Karl Seymour @karl@learningdisability.social

Very good observation.....

I was explaining Mastodon to my wife and how it's different from other social media sites. I explained that I find it to be an inclusive, welcoming place. I explained that nearly everyone I follow is either gay or neurodiverse or trans or disabled. I explained that it's the first place I feel like I can actually really be myself and that people here are welcoming and supportive of me being myself. And that's why I've been so happy lately. She said "why don't you tell them that?" and I said ok!

Here’s a blog I wrote this weekend about a website we created during the early pandemic days. Hope you find it interesting. #LearningDisability #EasyRead #AccessibleInformation #Coronavirus

https://www.photosymbols.com/blogs/news/keep-keeping-safe

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 🤝

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! 😘

Hello, so I guess I'll start with an #introduction

I'm a crowdfunded #OpenJustice journalist, mostly reporting from coroners courts.

I tend to focus on the premature and preventable deaths of learning disabled and #autistic people.

I also work with universities, researchers and health and social care orgs to get #research into practice

I rage a lot, and find witnessing/sharing helps. I also waffle on about non work stuff, a fair bit

BBC film about my work here https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-55986827

I wrote a short blog about parental advocacy for Making Chromosomes Count: https://makingchromosomescount.co.uk/2022/11/08/parental-advocacy-via-a-pink-ice-cream-van/

#advocacy #disability #academictwitter #SEND #parenting #DownSyndrome #MCC #SpecialEducation

'Getting my ADHD diagnosis at 53' - As #ADHDAwarenessMonth draws to an end I felt it was time to share a personal reflection on my recent diagnosis
@adhdawareuk

@adhdadultuk
https://medium.com/@paulrichards_75021/adhd-diagnosis-at-53-67a871e14750

About our recent meet-up with the #GigBuddies projects from around UK and Ireland. Talking about volunteer engagement, cost of living and showing our impact.
It was a wonderful day of ideas and connection
https://stayuplate.org/gig-buddies-partners-day/

Since I don't believe there is a #DisabledInSTEM account here, I am going to encourage anyone who is #disabled and a #scientist to consider participating either as a Mentee or a Mentor. The application period is now open. Mentors can either be disabled themselves or allies!

https://disabledinstem.wordpress.com/

It is easy to blame “bad apples” to protect our collective fantasy of angelic NHS staff. But life is more complicated than this, as are the dynamics in health systems https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/nov/10/england-mental-health-services-compassion-scandals-patients

This is spot on from @Shrink_at_Large IMO, it's too easy to blame a lack of funding for what's actually a lack of ambition

Jordyn Zimmerman, in case you don’t know her, is a non-speaking Autist and a powerful advocate for the right to communicate (something she herself was denied until she was 18)

If you have a chance to see it, do watch the documentary ‘This is not about me’

#AllAutistics deserve access to be heard, whether in speech or using #AAC

It’s so important to #ListenToNonSpeakers

https://www.jordynzimmerman.com/