After answering many questions on
#accessibility and
#screenreaders used by
#blind,
#LowVision,
#PartiallySighted,
#VisuallyImpaired people, I think it would be good to summarise them in their refined forms in one spot for easy reference.
1. Writing well as a general advice stands, however, I wrote my post in English and naturally included some points specific to English. Screen readers are programmed to work best with languages according to their spelling conventions regarding capitalisation, punctuation, and symbol usage; covering anything from casual to academic writing styles. Substituting letters with symbols/numbers falls outside of such conventions, meaning words will not read correctly.
2.
#AltText, and the time it takes to write them, is very much appreciated, regardless of length or level of detail. However, the more detail you can put in the more we can appreciate the image and your reasons for sharing it.
3. Multi-word hashtags in CamelCase, yes:
#ThisIsWhatAnAccessibleHashtagLooksLike. It does not matter where you place them; either in the post's text or at the end. The best analogy for screen reader users being able to deal with hashtags in text is that we've become used to them in the same way we're used to people saying "uh", "ummm", or other extraneous vocalisations when talking.
Bonus: By all means, use emojis for that extra bit of expression, but in moderation.
Final thoughts: Screen readers can be customised by the user to make it work best for them, including minimising any annoyances. The above points will help loads regarding shared content. Assume that a screen reader user has optimised their settings to deal with the rest.
Once again, thanks for reading! 😘
#FediTips #Mastodon #ScreenReaderUsers #inclusivity #community