/r/accessibility
Links and discussions about access and inclusion. Both atoms (built environment) and bits (digital accessibility).
To learn more about digital accessibility, please check out our Accessibility Resources Wiki
We enforce accessibility with Accessible Reddit. All media submissions must be accessible.
/r/accessibility
Hello All,
I want to raise awareness about the risks of using browser extensions or apps from unknown developers. I was once a dedicated user of Read&Write’s browser extension for reading online content—it looked legitimate and was clearly made by the company. However, one day the extension was sold, and after the subsequent update, it started mining cryptocurrency on my computer without my consent. It ran for quite some time before my security software caught on.
This incident sparked my curiosity about the potential dangers of browser extensions and apps in general. Did you know that by installing a malicious extension, someone could steal your cookie sessions from other tabs and log in as you without your knowledge? Even two-factor authentication won’t help if a live session is hijacked through an extension you willingly installed. Shockingly, a malicious extension could also capture everything you type into your browser. There’s a significant lack of security in many browser extensions, leaving users vulnerable to hackers using social engineering tactics here in this sub.
Then AI came into the picture. I became curious about what companies could access from chat logs, so I set up an inference server (ollama) to load my models into RAM and interact with them. Initially, I worked via the command line, but since I wasn’t a fan of that interface, I looked for alternatives. Docker is usually the go-to in this area, and HuggingFace offers a variety of open-source prototypes to experiment with. Open WebUI provided a user-friendly alternative—after pulling the code from GitHub into Docker and syncing with Ollama, I had my own local version of ChatGPT running.
I began experimenting by creating multiple accounts with different permissions, designating one as the administrator. Using the admin account, I could view the logs from the other accounts I had created. The results were startling—everything was accessible. Whether you press enter to submit text or upload a document or image, I can see it all logged. Images are stored in a separate folder, but they’re linked to the respective account.
Users, be cautious. Keep in mind, all these tests are being requested without any payment.
Hello!
I have come to a problem where i need to visually move/show focus when im pressing any of the arrow keys on a webpage.
I mean on a desktop webpage. Using Jaws screenreader.
Currently Jaws' focus moves when pressing up/down arrow, but the black focus doesnt move at all visually. Screenreader itself
reads next/previous element but just visually doesnt move. (Only when using tab, but id want arrows to work too, atleast for interactive
elements)
I have tried to add keydown event listener to document and windows but neither of them have worked.
Need to meet WCAG 2.1 AA.
I can not really share any code, but if someone has any working examples or knows any source where i could take inspiration or if you have some advice then please help!!
Thanks!
Axe-con is free and 100% virtual on February 25-27. There are 60+ hours of continuing education credits you can claim in support of your IAAP certification efforts.
Hey r/accessibility community! 👋
I’m the creator of GPT Reader 🙏
A revolutionary way to consume text—the ultimate AI-powered text-to-speech extension. Transform your documents, notes, and ideas into premium ChatGPT-powered voices—all for FREE!
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- ⏯️ Play & Pause Anytime – Pick up where you left off, seamlessly!
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🎥 Watch GPT Reader in action! Youtube Video
💬 What feature should I add next? Let me know below! 🎤🔥
Imagine being visually impaired or having limited mobility, and everyone's telling you "Just use AI tools, they'll change your life!"
These tools expect you to type. A lot.
Despite the fact that in order to use AI daily:
The only reason, then, why most people are still not using AI is because:
Typing.
Communication is already challenging enough, but when you have to type - which isn't natural for 99% of people, let alone those with visual or physical impairments - it becomes even harder. When typing with accessibility tools:
The result is: people who could benefit most from AI aren't using it nearly as much as they could.
I faced this myself. I hated the idea of typing essays to get what I wanted from AI. It wasn't until we built a chrome extension for voice-to-text that I became a regular user.
It's honestly shameful that most AI providers only offer voice features in their mobile apps (and sometimes Mac). Their web apps, where 90% of users are, especially those relying on screen readers and other accessibility tools, just don't have that option.
I strongly believe voice-to-text, if not voice-to-voice, should be the default way to interact with AI. The current keyboard-centric approach is exclusionary.
EDIT:
default =/= only
pls guys stop making me clarify this again and again. Default means default. It doesn't mean there should only be ONE mode of interaction. It means that a certain mode should be the 'default' like you don't have to do any extra work to get the other mode.
Has anyone taken the CPACC exams I want to know what it feels like, because I will be taking mine in the next few days. I only studied the body of knowledge thoroughly, I don't know if this is sufficient enough.
Hey everyone,
I’ve been struggling to enable the Accessibility permission for apps downloaded from outside the Play Store on my OnePlus Pad running Android 15. One example is DigiPaws, which I got from F-Droid. It needs Accessibility access to work properly, but I can’t seem to toggle the permission.
On older Android versions like 13 and 14, there used to be an option in the app’s info page (under the three-dot menu) to allow restricted settings for apps from unknown sources. But on Android 15, that option seems to be gone—at least on my device.
I’ve read that Google has made it harder to enable Accessibility permissions for apps not from the Play Store, but this is causing a lot of issues for apps like DigiPaws and others I rely on.
