Category: twitter

Make a Pledge for Easy Chirp 2

Post author By Dennis
Post date April 6, 2013
No Comments on Make a Pledge for Easy Chirp 2

As you may know, Easy Chirp is a web-based Twitter client which makes the social media service accessible to all. This includes users with a disability (such as visual impairments and motor impairments), Twitter newbies, older users, low bandwidth, and non-JavaScript browsers.

Like all 3rd party Twitter apps, Easy Chirp gets its data from the Twitter API. Easy Chirp uses API version 1.0 which is being shut down in one month. It must be re-built with version 1.1.

The author of Easy Chirp (who is also the author of Web Axe) created a Kickstarter campaign to acquire minimal funds to rebuild the app with the help of a couple of other developers. At the time of writing, the goal is a little over half-way. Please consider making a pledge on the Easy Chirp 2 Kickstarter and help maintain “an inclusive Twittersphere”. If you’re unable to pledge, please forward this message to those who may be interested.

If the goal of the campaign is not met, there’s a good chance that Easy Chirp will not be updated and Twitter will not be available to those who need it.

presentations twitter

Slides from EASI webinar on Twitter and Accessibility

Post author By Dennis
Post date November 12, 2011
No Comments on Slides from EASI webinar on Twitter and Accessibility

Web Axe author Dennis Lembree gave an EASI webinar today about Twitter, accessibility and Easy Chirp. Here are the slides.

Twitter and Web Accessibility (EASI Webinar)

View more presentations from Web Axe

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Podcast #92: Frustrated

Dennis vents about frustrations around web accessibility and revisit the “game plan”. He and Ross also discuss some great recent articles and review several upcoming web accessibility events.

Download Web Axe Episode 92 (Frustrated)

[Transcript of podcast 92]

Sponsor: Help make a difference and join Project:Possibility: a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating open source software that benefits persons with disabilities. Our SS12 Code for a Cause competition is an opportunity for students to learn about accessibility and make a difference by developing innovative projects for persons with disabilities, as well as the chance to work with industry professionals.

Goings On

Ross’ book update.

California court rules for JetBlue:

Court Rules in Favor of JetBlue – Airline Websites and Kiosks Not Covered by State Law (@LFLegal)
Why JetBlue, FAA [and DOT] are on the wrong side of justice (by @blindtravel)
Airlines Continue to Evade Accessibility of Check-In Kiosks and Websites (by COAT)

Old Twitter gone for good; New Twitter not accessible.

The official word about the final rollout of New Twitter.
Forced to use New Twitter & unable to use it? Try the robust and web-accessible Easy Chirp (@EasyChirp). On iPhone, try TweetList.

Frustrated!

Unfortunately, after 20 years since the World Wide Web opened to the public, I’d have to say that accessibility is worse than ever.

Laws haven’t improved. Section 508 static for over a decade. See above. Target wan’t found guilty.
Social media, banking, and Olympic websites not accessible. Google Plus Keyboard Accessibility (Web Axe)
Widgets and services. DISQUS: Shutting Out the Blindness Community from Discussion
Even government websites not accessible!
Even the W3C removing accessibility markup and attributes without an adequate substitute e.g. longdesc, summary. Leaving accessibility for last e.g. video captions.

Articles

A simple introduction to web accessibility by Ian Hamilton, BBC.
More from 4Syllables (@Writing4Web):
- Link purpose: accessibility for web writers, part 9.
- Headings & labels: accessibility for web writers, part 10.
Web Accessibility and SEO from WebAIM.
Popular Mistakes in Universal Web Design by Dennis on Design Festival.
30 (Million) Reasons for Accessible Design (not web specific)

Web Camp/Unconference Reminders

Accessibility Camp Montreal
Friday, August 26, 2011
Montreal, Canada
Twitter: @A11yMTL

Boston Accessibility Unconference
Saturday, September 17, 10am to 5pm EST
Twitter: @a11ybos

Accessibility Camp Toronto
Saturday, September 24
Toronto, Canada (OCAD University)
Twitter: @A11yCampTO Email: a11ycampto at gmail dot com

Web Accessibility London Unconference
Wednesday, 21 September 2011, 10am to 4pm
London, UK (City University London)

Accessibility Camp DC
Saturday, October 22
MLK Library in Washington, DC
Twitter: @AccessCampDC

conference css event jobs law podcast twitter

Podcast #91: Game Plan, CSS, Lawsuits & Events

Post author By Dennis
Post date July 5, 2011
1 Comment on Podcast #91: Game Plan, CSS, Lawsuits & Events

Dennis and Ross discuss the “Accessibility Game Plan”, a couple good CSS tips, upcoming events, and a few lawsuits, and more!

Download Web Axe Episode 91 (Game Plan, CSS, Lawsuits & Events)

Transcript of podcast 91

What’s New

Ross’ book update
Accessible Twitter is now Easy Chirp!

The Game Plan

Barriers to Improving the Accessibility Game Plan
Accessibility: Let’s put away the wrecking ball!
Takeaways:
- It about semantics (pun): universal design, inclusive design
- Educate others in a web camp, Refresh chapter, UPA.
- Share your and others’ solutions.
- Practice what you preach.
- Advocate accessibility groups, websites, etc.

Careful with CSS

Testing the accessibility of the CSS-generated content (with before/after pseudo selectors)
CSS Background Images and Accessibility

Lawsuits

Berkeley-based nonprofit sues CNN.com for not captioning online videos and CNN Being Sued For Lack Of Closed-Captioning Online
National Association of the Deaf Files Disability Civil Rights Lawsuit Against Netflix and Netflix sued by deaf group over lack of subtitles
Court to Hear Argument in JetBlue Accessibility Case. “JetBlue has asked Judge to throw the case out of court, arguing that California’s disability civil rights laws do not apply to JetBlue’s website or kiosks.”
Just announced: Blind Students Sue Florida State University for Discrimination

Conferences & Events

Jobs

Scotiabank seeks a Project Leader Accessibility and Inclusion (contract), Toronto, Canada
Mozilla seeks an Accessibility Engineer
New Editions Consulting (for DHS?) seeks a Senior Accessibility Analyst in Washington, DC. Ability to successfully complete a secret clearance is required.
Just announced: Web Accessibility Engineer at MIT

twitter

Easy Chirp

In cased you missed the news a few weeks ago, the web-accessible Twitter application “Accessible Twitter” changed its name to “Easy Chirp“. Here’s the original Web Overhauls press release. Nice to see the story made it to other PR and news sites including MyNewsDesk.com, PR.com, and Accessible Insights.

Reasons for the change are explained in the press release.

The name change is due to several reasons, the foremost is that the Twitter rules of use for third-party applications does not allow the word “Twitter” in the name of the application. Also, the word “easy” is simpler to understand than “accessible”, especially to those not in the accessibility or disability communities. And, the new name is considerably shorter, especially important with the 140-character limit in Twitter statuses, better known as tweets.

The former Twitter name/handle caused a delay in the update of two application settings that could only be resolved by changing the name.

Earlier this year, Easy Chirp/Accessible Twitter received the American Foundation for the Blind 2011 Access Award.