, especially from users of screen readers, would be much appreciated, especially because I now hope to add tags to ‘Form & Number: A History of Mathematical Beauty’ [https://archive.org/details/cain_formandnumber_ebook_large].

#GHHardy #HistPhil #Mathematics #MathematicalBeauty #TeXLaTeX #Accessibility

So I lost my job yesterday, which means I'm looking to #GetFediHired! I've been a Senior Software Dev for ~8 years, but I've been programming for more than 20 years.

I have lots of experience with C, C++, C#, Python, JS, x86 and other assembly. I've touched a lot of languages on several platforms. I have worked a bunch in simulation and robotics (ROS), open-source software, and 2D and 3D graphics.

Hoping to work with interesting people on interesting projects. Diversity and accessibility are very important to me. Remote work is preferred. I am in Canada.

Edit: Getting ahead of this now. No GenAI cultism please. No late-stage corpo ad-serving, data scraping, always online, crypto stuff either.

Thank you in advance, I love you!

#FediHired #RemoteWork #Accessibility

A great guide on how to write good descriptions of images and videos in posts in a way that will help people with sight problems "see them" and appreciate them.

https://uxdesign.cc/how-to-write-an-image-description-2f30d3bf5546?gi=452f3faa9651

#alttext #accessibility #MastoArt

Finally hit publish on a blog post I've been writing for a while.

It's common to hear the term "fully accessible" used to describe products which have passed WCAG 2.2 level AA. But, are they really?

In this post, I explore 5 examples which highlight why WCAG, as awesome as it is, is not a measure of great usability or performance.

https://www.craigabbott.co.uk/blog/2025/5-reasons-why-wcag-aa-compliance-does-not-mean-your-website-is-accessible/

#accessibility #a11y #wcag

FreeBSD Accessibility Handbook

<https://docs.freebsd.org/en/books/accessibility/> (parts) | <https://docs.freebsd.org/en/books/accessibility/book/> (the book)

Published today.

Thanks to @alfonsosiciliano, to @pauamma for review, and to @FreeBSDFoundation for sponsorship.

#FreeBSD #accessibility

Hello world 👋, here's the Mozilla Localization team. 🦊

Our goal is to make Mozilla's products available in as many languages as possible, ensuring that people can browse the web and use our platform in their native languages.

You can follow us for updates on localization progress, behind-the-scenes insights, and opportunities to get involved. We'll also share Mozilla l10n news, localizer spotlights, and more.
#Mozilla
#Localization
#l10n
#OpenSource
#Accessibility

⏰ The deadline to submit a proposal for the @w3cWorld Wide Web Consortium workshop on Smart Voice Agents (Feb 2026, virtual) is 27 Nov 2025!

Smart voice agents need clearer use cases, stronger #interoperability, better #LLM -based interaction, and improved accuracy, #accessibility, and multilingual support. Broader concerns include device coordination, #privacy, #security, regulatory gaps and emerging business models.

Don’t miss your chance to present your work and submit now: https://www.w3.org/2025/10/smartagents-workshop/

NV Access is pleased to announce that version 2025.3.2 of NVDA, the free screen reader for Microsoft Windows, is now available for download. We encourage all users to upgrade to this version.

This is a patch release to fix a security issue.

Full info and download at: https://www.nvaccess.org/post/nvda-2025-3-2/

#NVDA #NVDAsr #ScreenReader #Accessibility #NewVersion #Release #Update #Download #FOSS #Free

@dansup

Looks fab!

Concerned #accessibility comes after all being worked on now.

I ❤️ #monetization options are planned. Concerned "ad free" options imply ads are planned as part of the roadmap?

Absence of #AI is refreshing!

Is #UnifiedPush part of "push notifications", or just feeding everything via #Google / #Apple? (cue usual: "They're encrypted. Don't ask whether metasdata / future decryption / #MobileLinux matter" discussion)

Project Moebius (#decentalized?), better editing & live streaming look super cool! ❤️

Finally, a regular reminder to please avoid creating a digital 1% elite by focusing "For you" on relevance not rolling-snowball-boosting of already popular accounts/content.

Thanks for all your amazing hard work! 💕 You ROCK!