Has anyone figured out a way to enable this permission on Android 15, especially on OnePlus devices? I’d appreciate any tips or workarounds that don’t involve rooting.
Thanks a lot!
Not much to say but hi
Hello, wondering if I could get some thoughts from previous attendees.
What can I expect in terms of practical knowledge and overall compliance tips at this conference?
I am still new to this space but have been tasked with getting my company website up to date. Is there a strong emphasis on Web Accessibility specifically for websites and PDF documents?
I was looking at Axe-con as well but will attending CSUN compliment each other or is it redundant?
Hello everyone!
I’m excited to share the launch of the first Italian community dedicated to digital accessibility.
🔗 https://www.reddit.com/r/accessibilitadigitale/
Our goal is to bring together professionals, developers, designers, content creators, and anyone passionate about making the web and digital technologies more inclusive. We focus on web and mobile accessibility, WCAG, inclusive UX, accessible development, testing tools, and accessibility regulations.
If you’re interested in accessibility and want to connect with others in the Italian-speaking community, feel free to join us! Let’s work together to build a more inclusive digital world.
Hope to see you there! 🚀
On our website, we have a main navigation with a bunch of links with, of course, a skip main navigation button. Then, on some pages, we have a small submenu specific to the individual page, with maybe 5 tabs.
The question is whether we should have a second "Skip Foo Navigation" link to get past this second smaller set of options.
If we include the button, assuming you are "tabbing", you'd hit the skip button first, and if you click it, it will take you to an empty anchor on the far side of the sub-navigation, then the next tab would take you to the next content.
If we omit the button, you have to tab through the whole menu of 5 items to get to the content. However, you save the tab onto the "skip" button, and also the tab off the empty anchor on the far side of the skip, so that you are saving a net of three keypresses (for a 5 item menu), again assuming you are just using tabs.
So fewer keypresses, but a bit more cognitive load when you have to decide whether to skip. Is this second "Skip Foo Navigation" a net plus? We added it, but as someone who is not reliant on the accessibility tools, I don't have a feel for whether this is a welcome addition. Thoughts?
A vendor that we use Heyzine is not accessible yet. FlippingBook and Issuu have implemented some best practices, but are they fully accessible and AA-compliant? Does anyone know of a vendor that meets these standards?
From my understanding, none of these vendors are truly accessible. Since my team wants an eBook flipbook PDF experience, it might be best to choose the most affordable option (like Heyzine) and provide a downloadable accessible PDF as an alternative.
Is this the best approach?
I seek to ship a laptop to a blind friend with a permanent remote access for support, I need to work without her assistance as soon as it's online, that said I want the interface accessible if I'm away so the user could allow a temporary access to a relative if needed. Windows/Linux support is needed since the user will have both.
Hi,
You know how the Trusted Tester course has those windows that pop up when you want to study a course module, and how awkward that is? Well, I've been opening them and each lesson within, and to copy and pasting them on Word so I could print the materials.
I have trouble studying (reading long texts) on a screen, so I prefer to print them. The issue is: the images are not copy-pastable, which wasn't a problem until they started actually having illustrative content. So that makes the copy-pasting even more inneficient. Besides of that, it's pretty tiring to copy and paste every lesson individually to Word.
So basically, I'm wondering if there is any place where I can find the studying materials from the DHS Trusted Tester course on printable documents e.g. google docs, Word, PDF.
Thank you!
Hey everyone,
I've developed an app called ColorLift. It's a free tool for Windows and macOS (but firstly you need to have access to a large language model API) that lets you pick any color on your screen and provides an AI-generated accessible description of that color. My hope is that ColorLift can assist others in the colorblind community by making on-screen color identification a bit easier.
You can check it out here: ColorLift on GitHub (Documentation (EN))
Would love to hear your thoughts and feedback!
Any ideas for accessibility logos to represent the accessibility team? Hoping to make swag or stickers to share
I used to think a11y was kind of a cool way to show alliance for accessible design and the disability community at large, and then I learned it was because there are 11 letters between “a” and “y.”
I have always found jargon and abbreviations to be naturally exclusive, and this just made me really annoyed.
I get not wanting to type the word accessibility because it’s long and spelling is hard sometimes, but also we have things like text replacement shortcuts (I created one that specifically expands “a11y” which has made this post a bit annoying).
In an effort to write inclusive language, how do you draw the line between cultural trends (LOL, JK), common short hands/abbreviations (CEO), and insider-jargon (FWIW, AITA, IIRC) where some personality is acceptable in the voice/tone (e.g. your personal blog or a company blog)?
Hi everyone!
I’m an Italian guy with a disability, and I’m planning a trip to Barcelona from April 22 to April 25 with my mom and a friend. I use a detachable wheelchair with a motor controlled by a joystick, so I need to plan a few things to ensure the trip is enjoyable and accessible.
I’m looking for advice on: 1. Accessible and budget-friendly hotels:
Which hotels with elevators and adapted bathrooms would you recommend? I’d prefer not to stay in apartments, and I’d like to avoid spending too much. Are there any discounts or benefits for people with disabilities?
