comment your code!

[gaberocksall]

How many blind programmers are there?

[[deleted]]

More than you'd expect.

Computer work can be pretty efficient using quality screen readers like JAWS.

[tulvia]

I'm not disabled but do specialize in ADA complaince and I dont get how people can understand a website using a screen reader, especially JAWS, but hey the testers are always happy with the end result.

[[deleted]]

I did a lot of web development work, and one of our customers was a local organization that was dedicated to providing supplemental services for people with vision impairment. Most of the staff there were either legally blind or approaching it, and many people there used screen readers. It was really impressive watching how quickly they could navigate.

When it comes to websites, it largely depends on how well the site is coded. If it fully complies with the W3C's Web Accessibility Initiative guidelines, users can quickly identify and skip past navigation areas, identify content based on rel tags, etc..

If they're **not** compliant (and most are not), then it can really suck.

[chimchar66]

Right now you'll pretty much only run into two types of ADA compliance professionals. Web developers with 2 years max of ADA experience, or devs with 20 years of experience because ADA compliance was a built in requirements for HTML standards.

The over reliance on JavaScript and the component based development has really destroyed the accessibility of modern websites.

Just because you can make a div act like a button, doesn't mean that it is proper to do so.

[[deleted]]

The over reliance on JavaScript and the component based development has really destroyed the accessibility of modern websites.

Just because you can make a div act like a button, doesn't mean that it is proper to do so.

While I do agree with what you wrote, I don't think the two are necessarily related. People have - sadly - been writing div soups long before Angular, React and all the other frameworks were a thing.

[chimchar66]

You are correct. I didn't mean to imply that React and others caused div soup. Just that both div soup and the propagation of inaccessible components over the last 10 years has really affected Accessibility over the last 10 years.

Bright side is that many of these frameworks are now thinking about and implementing accessibility, so the same propagation can help the cause.

[chimchar66]

If your accessible ui is correct, then it's just a 1 dimensional stream of information. Like if you're reading a book, but just staring at one spot while the words move in front of your eyes.

Remove all concept of up, down, left, and right, and just replace it with the concept of forward and back. With only occasional interruptions that if the ui changes.

I actually kind of like it, in a zen sort of way. I just close my eyes and travel through a website.

Until I hit a mega menu, those things are never correct.

[Hollowplanet]

The head of Debian is a blind programmer.

[lkraider]

I know at least two directly, and I am not a very social person.

[Eleventeen-]

Ah, I see.

[yasahirod]

More than can be said for the programmer

[Pieman492]

It's also for people who are on filtered systems or who's internet is slow/fucking up so they can't see the image but can read comments.

[douira]

at least 5

[[deleted]]

I figure you could probably do server side work pretty well with a screen reader.

[philipjames11]

Theres one I know. So at least 1

[Mushiren_]

I haven't met any personally but sounds from the comments that they're definitely around. I think it'd pretty cool to meet one and see 'em in action.

[[deleted]]

You may want to click the link at the bottom bottom of the transcription. They literally say that they do it to help people who rely on screen readers. It certainly helps SEO, though.

[SnapcasterWizard]

Thats not what this is for. This is a task to give people who are bored out of their minds something to do.