Friendica Social Network (Leipzig)

I've just updated the guide on how to make your Mastodon and Fediverse posts accessible to blind and deaf people:

➡️ https://fedi.tips/how-do-i-make-posts-more-accessible-to-blind-people-on-mastodon-and-the-fediverse

Amongst other things, it now includes step-by-step instructions for adding alt texts.

Thanks for all the feedback about the previous version, hopefully this provides more info in a clearer way. Let me know if I've missed something or got something wrong.

(I also merged the blind and deaf guides as the media description process is identical.)

#FediTips

How do I make posts more accessible to blind and deaf people on Mastodon and the Fediverse? How do I add alt texts? | Fedi.Tips – An Unofficial Guide to Mastodon and the Fediverse

An unofficial guide to using Mastodon and the Fediverse

^fedi.tips

#feditips

AnneTheWriter 3 Tage her •

Your thoughts, please...

How can we advocate for more #AltText on #Pixelfed ? I see so many obvious #Instagram migrants there, posting lots of images without AltText. For me, it's especially frustrating when I see comic strip panels with tiny text in the balloons, that I can't even read when zoomed on my phone.

I've politely mentioned it a few times privately to those accounts that most need it, and left one AltText suggestion in one comment, but I don't think the community there feels about it as strongly as we do here on #Mastodon .

What can we do to encourage it there, also?

#mastodon #pixelfed #alttext #Instagram

Fedi.Tips 3 Tage her •

I wonder if it is due to the new official Pixelfed app?

I just tried posting with it and there is nothing in the process prompting you to add alt text. In fact the only way you can add alt text is if you add an image, THEN click on a slider icon under that image and then "edit alt text".

if you didn't know the option was there, it would be a bit difficult to discover it... 🤔

I'll report this as a bug, thanks for bringing this up.

Dieser Beitrag wurde bearbeitet. (3 Tage her)

AnneTheWriter 3 Tage her •

Please also mention that I am unable to edit posts and/or AltText. When I try to edit it at all, it takes me to add a comment on the post.

Fedi.Tips 2 Tage her •

Are you using the website or the app?

AnneTheWriter 2 Tage her •

I have so far been using only the app, on an Android phone.

Dieser Beitrag wurde bearbeitet. (2 Tage her)

Fedi.Tips 2 Tage her •

Is this the official Mastodon app you're using? Have you updated it to the latest version?

When you say "takes you to a comment", do you mean it starts a new blank reply?

By the way, you might want to try a third party app instead, most people who try them tend to prefer them. For example Tusky, Fedilab and Moshidon are popular on Android 🙂

AnneTheWriter 2 Tage her •

I think I might need to clarify that I am referring to having issues with editing PixelFed posts in the PixelFed app, and I am not having any issues on Mastodon.

Fedi.Tips 1 Tag her •

Ahhhh sorry, my mistake! I got a bit mixed up between several different threads.

I will mention it.

AnneTheWriter 1 Tag her •

Considering how many requests you have for tech support here and where your mindset tends to need to be all the time, it's completely understandable. I should have been more specific. Thanks!

Fedi.Tips 1 Tag her •

By the way, you should be able to edit your posts if you're logged in on your Pixelfed server's website?

Fedi.Tips 3 Tage her •

p.s. Shoutout to the excellent @WeirdWriter for providing advice and feedback on accessibility issues for this and other articles on the fedi.tips website. Would highly recommend following them!

@Robert Kingett

Vint Prox 2 Tage her •

I think part of the reason people skip doing alt text is because it *IS* a multi-step process. Web interface could use some refurbishing with all fields exposed in one singular form, not some detached dialogs. Can't say whether this should apply to mobile apps as well, because it probably complicates the UI with small screen estate.

Melroy van den Berg 2 Tage her •

the moment you are uploading an image the UI should then automatically ask for an alt text, so it's a more streamlined process

Fedi.Tips 2 Tage her •

This varies depending on what interface you're using.

FWIW the official Masto web interface has an ALT icon lit in yellow if you haven't added a description, and some forks/mods of the web interface make the warning much more explicit with red borders etc.

The official app does it pretty well I think, when you attach the image there is a text on top of the image encouraging people to type a description which you just type over, all in one window.

woe2you 2 Tage her •

I was wondering why deaf people need help with images. Took me a good moment before I remembered that people post videos too. I am not a smart man.

Fedi.Tips 2 Tage her •

You're not the only one to miss this! 😁

Also you can post audio files on here, so that obviously needs some kind of text description for those who can't hear.

Martijn “McDutchie” Dekker🇪🇺 2 Tage her •

It might be worth pointing out that not only people with visual and/or auditory impairments benefit from #AltText. It can be useful in many other ways, too.

To me, as an #autistic person whose perception and information processing work in quite different ways, it is not always clear what the point of an image is. Some good alt text can help a lot.

Some clarifying background info in alt text can also be very useful for the general public (which helps to normalise the use of alt text).

#autistic #alttext