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#lowvision

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#FreeBSD provides the Ports Collection, a convenient way to install applications. Some ports allow users to configure options before building and installing. By default, this configuration is done through an interactive menu in the terminal.

To improve readability and #Accessibility especially for users with low vision or color blindness, it's important to offer simple and customizable color options. These features have recently been implemented and documented in the preview version of the FreeBSD Accessibility Handbook:
freebsd-accessibility-9d667f.g

The next step is to extend these features to all terminal-based graphical components.

I'd love to hear from you:
Do you use any accessibility features in the terminal?
Which color-related assistive technologies make the biggest difference in your daily workflow?

Together, we can make FreeBSD more accessible for everyone. #ThePowerForEveryone #FreeBSD #Accessibility #OpenSource #LowVision #ColorBlindness #AssistiveTechnology #AccessibilityMatters

FreeBSD offers a wide range of accessibility features for users with low vision. Some of these features are built directly into the system, while others are available as installable packages, including:
Window scaling, Visual feedback to locate the mouse cursor, Highly legible fonts tailored for low vision, High-contrast themes, Magnification tools, and much more.

I'd love to hear from you: Do you use any accessibility features? Which assistive technologies for low vision make the biggest difference in your daily computing?

Together, we can make FreeBSD more accessible for everyone. #ThePowerForEveryone

About a month ago, I had the privilege of presenting #FreeBSD at the Institute for the Blind in Milan, during an event held in connection with #GAAD (Global Accessibility Awareness Day). It was a profoundly meaningful experience that deepened my commitment to digital accessibility and the development of assistive technologies.

I'm excited to share that the #Accessibility Handbook, focused on vision-related assistive technologies in FreeBSD, is nearly complete. This task has been made possible thanks to the tireless dedication of FreeBSD community volunteers and the support of the @FreeBSDFoundation for new projects and documentation centered on visual accessibility.

Replied in thread

@overholt

I attended a school for #blind and #LowVision students for grades 8-10.

We had large, wooden #topographic and #Political maps of #Europe and the #USA. They were basically giant #puzzles.

Europe was made/acquired between #WWI and #WWII. In ninth grade, our World History teacher would sometimes quiz us. This why I can identify #Latvia, #Estonia, and #Lithuania. Same teacher read us All Quiet on the Western Front, and shared this: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Der_Fueh.

en.wikipedia.orgDer Fuehrer's Face - Wikipedia

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: gitlab.com/alfix/freebsd-acces

I want to eventually share some of my blackwork embroidery designs on my website, which has got me wondering...

Are there any accessible, text-only notation methods for counted-stitch embroidery, like there are for knitting and crochet?

I have a lot of ideas for how I could approach it, like including both narrative and shorthand directions with an introductory description. But I don't want to re-invent the wheel!

Decided to sign up for #Codeberg, the #GitHub alternative that the Fediverse at large is insisting is worth a try and, in some cases, claiming will improve project contributions by avoiding some of the GH antipatterns. I expected to find some #accessibility issues; this is the modern web, after all.

I did not expect a fully inaccessible visual CAPTCHA with no workarounds. I'm unable to solve it, so I cannot create an account.

In short: If you want people who are #blind or #lowVision to contribute to your projects (you do, right?), Codeberg is currently not an #accessible platform.

Dang. I just got my first hate mail since I was, like, in high school. I've also gotten a lot of (rather more polite) questions about it so I figured I'd make a post about it so I can pin it to my profile.

I am a #blind slash #lowVision #VisualArtist. I have been doing art for as long as I have been very slowly going blind, which is over half my life. As for my abilities (or disability): I wear increasingly thick glasses that don't do much for me beyond the very close up (I use my phone's camera to look for things, for example), and have numerous blind spots on top of it. This isn't like what you might expect; it's not black or grey spots. My brain fills it in with what it thinks ought to be there (as does yours), and it does a really terrible job of it. I am incapable of seeing straight lines. I stopped driving a few years ago when I noticed I had a blind spot the size of a car in the other lane - cars would literally just blink out of existence, then back again half a second later. It was a scary realization. My spouse has recently convinced me I need a cane if for no other reason than so I stop running into people in public.

As an artist, I mostly do #watercolor now because I can see my subject (a picture on my phone) and my canvas up close. Mostly I paint bugs because I studied #entomology so I understand the anatomy that I am working with. I started out as a photographer, which I don't do much of anymore because I can't see through a view finder. What I have is degenerative, so I will continue losing pieces of my vision for the rest of my life. I will probably get more into linocuts and sculpture in a few years as watercolor becomes less an option.

