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

https://www.europesays.com/1943530/ Report shows alarming measles resurgence in Europe and US #Antibodies #autism #blindness #brain #children #deafness #disability #europe #healthcare #hospital #hygiene #ImmuneSystem #InfectiousDiseases #Measles #medicine #Meningitis #MMR #Mumps #pathogen #Pneumonia #polio #PublicHealth #research #Respiratory #Rubella #Vaccine #virus

Commuting challenges

I was impressed by the runner and the cyclists but why was the air commuter allowed to condemn herself out of her own mouth - balance?

‘I’m aware that in sustainability terms, my commute is terrible. My hope is that my job has a bit of an offset and I might have an impact on future fashion professionals. I teach and research plus-size fashion and I’m interested in sustainability. ‘ (Ontario-NY commute)

https://www.theguardian.com/money/2025/mar/02/rush-hour-rewards-how-extreme-is-your-commute

I'm visiting the #USA for the #CSUNATC25 conference. Buying coffee, I got the perfect #coin in change for a #blindness / #accessibility related conference: a 2003 Alabama quarter featuring Helen Keller.

This was the first US circulating coin to feature a representation of Braille (there was a non-circulating 1996 Paralympics coin).

A little on Helen Keller from Wikipedia: "American author, disability rights advocate, political activist and lecturer. Born in West Tuscumbia, Alabama, she lost her sight and her hearing after a bout of illness when she was 19 months old.

Keller attended Radcliffe College of Harvard University and became the first deafblind person in the United States to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helen_Keller

#numismatics #CoinCollecting #Braille #deafblind @numismatics @accessibility

#goodnews #science #health #medicine #blindness #Boston #Massachusetts

Sight Restored to People Blinded in Eye Accidents Using New Stem Cell Treatment

https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/sight-restored-to-people-blinded-in-eye-accidents-using-new-stem-cell-treatment/

(I am posting this from my Friendica as well as my Akkoma accounts, since some instances and groups don't federate with Blob.cat.)Please forgive the negative post, but this must be said. I'm sick of what I'm calling the switching crew. They constantly say things such as "switch from Facebook or Twitter to the Fediverse", "switch from Amazon to local shops), "switch from Windows or Mac to Linux", etc. They sometimes imply and sometimes outwardly state how easy it is. So let me explain something. Note that I can't speak for other disabilities, since I'm only blind, but I'm sure they have their own problems with these as well. I am also very good with computers, so I have the technical skills to do these things. Not everyone does.

1. It takes research to join the Fediverse. Not everyone wants to join Mastodon, and even for those who do, [people still must find instances that align with their goals. Not all platforms here are accessible, either. I left Facebook precisely because they shut down their basic mobile site, and their main site and apps are terrible to use with a screen reader. I joined Friendica, but had more accessibility problems. Now, I'm on Akkoma and am finally happy. But it's taken over four months for me to find my place!
2. Amazon offers free shipping, large discounts, and in some cases, Amazon Fresh to Prime members. They also have a wide variety of products, all at one place. All of this contributes to the independence, not only of the blind, but also of those who are house-bound. No one has yet to give me an alternative that has all of these features. It's great to go to local farmer's markets and little shops, but not everyone can easily get there, and even those places that do ship often require monthly payments, charge a lot, or charge shipping with every order. Are there blind people who do shop locally? Yes. Is everyone like that, or does everyone have such places near him? No.
3. Prior to joining the Fediverse, this one annoyed me the most. Most sighted people can just turn on a computer or a phone and start using a new operating system relatively quickly, as long as it's graphical. It's not the same for those of us who are blind. First, the system has to have a screen reader installed. If not, we must find someone sighted to install it for us. Many Linux distributions don't have Orca installed by default. Secondly, even if said system is installed, there needs to be an easy way to activate it via a hottkey or during setup. Many Linux distributions have Orca but don't have an easy way to start it. Then, once all of that is done, we must learn how to use said screen reader, not to mention the layout and commands of the operating system itself, and withLinux, often, one must learn how to use the terminal in order to accomplish certain tasks. Even as a DOS lover, I found it to be frustrating. . Finally, after accomplishing all of that, if there aren't many programs that work with this operating system and screen reader, or if they don't work well, why should we switch from a system that we already know, where things are accessible, to one that we don't where they aren't? Linux is great for the sighted, but not for the majority of the blind. Again, are there blind people who use it? Yes. Is it as easy as simply turning on a computer and switching? No.

#accessibility #Akkoma #Amazon #blind #blindness #Facebook Fediverse fediverse #Linux #NVDA #Orca #technology ##Twitter #Windows

Does anyone know of some good WhatsApp groups to join? I’m interested in books, meeting new friends, Christianity, and anything blindness-related. #Books #Christianity #Blindness #Community #SocialGroups

just discovered a new online FPS #AudioGame. the game is called Executioner's Rage. now i know you'll say, same old same old, but this is different. sound is 3d, objects are much more realistic. please boost for more reach. player are very few for now. if you want to give it a try, here's the link to download the game. https://dl.tweesecake.app/rage/rage2.2.2.zip

I hear Codecademy is doing a thing. Let's check out the #accessibility of said thing. in half an hour, I will hop on #twitch and #youtube in order to give their so-called Öperation Codebreaker" a look from a #screenReader perspective. We'll be talking #WCAG, #blindness, #accessible interface design, the works.
See you then over at:

- https://twitch.tv/IC_Null
- https://youtube.com/@blindlyCoding
- I'm sure there's a tiktok stream as well but don't go there :P #selfPromo #stream #coding #tech #a11y

Accompanied by braille descriptions, Martin Kunz’s educational aids for blind students depict a wide range of plants, animals, and maps.

https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2025/01/martin-kunz-tactile-graphics/

Leaves, fish, herons, crocodiles, crustaceans, and more comprise a wide array of embossed educational aids for people who are blind. Read more about the hand-carved graphics from the turn-of-the-century:

https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2025/01/martin-kunz-tactile-graphics/

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.

Are you in Brisbane this week? NV Access are at the SPEVI conference at 293 Queen Street. We're talking all things NVDA & Mick is on a panel this afternoon on "The New Frontier of Braille" about multiline displays, chaired by Ben Clare.

Anyone suggest a good guide to using social media when blind?

#Barclays bank paying mystery shoppers to pretend to be suffering from some level of #Deafness or #Blindness does exactly what to help improve their services for people who genuinely have these conditions?

Do they just pat themselves on the back when they get a report from a mystery shopping putting on a disability that all is well at that branch in terms of equality of access to services???

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/jan/05/barclays-mystery-shoppers-banks-pretend-blind-deaf

So...
I've been sitting on this for literal months. I'll be honest, the prospect of throwing this out into the void is terrifying but... I don't see any other way forward. I don't feel like I can count on my family to support me with this.
If you can donate, even $1 will mean something to me at this stage. If you can't, a share will tell me if it's worth trying to promote this more actively...
https://gofund.me/50a4be9f
#Mutual#Aid #MutualAidRequest #GoFundMe #Disability #Blindness #CrowdFunding #Education