Photosymbols @photosymbols@learningdisability.social

i used my AAC on the bus to one of my sports programs today ! i think the sound was not up loud enough for the driver to hear but i used it to say hello and thank you. usually i just wave and nod but i am working up to being confident using my device :)

OK #Mastodon. I've seen several toots on #accessibility for #screenreader users, however, I've not seen one from a screenreader user (as far as I know). I've used ZoomText, Outspoken, JAWS (AKA JFW), Supernova, NVDA (Windows), and VoiceOver (both on Macs and iPhone). I don't have experience with Windows Narrator or TalkBack. I would like to rectify and clarify a few small things.
First off, any awareness of accessibility issues, and endeavours to make things more accessible is great. Keep going!
But…
Blind/low-vision people have been using the internet as long as everyone else. We had to become used to the way people share things, and find workarounds or tell developers what we needed; this latter one has been the main drive to get us here and now. Over the past decade, screen readers have improved dramatically, including more tools, languages, and customisability. However, the basics were already firmly in place around 2000. Sadly, screen readers cost a lot of money at that time. Now, many are free; truly the biggest triumph for accessibility IMHO.
So, what you can do to help screen readers help their users is three simple things.
1. Write well: use punctuation, and avoid things like random capitalisation or * halfway through words.
2. Image description: screen readers with image recognition built-in will only provide a very short description, like: a plant, a painting, a person wearing a hat, etc. It can also deal with text included in the image, as long as the text isn't too creatively presented. So, by all means, go absolutely nuts with detail.
3. Hashtags: this is the most commonly boosted topic I've seen here, so #ThisIsWhatAnAccessibleHashtagLooksLike. The capitalisation ensures it's read correctly, and for some long hashtags without caps, I've known screen readers to give up and just start spelling the whole damn thing out, which is slow and painful.
That's really all. Thanks for reading! 😘

If you're in Cambridge and have some time to volunteer, this fantastic project offering a warm space, computer help and hot drinks to low income people is looking for help. Please RT

https://cambridgeonline.org.uk/

BBC News - I'm A Celebrity: Matt Hancock asks for forgiveness
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-63604403
I will never, ever forget the warnings from our Italian medical colleagues ❤ as they were physically and emotionally exhausted , 4 weeks before:

1) Ensure full PPE for healthcare staff
2) Isolate and protect the vulnerable
3) Reduce transmission through closing borders

What was delivered:

1) Bin bags and ineffective PPE
2) The flooding of care homes with Covid19 patients
3) All airports entirely open

i am currently working on my basics/quick access AAC board :) there is a girl at my work/volunteer placement who has the same case and we are always like 🤝

I’m currently researching:
1. Autistic people’s experiences of #menopause
2. Training needs of social care staff who support #autistic people with #sexuality & relationships;
3. Autistic people’s perspectives on #death and #dying (for a book being published by JKP).
I’m also a part-time librarian, deriving autistic joy from categorising, cataloguing, and lining up books, and helping people find relevant resources.
I’m passionate about social justice and the rights of #ActuallyAutistic people.

I joined Mastodon without expecting anything.

But in less than a day, I’ve found community in a way that I never had before, despite years on social media. I’m really grateful to have found the @actuallyautistic and #neurodivergent community here, where I always feel welcome to be my most authentic self.

Really makes me wish I had a safe space like this in real life. 🥲

#actuallyautistic #AuDHD

@actuallyautistic Does anyone know of any good groups for autistic parents of autistic children?

There was once a dream of a decentralised web.

As recently as a decade ago we had a still very active blogosphere, connected via blogrolls and RSS. Specialised web forums were still mainstream and messenger apps could largely interoperate.

Centralised social media slowly ate that dream. It had plenty of positives, but it pulled more and more people away from the open web and into corporate walled gardens.

Some people kept the dream of decentralisation alive. And now you are here.

@photosymbols @doctorkorb @Hamidarvand @mcne65 @Jesus @MohgaKamalYanni @ifiohub
Sunny and chilly in Portland. Thanks for the welcome!

For all of the academics on here who are learning about #accessibility and adding image descriptions, please take that inclusive energy with you the next time a student gives you their accommodation letter from the disability office or when you're considering your attendance policy.

Even better, consider reading up about #UniversalDesignForLearning or #UDL.

#HigherEd #Academia #DisabledInHigherEd #Disability #AcademicAbleism #DisabilityAccommodations

Very excited to have an article in the Australian Journal of Education Special Issue: 150 years of Education for Students with Disability: Progress Made and Remaining Challenges published today. My article is called "Unrealised promises and hollow claims: Australia’s failure to enact its international obligations under the CRPD for the education of students with disability" and looks at misalignment between the #CRPD and Australian #DisabilityDiscrimination laws #DDA #DisabilityRightsAreHumanRights #InclusiveEducation https://journals.sagepub.com/toc/aeda/66/3?fbclid=IwAR0VQ1dsa6XCjJy1W95OV_sHy-l7HsvCEwhpE7wyu0gOzB6LHDHLNypHXZM

I created a google form for those who do qualitative research, so we can find each other on here.

Please note that all form responses are public. Do let me know if you see any errors.

Fill it in and give people a follow, we will follow back.

Please share across all socials! Thank you! Looking forward to building a qualitative research community. ❤️

https://forms.gle/HEma1qpsmEkt1PZDA

#Qualitative #AcademicMastodon #Research #QualitativeCommunity #QualitativeResearch #Introduction

This morning I am generally scratching my head in confusion looking at Ipsea guidance and SEND regulations together with local policy from my LA. Having a tough job marrying the two up. There’s a surprise! #SEND #PreparingforAdulthood #Autism

New account. Gradually migrating from @Jack's media!