I also write, quite often about blind characters! I am 100% self-published, which means they're not perfect, which I think just adds to their charm.

this sounds so cool for all those in the US! The quest to create the most accessible museum in the world - The Dot Experience, coming in 2026 | “‘One reason most museums maintain a strict ‘do not touch’ policy is to preserve artifacts; frequent handling accelerates wear and degradation. For blind visitors, this can feel alienating.’ —a barrier to connecting with the history and culture behind those glass cases. The Dot Experience addresses this challenge by creating accessible, multisensory experiences, such as media pods and 3D replicas, throughout the museum.”
#blind. #Deafblind #LowVision #museums #inclusion #Disability #Accessibility

afar.com/magazine/the-dot-expe

AFAR Media · The Quest to Create the Most Accessible Museum in the WorldThe refreshed museum of the American Printing House for the Blind in Louisville, Kentucky, is slated to open in 2026 with a novel invitation to visitors: please touch.

A fabulous tool for all Mastodonners who post pictures: Be My AI.

The software, available for Windows, Android and iPhone takes a picture or image and provides a very detailed description that you can copy into your Alt text (see examples below).

The interface is extremely simple and the program works for art, nature and graphs.

Adding a good Alt text has never been so easy.

Download it here:
bemyeyes.com/download

The #Braille200 event on Tues evening at the British Library was brilliant - to have so many Braille enthusiasts together is very rare, and there was a relaxed atmosphere of celebration; with wine, canapes and lovely background music. Braille doesn’t get this type of VIP treatment very often! The message that I took away from the engaging panel event was very much that Braille is part of the toolkit for a blind person, no one is expecting you to use it exclusively - when your hands are tired, use audio and when audio gets overwhelming, use your hands. The fact is that some tasks lend themselves better to one or the other. It’s all personal choice.

I also enjoyed looking at some items from the library archive, including a handmade Braille book by Stevie Ronnie with beautiful binding and a children’s Braille book, by Polly Edman, that had tactile thread winding across the pages to make it interactive.
I also had fun trying out the Dot Pad again and got my hands on the Monarch too (they both display graphics as well as being multi line Braille displays) - way too expensive, but hey, a girl can dream! Tech like this represents the future so fabulously, showing that Braille is both a reading and writing medium, but now also has the potential to help blind people understand graphics and charts more easily and allow them to be creative themselves.
I bumped into several people I know which was lovely and I’m sure there were plenty of others there that I didn’t find, the joys of trying to socialise when totally blind!
There were about 230 guests and it felt so special to be able to attend this event, one of the many events being organised to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Braille.
I’m sure there’ll be many podcasts coming out from the RNIB about the event but the link below gives a taster, with many interviews recorded on the night:

embeds.audioboom.com/playlists

embeds.audioboom.comBraille 200: Championing tactile literacy eventHost, distribute and monetize your podcast with Audioboom.

So questions for #Blind #Edgucaters, #teachers, #school staff and anyone in the #education field as a whole.

I am a university student who originally planned to double major in computer science and elementary education, but I’ve recently faced some concerns that I’d like to address.

I’ve been told that pursuing a teaching certification might not be advisable because schools may be reluctant to hire a teacher with low vision, who is mostly blind, to manage a classroom of thirty or more students. This has been quite upsetting.

My dream was to work with elementary students, focusing on #STEM subjects and teaching technology-related topics like understanding tech, its role in the world, and the basics of programming. Now, I find myself uncertain about what path to take.

Working with kids, especially those in elementary school, is my biggest passion, even more than tech or music. It’s something that would truly fulfill me. Since I can’t have kids myself, guiding and teaching young learners is the next best thing. It’s a career I’m committed to and want to excel in.

Being advised not to pursue a teaching certification and to focus solely on computer science has been quite discouraging. I’ve been told to study elementary education as a secondary focus and combine it with my computer science studies. This might involve developing educational systems for kids, but it would likely mean limited direct interaction, possibly just during product testing, which isn’t enough for me.

So, I have a few questions:

1. Are there any educators with #Blindness or #LowVision challenges working with elementary students? If so, in what capacity do you work with them?
2. How has your disability affected your effectiveness in the field?
3. What challenges did you face in getting certified and qualified, and how did you overcome them?
4. What obstacles have you encountered in the classroom and with colleagues, and how have you addressed them?

If these questions don’t apply, what advice can you offer me in pursuing my goal of working with children? While tech is a focus, I’m open to being flexible, as long as it’s an area I’m confident in.

Finally, if teaching isn’t possible for me, what other career paths would you suggest that align with my goals?

I’d really appreciate any support
and engagement in this discussion.

Boosts welcomed and appreciated.