#Loops #Privacy #Foss #OpenSource #Fediverse

Very interesting solution to the problem many disabled people would have of maintaining balance while getting a leg over the frame (or even getting a leg over period).

Have the frame on the side and bring it back around the person. #Australia #Recumbent #Accessibility #BikeTooter https://trisled.com.au/hpv/side-step/

After two long and painful years, several design iterations, and more than 50 rebases later, we finally merged the infamous, trauma-inducing merge request !362 on GNOME Calendar.

The calendars list in the quick-add popover has undergone accessibility improvements, providing a better experience for assistive technologies and keyboard users (to a limited extent). Specifically: tabbing from outside the list will focus the selected calendar in the list; tabbing from inside the list will skip the entire list; arrow keys automatically select the focused calendar; and finally, assistive technologies now inform the user of the checked/selected state.

Admittedly, the quick-add popover is currently unreachable via keyboard because we lack the resources to implement keyboard focus for month and week cells. We are currently trying to address this issue in merge request !564, and hope to get it merged for GNOME 50, but it's a significant undertaking for a single unpaid developer. If it is not too much trouble, I would really appreciate some donations, to keep me motivated to improve accessibility throughout GNOME and sustain myself: https://tesk.page/#donate

For non-accessibility-related details about this merge request, feel free to check out https://mastodon.social/@nekohayo/115571375702642784

#GNOMECalendar #GNOME #GTK4 #libadwaita #accessibility #a11y #calendar #FOSS #OpenSource

New blog post out (finally) ✨ I tested the dataviz accessibility of the 2024 presidential election dashboards, and (as expected) found a lot of issues to write about:

https://fossheim.io/writing/posts/2024-dataviz-a11y-elections/

#dataviz #accessibility

I've been too busy with work to actually write on social media, but the year is soon over which means I soon have availability for new clients again, starting January 2026 👋🏻

I work freelance with web & dataviz accessibility and offer:
- Reviews (high-level or full audit)
- Consulting, advice, documentation
- Training, talks, workshops
- Help with remediation
- Front-end development

Interested?
💌 collab@fossheim.io

#accessibility #datavizA11Y

some people work hard to try and solve real barriers to #accessibility
others like to waste everybody's energy with pointlessly long-winded theoretical purity discussions on "if text isn't marked up in a <p> element, does it fail 1.3.1?"
i guess if you're being paid by numbers of issues filed, sure... #a11y

This date picker run-down is excellent - thank you @dbDavid Bushell ☕

https://pikaday.dbushell.com

#css #html #accessibility

👋 Re-#introduction, because the last one had gotten a little outdated. And long.

​ #Queer #polyamourous #geek. #Blogger since 1998, #IndieWeb fan since forever, #Fediverse citizen since 2018.

🇪🇺 European in exile living in West #Oxfordshire, #UnitedKingdom, with my partner @fleeblewidgetRuth TA (she/her), her husband @misterjtaJTA [he / his] 🇪🇺, two kids, and one #dog. Politically #environmentalist #socialist.

​ Software engineer with a focus on #security, #privacy, and #accessibility. Founded and #volunteer with #NonProfit #ThreeRings.

When I've time for fun, I'm into #geohashing, #geocaching, #cycling, and performing #magic. Sometimes at the same time.

He/him pronouns.

📹 Video content: me giving a 15-second summary of the above.

"Is my app accessible? Where do I start making it better?"

These are the first two questions I've been getting from my clients, and they want the answers right away. That's why I'm now offering a new service called the "accessibility checkup" to give you those answer is two business days or less. Same great report you've seen earlier https://drive.google.com/file/d/19rSHKlSe7ww9aqvxNWXpgRAHs2goxgjE/view
delivered to you fast.

Sound like something you or your team would be interested in? Let me know!

#accessibility #ios #android #a11y

We have a pretty strong stance on #Privacy and don’t believe in advertising as a revenue model. You are not the product! https://blog.elementary.io/you-are-not-the-product/

We believe that #accessibility features should be first class https://blog.elementary.io/accessibility-features-are-just-features/

And we’re all in on #Decentralized technologies like @FlatpakAppsFlatpak https://blog.elementary.io/elementary-appcenter-flatpak/

Hello there! Here's my #Introduction.