Is the metro fully accessible? How do adapted taxis work in Barcelona? Are there other accessible ways to get around the city? What’s the best way to use public transport?
Thank you so much for any tips or personal experiences!
Looking for examples of alt text for complex images and graphics. I know the goal is to have a summary around 125 characters with a link to the more complex information. I was just curious to see a real example.
Hi all,
Does anyone know if there's a way to restart the ipad from the homepage or through button access? I deal with a lot of people who have physical limitations which makes restarting the ipad or turning it off very difficult. I'm struggling to figure out the keywords I would search for on google.
Thanks
Due to space issues, we may need to round currency on screen in order for it to fit. For example: $1,111,000 may get rounded to $1.1M. The actual amount is available to be read by the screen reader, but the question is do we have the screen reader read the actual amount or does it read the rounded amount displayed on screen?
I know what alt attributes are for, but as a person who doesn't generally use a screen reader for navigating websites, at what point does the text inside of an alt attribute become redundant or "noisy"?
For example, the aria-label ("alt text", if you will) on https://www.apple.com/iphone-16-pro/ makes sense.
However, for one of the sites I'm working on, there's a big long article with a bunch of photos that may or may not be related to the content it appears next to.
Should I (the developer) be the one responsible for determining if an image is "purely decorative" or should they all be labeled with meaningful alt text? (Here's a past article where I did my best with alt text and the images have almost nothing to do with the content besides being a picture of the article's subject) https://togetherweremore.com/inspirational/tara-thorpe/
I am quite new to accessibility testing. I am curious on your take regarding website navigation: can a navigation that uses submenues which open on hover be accessible at all? Or is it a question of using proper aria roles? I have the impression that on hover actions in general make it quite difficult to navigate a website via the keyboard alone, but I am not familiar enough using screen readers to base that on actual facts.
What do you think the biggest issues are on Websites, Apps, Games or VR/AR for Accessibility?
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I am currently on a mission to revolutionise accessibility and make sure digital platforms can be compliant with WCAG proactively rather than having to go through audits / fixing the issue after they arise. I am also working on setting a new global standard that will help the digital world become more inclusive, and something companies can be recognised positively for taking action with.
I already am working on a work around that will help developers fix the accessibility issues before the website or application is live, And I have made improvements in the automation of audits, fixes and alerts for new remediations for updates in WCAG or other accessibility compliance guidelines.
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I'd love to hear any personal issues you've faced with accessibility on websites, apps, games, virtual reality or any digital platform you can think of. If you can elaborate on specifics that would be great. I will also provide an example of what I am looking for below:
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Hypothetical example: ''I often struggle with VR games and apps because many don't include options for contrast or colourblind modes. Certain in-game visuals or instructions blend into the background making it near impossible to navigate or understand what's happening.''
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Your insights will help shape the future of tools and solutions for accessibility in the digital landscape.
Please share your thoughts or experiences in the comments! Every piece of feedback helps us build tools that make digital experiences more inclusive for everyone.
Hello together,
I am running out of clues and google does not seem to be a help on this topic.
I am hearing impaired and started going to the university recently.
In large lecture halls I got serious problems following lecturers because I am not able to filter environment sound from speech well. Thats why the university provided me an external bluetooth mic which the lecturer can sling on.
My MacBook acts as the receiver, so I can listen to the sound via QuickTime and my AirPods, which is great as I also win the ANC function from the AirPods.
The thing which disturbs me with this solution is, that I always need my iPad for taking notes / sketching and my macbook at the same time.
Do you know about any solution which I can use to live listen to the input from the bluetooth microphone directly on the ipad?
Apples Live listen feature does not seem to work with external wireless microphones, which is a pitty as throwing a cable through the room is not an option
whitehouse.gov/accessibility only shows a 404 page now
With that, I was wondering if we could have a thread on here where we share any resources, supportive websites, and information about accessibility. It could be a website you use, a book, a blog, social media account, etc.
I can start with one resource for now:
https://www.w3.org/WAI/fundamentals/
Does anyone else have resources to share?
I managed to fit it all in the title. Volume sliders exist and allow one to set a 'maximum volume'. Why is there not also an ability to set a 'maximum pitch'? Is the maximum pitch that a speaker puts out arbitrarily defined based on human hearing? Brain injuries and many neurological conditions make whole ranges of pitches of sound to be less tolerable for individuals.
If you've read this far, maybe you're thinking 'why should I care?' Well, to take this from an accessibility thing to an everyone thing:
An innumerable amount of humans likely get headaches from sounds. Some of those headaches are because of sounds they might not even be aware they're hearing, from headphones or speakers for example.
Still here? An idea to deal with it:
Computers are definitely smart enough to give a rough 'hearing test' and determine if a human is hearing the pitches it generates and asks for feedback on. Just add to the test from only using hearing vs non-hearing, to include some kind of 'is this sound a problem for you?' in some way and start in a very neutral space and work towards fringes. Computers should be helping people more, and this is something that could be done with software and care.