Let's do the math. Experts estimate it takes 10,000 #AI queries to match the energy of one single car trip across town.
I don't have a car. I don't drive. So, until you stop driving to the store, maybe don't lecture a #Blind woman about the 'environmental cost' of having a family photo or a cat picture described to her. My #Accessibility tool costs the planet less energy in a year than your car does in a week.
#blind
Actually, the environmental impact of #AI is often overstated. It takes roughly 10,000 AI requests to equal the carbon footprint of one short car ride.
I’m a #Blind widow who doesn’t own a car. My carbon footprint is tiny. Please don't try and shame me for using a tool that helps me see; I promise my 10,000 cat descriptions are doing less damage than your morning commute.
Interesting discussion about Alt text auto generation between the programmer and blind users of the FediVerse
I was passing time, tilting at windmills, advocating for using AI to write WCAG compliant alt text. One of the people disagreeing with me told me “Accessibility Professionals” don’t agree with me.
Well, it is 2026tomorrow, I have had the internet at home for 30 years and I am sick of waiting…accessibility professionals did their best, but talking about human written alt text in a world were there are over a trillion images on Instagram, it was never a serious solution.
I am an Accessibility Advocate and I say, “access delayed is access denied.” It is time to stop telling blind people to wait – the perfect is the enemy of the good enough!
I made a spelling mistake several times, but no one told me I was wrongly spelling the word: insisted to write "Yuno OS" when it is "YUNO HOST". Blindness directly connected to laziness. Using voice-only feedbacks, without activating English dictionary, on mobile device only. With no mood to connect Braille device or, better, reading character by character. Giving that software for granted as an operating system.
And the wrong assumption made me misspell the research on Internet making me get lost.
In the end, there's no issue in saying "careful, double-check, you've misspelled the word". But maybe, with no bad intentions, people just felt uncomfortable to warn me. Like thinking "this is bullying, this is reminding someone of their disability". We are people around people, everyone makes mistakes and everyone should help each other overcome them.
#blind #fail #words
Counting Cats: Why "Good Enough" is my New Gold Standard for AI Accessibility
Is AI ready to describe complex images? To find out, I ran a "stress test" using a classic trick image designed to confuse viewers: a pile of cats where kittens are hidden in curls and shadows.
I tested three major models—GPT-5.2, Gemini 3 Pro, and Claude—against a "Gold Standard" human verifier.
The Results:
• GPT-5.2 correctly identified 15 cats, breaking them down by row and group.
• Gemini 3 Pro also hit 15, specifically noting the "hidden" kittens that often trip people up, such as the one "tucked directly under" a stretching cat.
• Claude initially struggled with "extended thinking," guessing 16 or 17, but settled on 15 without it.
• The Human Verifier: My trusted expert confirmed there are, in fact, fifteen cats.
The "Good Enough" Philosophy
This experiment highlights a critical shift in accessibility advocacy. While I wouldn't "bet my life" on an AI count, that isn't the right metric. The debate over "gold standards" often paralyzes us from using tools that are immediately helpful.
As the results show, AI is capable of handling nuance and detail. In the world of image descriptions, "the perfect really is the enemy of the good enough". If we wait for perfection, we miss the opportunity to make the web accessible right now.
#Accessibility #AI #AltText #Blind
If you want to join apositive subreddit for the blind, try r/BlindandFine. I do not claim to be perfect. I am bound to make mistakes. But I am also willing to listen to members and try to make this the best community I can. The subject matter is far less strict than at r/blind, since not everything needs to be related to blindness. This is more of a place where we can get to know each other and have fun. We allow sighted people to join as well. However, I do ask that only those over eighteen do so. Please also note that this is not a therapy/support group. If you need that, then r/blind is for you.
