Wren Reilly

A gentle reminder that IoT, health tech, and other devices are accessibility devices for many people.

Yes, the stove with WiFi.
Yes, the heart rate tracker.
Yes, the camera on the door.
Yes, the speech assistant.

Abstinence-only education doesn't work for infosec either.
You can only help to create alternatives if you acknowledge that disabled people exist, use tech, and understand privacy.

Don't be condescending. Be curious.

May 1, 2023 at 9:55amWeb
Show threadWren ReillyMay 1, 2023

If you're very lucky you get old and need this stuff.

If you're unlucky you're temporarily without the use of a sense or limb and need this stuff. Or, you're in the middle of a mass disabling event and should think about what having post-exertional malaise or dysautonomia means for your use of tech.

Show threadWren ReillyMay 1, 2023
Companies that use disability as marketing without investing in hiring disabled designers can get in the sea, however.
Show threadGlitchMay 1, 2023

@akareilly And I mean, even if any individual disabled user doesn't understand privacy or security, it's not a reason to just be condescending or go all abstinence-only.

That's when it becomes paramount to provide clear information, bc their usage of the device has comparatively raised stakes.

Show threadMast0b1tMay 1, 2023
@akareilly @downey đź’Ż%!
Show threadaudrinaMay 2, 2023
what is IoT? And is it iot, or LOT? How are devices preventing something like "law enforcement" from slurping the data, or profiteers from profiting?
Show threadC.H. RomatowskiMay 2, 2023
@akareilly “Abstinence-only education doesn't work for infosec either” is a sentence I feel like I’ve been looking for my whole life. Thank you!!
Show threadWren ReillyMay 2, 2023
@Romatowski I'm certain I heard it somewhere a few years ago
Show threadĂ–lbaumMay 4, 2023
@akareilly I’m realising that a stove that you can check if it’s on from your phone, and turn off remotely, would help a lot of people who constantly worry about this stuff while they’re out of home. Assuming they feel comfortable trusting what the app tells them.
Show threadHeliosMay 4, 2023
@akareilly excellent reminder. Instead of regressing to being luddites, let's leverage new technological developments by adapting the good parts and removing the bad. Instead of capitalist for-profit tracker laden software, we can use FOSS software with copyleft licensing for complete transparency on what the hardware does.
Show threadWren ReillyMay 4, 2023

@helios97

That will happen when open source projects prioritise accessibility.

Right now Linux is not as accessible as Windows or MacOS.

There are some baby steps between FOSS health tech and the current state of things.

Bring it up when you talk to developers!