FeohJul 10, 2023

Partially blind guy here with an #a11y PSA:

I'm seing a trend away from "Text Size" sliders or old fashioned font dialogs and towards a few set choices "Default", "Large","Larger", etc.

This is a HUGE step backwards. Your 'larger' is *never* large enough for my crazy busted eyeballs when I'm using my 34" monitor.

If you must do this, please be sure to add "Largest" and even "ZOMG ARE YOU SERIOUS LARGE" options. Some of us REALLY need them, even if it seems insane to you.

Show threadliloJul 10, 2023
@feoh From your perspective, do these buttons or sliders have any advantage over the standard builtin function of browsers to zoom into a page (and designing a website so that this zooming in does not break the layout)?
Show threadFeoh

@lilo I guess I don't understand the question.

I'm talking about native apps, not web pages, so maybe you're saying everything should be an Electron app or something so we can web zoom on anything?

Most operating systems also offer the option to zoom part of the screen, but have you ever tried LIVING like that? It's a misery.

Jul 10, 2023 at 3:34pmWeb
Show threadliloJul 10, 2023
@feoh No. I was refering to websites having extra zoom buttons to enlarge the font size which never made sense to me (since there is the browser zoom function).
Show threadsiderealJul 10, 2023
@lilo @feoh As a person without vision issues, I use this feature often when connecting my laptop to a projector while making a presentation. Being able to enlarge just the font size without breaking the layout of, say, a wikipedia page, can make it easily readable to an entire auditorium. More flexibility/granularity and CLARITY with font size outputs is good because as a web dev one never has any idea what kind of a display someone is connecting or broadcasting to.
Show threadDB SchweinJul 12, 2023
@lilo @feoh
The browser zoom function, 90% of the time, doesn't work well. Either you end up with unreadable breaks with headers or images running over the top, or the site "helps" by resizing it back...
Show threadSteveg58Jul 12, 2023
@deirdrebeth @lilo @feoh
Yep second that not work well and doesn't allow pages to re-format and now you have another problem of trying to scroll around the page with invisible controls.
Show threadkætJul 11, 2023

@feoh @lilo Do you know how to do that on android? I've not worked it out for native apps, and haven't found a way online. Is there some magic thing with seven fingers or something everyone knows about except me?

I've a terrible native app from tp-link where an important number is tiny in pale grey on a white in a diddy bubble of a different shade of grey and I have to screenshot it and zoom in an image viewer to see the number. (and my eyes are ok-ish: I wear reading glasses but that's it).

Show threadJohn ChivallJul 11, 2023

@chiffchaff @feoh @lilo On my Motorola Android phone, it's under Settings > Accessibility > Magnification. Once enabled, swiping up from the bottom of the screen with two fingers activates the screen magnifier. You can scroll around the screen with two fingers and pinch-zoom, and interact with UI elements in the magnified screen.

I don't know if this is specific to Moto or if it's in stock Android too?

Show threadkætJul 11, 2023
@johnchivall @feoh @lilo Brilliant, thank you, that works on my Moto phone as well! That's saved me lots of faff and frustration! 😀
Show threadJohn ChivallJul 11, 2023
@chiffchaff @feoh @lilo you're very welcome, glad it worked for you!
Show threadBensGreenGamingAcJul 12, 2023
@johnchivall @chiffchaff @feoh @lilo It's present on my Google Pixel phone but I have to press both volumebuttons or have an on-screen zoom button.
Show threadJohn ChivallJul 12, 2023
@green_bens @chiffchaff @feoh @lilo The two-finger swipe gesture might be a Motorola thing. Annoying that a11y functionality isn't standardised across android
Show threadkætJul 12, 2023
@johnchivall @green_bens @feoh @lilo It's weird you have to turn it on. That's the thing which didn't occur to me! I felt very silly when you showed me how to do it, but it just seemed so strange that it isn't just normal. I had tried no end of things to get it to zoom, but I didn't expect it to be hidden away in a setting. Loads and loads of people have vision that needs a helping hand. I guess just not among mobile developers!
Show threadBensGreenGamingAcJul 12, 2023
@chiffchaff @johnchivall @feoh @lilo FYI: On my phone you can do Settings then Display then Display size which might be useful if you need everything a bit bigger or smaller.
Show threadJohn ChivallJul 12, 2023
@chiffchaff @green_bens @feoh @lilo That too! It should be on by default and the very first "welcome to your new phone" screen should show that user how to do it (and that very first screen should be narrated too, explicitly asking if screen reader should be enabled from that point). Most users will just tap "next", some will go "oh cool, I didn't know it could do that and I like it" and everyone who really needs the feature has a usable device from the start
Show threadDym SohinJul 12, 2023
@feoh @lilo
does resolution/dpi change feels sufficient?
i had a 30" set to 200% on the OS level, to test several things,
but im afraid even 1024px width is not enough of a viewport for some apps and many websites today
Show threadJernej Simončič �Jul 12, 2023
@feoh @lilo For native apps, can you use the OS DPI settings? I don't know if you use Windows, but Windows 10 made high DPI support much better, including for old programs that normally didn't work well with anything other than 100% (right-click such program icon, go to Properties → Compatibility tab and in High DPI Settings try the [nonsensically-named] "System (Enhanced)" option if the program has trouble running when you set anything higher than 100% DPI).