https://www.reddit.com/r/BlindAndFine/
#accessibility #blind #blindness #developers #encouragement #friends #friendship #fun #positivity #questions #Reddit #socialisation #socialization #subreddits #technology
#Blind #Linux #Accessibility / #a11y folks, I need a #ScreenReader #accessible #email client that supports calendar and contacts integration with #Outlook and #GoogleWorkspace. Thunderbird is out because I cannot find reliable instructions on connecting it to my Outlook contacts. Anyone who suggests that I should either switch back to Windows or use my phone for email will be playfully booped over the head with a pool noodle. Kidding. Seriously though, recommendations welcome. Thanks. #BlindMasto #BlindMastodon #BlindFedi #MailClient #EmailClient
So I had this weird dream today. Some one from @BlazieTech was wanting donations for something, and if you donated $20 or more, you got a BT Speak. Well I gladly would have done so to get a BT Braille, so I called them up about it. I told them about how I needed to read silently but the BT Speak wasn't exactly great for that because my Bluetooth earbuds, the ones I couldn't remember the name of, were laggy. The ones I was dreaming about are the Aftershokz Aeropex, lol.
I have no idea how it ended, and I'd definitely want to see how a BT Braille works before even thinking about buying one, but it was an interesting dream.
Well now I know for sure my audio block for UK users is in place.
I'm so sorry.
The online Safety Act is disadvantaging disabled people. I'm allowed to publish my work in writing, but people who can't see to read it, can't access the audio.
Screen reader software is great. But for absorbed immersion, for true feeling, second best to your own pacing and imagination is the author's reading of their stuff. That's why I make audioporn. It's really upsetting.
AI brief description:
"The image compares various nature scenes to the flags of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Finland, and Russia. The last scene appears to be a prison cell with a red bedframe, blue walls, and a white space above that."
Done by https://imagedescriber.online/
Just putting it here for the idea of having an auto-generated great quality alt-texts (cached somewhere by the data hash), for those who would otherwise put one word or just skip it.
I don’t use AI to replace people.
I use it to replace unnecessary waiting.
For many of us, AI isn’t a shortcut — it’s access. It means answers instead of queues, participation instead of delay, and getting on with life while the world catches up.
Tools don’t erase humanity.
They remove friction.
i want to hear from people who use screen readers: what makes alt text useful to you? what doesn't help?
Herzliche Grüße an alle, die uns hier folgen!
Vielen Dank, dass Ihr unsere Infos gelesen, gehört, kommentiert, geliked oder geteilt habt.
Vielen Dank an alle, die uns in dem zu Ende gehenden Jahr gefördert haben, durch Mitarbeit, Hinweise an uns, indem Ihr andere auf unseren Account aufmerksam gemacht habt, oder durch Spenden.
Wir wünschen Euch alles Gute im neuen Jahr!
Bleiben wir verbunden?
#blind #blindFedi #a11y #Hörzeitschriften #digitaleTeilhabe #Inklusion #Behinderung #FediKirche
Oh noooooooo this, is, terrible, news! #Blind friends commiserate with me please. I sent a #Seiko #Braille watch in for a battery replacement. I got a repair estimate for $138 when I called to inquire as to what was the matter with it, I was told it could not be repaired due to the age of the watch, I just bought it from Amazon in 2023. the person at the service center who one would think should know such things claims they cannot repair it due to age and they'd replace it with a new one for $138. I was dubious and inquired further they said I could apply that as credit towards something else from their site. I explain not just anything else will do as this is a braille watch and they appear to be out of stock on the US site. Oh then they can't replace it. They can send you back your watch. For what purpose if it's broken, I ask. Are they not making the watch any longer? She seemed to indicate they are not. How terribly sad. So, my question is, is anyone still using a #Braille watch at all and if so which one?
👋 Hello Mastodon!
PCB is excited to be here! For over 75 years, we’ve advocated for people who are blind or have low vision across PA, promoting accessibility, independence, & equal rights.
We believe accessible social media matters.
We’re glad to be part of the conversation.
#Mastodon #Accessibility #Blind #LowVision #DisabilityAdvocacy #InclusiveDesign #Pennsylvania
Okay there's a pull request. Ugh finally got focus tracking mostly working. It may say something some lines down the page after the actual item, but I'm amazed it works as well as it does.
Client Info
Server: https://mastodon.social
Version: 2025.07
Repository: https://github.com/cyevgeniy/lmst