Jeri DanskyApr 16, 2023

I hadn't realized just how much of the online #blind community had migrated from Twitter to Mastodon. That gives added oomph to the need to use #AltText on our images (as well as CamelCase on hashtags).

https://openletter.earth/an-open-letter-to-organisations-engaging-with-the-online-blind-community-twitter-has-abandoned-us-many-of-us-have-abandoned-twitter-join-us-on-mastodon-8ead4746

h/t @JonathanMosen #accessability #a11y

An open letter to organisations engaging with the online blind community. Twitter has abandoned us, many of us have abandoned Twitter, join us on Mastodon

Show threadLeisureguyApr 17, 2023

@jeridansky @JonathanMosen

Mastodon's is designed to make entering alt text less convenient than not entering it. The design encourages not entering alt text.

Adding an image should open the edit page with the cursor in the alt text entry box. The current design requires that a user:

1. know what alt text is
2. know how to open the entry box
3. take the extra step to open the entry box
4. remember to do it

If alt text were the default, entering alt text would be easier and more natural

Show threadJeri DanskyApr 17, 2023
@Leisureguy A lot of people are composing using apps, and each app handles this differently. I use Toot! and when I add images I'm prompted with this: "Tap on the images to give them descriptions and set focal points for cropping." That seems pretty good to me.
Show threadLeisureguy

@jeridansky It is good, but I do think it would be better if no tap were required. Why make the user take that step when the app itself could automatically open the edit box with the cursor ready to enter alt text?

That saves a step and would be informative to those who don't know exactly what the tap would do.

If you would someone to take an action (e.g., enter alt text), you remove every possible barrier to taking that action. That's why stores have doors that open automatically.

Apr 17, 2023 at 12:26pmWeb
Show threadJeri DanskyApr 17, 2023

@Leisureguy Here's what it looks like on Toot! This is when I started my post by adding a photo from my library.

Designing the user interface for creating a post must be a challenge, and I think Toot! did a fine job. One tap to add alt text (which isn't even called alt text) seems like a trivial barrier to me. YMMV.

Show threadLeisureguyApr 17, 2023
@jeridansky Yes, having to tap to add text is a barrier — a trivial barrier, as you say, but still a barrier. And the (trivial) barrier can be removed by have the software already present what the result would if the image were tapped. That would remove the need to tap.