I'm Jamie, a critical illness survivor powered by classic rock and metal and regular infusions of coffee.

I'm from Birmingham, England and am currently based in the UK.

During the day I work in Cisco Unified Communications and Telecoms. Been in IT and Telecoms for a fair while. NetWare 3.11, SINIX / Reliant UNIX kind of a fair while. Been around, seen a lot.

By night I'm a husband (recently clocked up 10 years of marriage to my wife) and a Tortie Cat daddy. Meow.

We mask the hell up. COVID is not over.

We work remotely very successfully and advocate it.

We are disability, accessibility, LGBTQ* and workplace mental health advocates with lived experience.

Wouldn't say that I'm exciting, dynamic or charismatic but there's a whole bunch of stuff I'm kind of nerdy about so Fedi is the place to be, right? 😀

#Introduction #Accessibility #MentalHealth #LGBTQ
#TransRightsAreHumanRights

#a11y #accessibility #UX

For all the push for functionality in social media, the focus on moderation is just... barely considered?

Why do we never learn the lessons of the last failed project?

One could also replace Moderation with Accessibility and it would also be accurate, although people seem to think things would continue to function regardless.

Borrowed from the excellent original "Dependency" by #XKCD:
https://xkcd.com/2347/

#moderation #SocialMedia #Accessibility

Finally got a chance to read @sundressAlice Boxhall's thoughtful post outlining the "Why" behind the state of accessibility on the web and it is spot on! If you haven't already, please give it a read: https://alice.boxhall.au/articles/a-threat-model-for-accessibility-on-the-web/.

#a11y #accessibility

Web Developers & Designers

This is your friendly reminder that low vision users exist. We need font sizes that are dramatically larger than yours.

Many of us use the “minimum font size" NOT zoom, because we need bigger text, not bigger images.

I'm on the very low end of low vision needs, but my 20pt minimum font size breaks SO MANY web sites.

This pic shows how big fonts are on my screen (thumb & ruler for context).
#accessibility #webdesign

It is impossible to overstate the contribution Glen Gordon has made to the #accessibility industry. More important even than that, his meticulous attention to detail and his understanding that something must be more than accessible, it must be efficient, has helped countless people to be productive at work, at school, and just when living life.
Glen devised many concepts that are now just thought of as the way things are done in a graphical user interface.
On top of all that, he is one of the nicest, most humble people I’ve ever met and worked with. I have heard from several young people following the National Federation of the Blind’s National Convention, at which we honored Glen with the prestigious Kenneth Jernigan award and he offered some wise advice, that Glen inspired them.
You are a legend, Glen. And although the words seem ridiculously inadequate, all I can say in conclusion is, thank you so much for all you have done.
I am pasting Glen’s LinkedIn post for those who are not over there.
Glen Gordon, Screen reading for the blind software pioneer, 24 minutes ago • Visible to anyone on or off LinkedIn, 1st
Today is a very sad day for me, since after nearly 32 years, it’s the first day that I’m no longer working on the JAWS screen reader.
I’ve voluntarily resigned my position at Freedom Scientific/Vispero because I found myself unable to continue working for a company that’s changing in ways that are moving away from my personal values.
As recently as the 2025 NFB convention, I was thinking that I’d be working on JAWS far into the future. Much to my surprise, a recent influx of new Executive leaders and customer facing product related changes convinced me that it was time to leave.
I leave behind a group of smart and passionate colleagues, and products which are the best in class. It’s been a great journey, and I thank all of you who have been users of Freedom Scientific software for some or all that time.
Yes, I’m retiring, in the sense that I’m of retirement age and not actively seeking another job. But I’m resigning in the sense that I felt I needed to take a principled stand.
I will continue doing my part to improve the state of accessibility. What that will look like will evolve over time.

#introduction Italian, European, citizen of the world. Internet user since 1998 but started with PC in 1989. Formerly facebook, now stable on Mastodon - formerly "talksina" on MastodonUno italian instance; still "talksina" as handle into Linkedin, WordPress .org profile, google (till it lasts) and github, as it's impossible to edit profile name. I believe in data liberation and ownership. I work on accessibility (web and apps), I have a disability myself (totally blind). Blogger, WordPress user and MarkDown lover, interested in electronic voices and creating audio-dramas with text-to-speech. AI user, moderately optimistic. HIV awareness advocate. Firmly against tech-based "age verification" on sexuality related sites. Education should do the job, allowing governments to control Internet is introduction to censorship. #accessibility #WordPress #blind #disability #hiv #advocacy

Mezzo Fediverso italiano mi conosce ma siccome mi sto un po' alla volta liberando del vecchio nick "talksina" in cui non mi riconosco più, sto gradualmente migrando da @talksinaElena Brescacin a qui. Principalmente per liberarmi dalla schiavitù dei 500 caratteri. Immagine del profilo per ora no, aspetto di farne una coi nuovi occhiali addosso. Continuerò a occuparmi di #WordPress, #accessibility e anche attivismo #hiv se serve. #introduzione #fediverso

I geeked out a bit too much on these accessibility audits 🫣 Want to see what one looks like? https://drive.google.com/file/d/19rSHKlSe7ww9aqvxNWXpgRAHs2goxgjE/view Let me know if you want me to look at your app, too! #iOS #Android #Accessibility #A11y

This is why nobody should ever try and vibe code a screen reader. Do not listen to the blind people that think this is a good idea. They are wrong. https://sightlessscribbles.com/posts/20250902/ #AI #AIHype #Accessibility #A11y

This week we’re at the #PyConFR 🇫🇷 sprints! 25 contributors working together on #Django, our website, #marketing, #accessibility, and discussing the future of Django ⭐️

Edit: https://github.com/joinloops/loops-server/releases/tag/v1.0.0-beta.3

Alt-text, Ad + AI Disclosures and Previews are coming to Loops (Studio).

Just wrapping up Edit support and it will be pushed shortly 🚀

#loops #accessibility #disclosure

Would be really cool to have something baked into #ActivityPub to directly suggest alt text to media when it is missing on other people's posts, as an evolution to #alt4u. With dedicated notification. Apps could support the feature with a neat side-by-side media and alt text field, and one-click "accept suggestion" in notification.
I'm using @Tusky and even though I enjoy suggesting alt text, not being able to write the post with the image clearly visible makes it too difficult.
#accessibility

📣 Call for Participation
W3C will hold a virtual "Workshop on Smart Voice Agents" from 25–27 February 2026 to explore stakeholder needs, use-cases, and gaps in Web standards for voice agents.

Topics include #accessibility, internationalization, modality integration, #trust, #security, and business models. Attendance is free and open to all.
https://www.w3.org/2025/10/smartagents-workshop/

Submit your talk proposal by 27 November!

Weil ich das heute schon ein paar Mal gesehen habe: Links gehören nicht in die bildbeschreibung, dort kann man sie nicht anklicken. Verlinkungen ausschließlich in den Tröt. #Accessibility #Bildbeschreibung

As someone who is totally blind, the Fediverse is the only place where I have ever been able to follow people such as photographers, artists, or even those who post pictures of their cats or the food they ate. The reason is that most of them use alt text. They take the time to describe the images that my screen reader can't recognise. Some write the descriptions themselves, and others use tools such as altbot. Some worry that their descriptions aren't good enough, especially when they are new at this. Let me assure you, not only are they good enough, they are extremely appreciated! If the rest of the world thought as you did, it would be a much better place. Don't hesitate to ask if you're unsure of something, but never think that we don't notice your effort.

#appreciation #accessibility #altbot #alttext #blind #blindness #fediverse #gratitude #images #inclusivity #peoplewhocare #pictures #technology

*sigh* any lawyers on here wanna help me sue every one of these overlay companies? I've got all the time in the world to be a plaintiff, and the knowledge to make them look like donkeys in court. https://chrisyoong.com/blog/nhs-trusts-and-accessibility-overlays #Law #Accessibility

What convinced you to start adding alt text to images you post online?

#AltText #accessibility #ImageDescription

WCAG 2.2 is now ISO/IEC 40500:2025. The formal recognition enables more countries to formally adopt WCAG 2.2. ISO/IEC 40500:2025 is free from the ISO website. Supporting resources and translations are free from the W3C website. You can read more and share our press release https://www.w3.org/press-releases/2025/wcag22-iso-pas/

#accessibility

NEW ACCESSIBILITY SHIRT!

A11Y is going to space!

#a11y #Accessibility

EU+World: https://wowirsindistvorne.myspreadshop.de/a11y+going+to+space+a11y+accessibility+t-shirt-A68000e5235d532607d50e1f0?productType=20&sellable=2nYeVgdVR5u1J2rloDY4-20-22&appearance=2

US: https://cottonbureau.com/p/GB4U92/shirt/a11y-going-to-space-a11y-accessibility-t-shirt#/28483974/tee-men-premium-lightweight-vintage-black-tri-blend-s

If you saw my tees at #a11yTOConf and wondered where you could squander money on them…

The POURP shirt:
https://aardrian.threadless.com/designs/pourpn-atkinson-hyperlegible-white-text/mens/t-shirt/classic

The W*C*A*G shirt (brown version):
https://aardrian.threadless.com/designs/w-c-a-g/mens/t-shirt/classic

#accessibility #a11y

This is a perfect example of how nebulous #screenReader #accessibility is, and why it confuses so many laymen. I am looking at a web page right now that has a "Download" button. The button is an a (anchor) tag, with a div inside of it with the CSS class for a download button.
Obviously this is awful HTML, but it works fine, if you can see. There's a big fat button with "DOWNLOAD!" in all caps on the screen. Clicking this button starts the download. Seems good, no?
Well, no. This div has no actual textual content, and the anchor tag has no href or text either. So this huge honking button is entirely invisible to screen readers. How do I even begin to explain this to, say, a customer support rep? :)

I see people are again blaming screen readers when being politely asked to maybe use fewer emoji and Unicode characters as decoration. Too easy to blame something you don’t understand than to be considerate.

https://adrianroselli.com/2021/10/blaming-screen-readers-red-flag.html
#accessibility #a11y

Today is the Global Accessibility Awareness Day - and so Apple sat down with me to talk about how I build truly accessible apps. 🦾

The interview is now live on the *front page* of the App Store 🥹

#GAAD #A11Y #accessibility #OnTheAppStore

https://apps.apple.com/at/story/id1800312180?l=en-GB

Wagtail Space is a go! We're on the hunt for speakers right now. If you have a great Wagtail story to tell or a story about #AI, #Accessibility , or #Sustainability that would be relevant to our audience, we definitely want to connect. 😁

https://wagtail.org/blog/wagtail-space-2025-is-a-go/

#Wagtail #Django #Content #Programming

When it comes to accessibility, and UX, never assume something is "common sense". Always make sure this "common sense", makes it to production.

#Accessibility #FormAccessibility #BadExample

Ruminating on the potential for #AI in #accessibility https://www.aaron-gustafson.com/notebook/opportunities-for-ai-in-accessibility/

Wix going all "use text marquee to add scrolling effect to content you want to highlight", how about, no? This is an accessibility nightmare, there's a reason the HTML marquee tag was removed.
Also, scroll animations, again, please no. Or at least, respect prefers-reduced motion.
Those examples appear while their new studio loads. Just looking at them made me nauseous. I have prefers-reduced motion switched off, but, I still get the very annoying example. Meh.

#Accessibility

Many people still misunderstand screen readers — who uses them, how they work, and what inclusive design really means.

Ela Gorla has unpacked the most common myths and what they reveal about digital accessibility on the TetraLogical blog:

https://tetralogical.com/blog/2025/10/14/common-misconceptions-about-screen-readers/

#Accessibility #InclusiveDesign #ScreenReaders

There’s an accessibility bug on Mastodon: you cannot add custom alt text to your profile or header image. This means people using screen readers can’t know what these images show, so important info is missing for visually impaired users. ♿

Please help by upvoting and commenting on the issue so it gets more attention from developers 👇

https://github.com/mastodon/mastodon/issues/36439

Let’s make Mastodon more inclusive for everyone! 🤗

CC @Mastodon

#Accessibility #Mastodon #Inclusion #OpenSource