Katie Mixtochtli (they/them)

Blind_Sighted - Twitch Describe & Discuss: Let's Talk About L.A.

Kat and JJ are live!
Describe & Discuss: Let's chat about the events in L.A. and the chaos of protests while blind — from the point of view of a blind protester and her sighted guide.
twitch.tv/blind_sighted

While you're here:
bsky.app/profile/para...

Bills stacked up fast; I'm $200 short for the rent check — which was already sent off and just hasn't cleared yet.
So I desperately need help getting that last $200 ASAP.
Please help —
c: $conundrum9999
V: conundrum9999

Missed some of my daily posts. Last week was rough. Really sinking in how left out I've been after doing the minimal work to implement an accessible interface to this thing. Really fucked with me.
As a result I fell behind on work and am now paying for it by not having rent money.

Further reading:
W3C: Developing a Keyboard Interface
WebAIM: Keyboard Accessibility
MDN: ARIA Landmarks
These aren't "nice-to-haves" — they're the missing pieces.

What would help?
– Keyboard shortcuts (j/k) to jump between posts
– Landmarks or headings for screen reader nav
– Restore focus or scroll position after interaction
Reddit had it. Twitter *STILL* has it. This is basic UX for screen reader users.
Let’s make Bluesky usable, not just compliant. #A11y

Yes, Bluesky has alt text. But alt text isn’t the full picture (pun intended). It’s meaningless if I can’t even reach the post.
Adding alt text to an inaccessible site is like advertising hearing aids on the radio — you’re leaving out a majority of the people who need it the most.
#Accessibility

Bluesky is “screen reader accessible” the way a staircase with curb cuts on each step is a “wheelchair ramp.”
No keyboard nav. No useful landmarks. No focus memory. I lose my place every time I interact with a post.
Compliance ≠ usability.
Day 23 asking @support.bsky.team to fix this #A11yFail

And, let's talk *before* I show up to one of your events and struggle to find my way around or participate because nobody on your end is prepared to accommodate the blind. 💜

I'm no web developer — and yet I spent 18 hours teaching myself enough javascript to make a proof of concept implementation.
The ask is literally not difficult. Blue sky has the resources.

Why are the blind still left in the dark after 2+ years?

Please help draw attention to this inequity.

One real way we can start to resolve this is to make Blue Sky *actually* accessible to the blind — who have by and large been abandoned by the left and still exist on twitter due to accessibility there and none here.
See this post: 👇🏼
bsky.app/profile/para...

Further reading:
W3C: Developing a Keyboard Interface
WebAIM: Keyboard Accessibility
MDN: ARIA Landmarks
These aren't "nice-to-haves" — they're the missing pieces.

What would help?
– Keyboard shortcuts (j/k) to jump between posts
– Landmarks or headings for screen reader nav
– Restore focus or scroll position after interaction
Reddit had it. Twitter *STILL* has it. This is basic UX for screen reader users.
Let’s make Bluesky usable, not just compliant. #A11y

Yes, Bluesky has alt text. But alt text isn’t the full picture (pun intended). It’s meaningless if I can’t even reach the post.
Adding alt text to an inaccessible site is like advertising hearing aids on the radio — you’re leaving out a majority of the people who need it the most.
#Accessibility

Bluesky is “screen reader accessible” the way a staircase with curb cuts on each step is a “wheelchair ramp.”
No keyboard nav. No useful landmarks. No focus memory. I lose my place every time I interact with a post.
Compliance ≠ usability.
Day 22 asking @support.bsky.team to fix this #A11yFail

Hey y'all — let's talk accessibility for the blind. I want to be involved — and more importantly want to ensure the way is paved for other blind folks.

Thanks to bluesky's inherent inaccessibility for the blind — communication and outreach is a place to start.

Further reading:
W3C: Developing a Keyboard Interface
WebAIM: Keyboard Accessibility
MDN: ARIA Landmarks
These aren't "nice-to-haves" — they're the missing pieces.

What would help?
– Keyboard shortcuts (j/k) to jump between posts
– Landmarks or headings for screen reader nav
– Restore focus or scroll position after interaction
Reddit had it. Twitter *STILL* has it. This is basic UX for screen reader users.
Let’s make Bluesky usable, not just compliant. #A11y

Yes, Bluesky has alt text. But alt text isn’t the full picture (pun intended). It’s meaningless if I can’t even reach the post.
Adding alt text to an inaccessible site is like advertising hearing aids on the radio — you’re leaving out a majority of the people who need it the most.
#Accessibility

Bluesky is “screen reader accessible” the way a staircase with curb cuts on each step is a “wheelchair ramp.”
No keyboard nav. No useful landmarks. No focus memory. I lose my place every time I interact with a post.
Compliance ≠ usability.
Day 20 asking @support.bsky.team to fix this #A11yFail

Update:
It's not inspiring that blind girl had to make her own accessibility tools while y'all were just over here having community and doing nothing about it.
That's actually an an indictment of you. Doublyy so if your first reaction was inspiration and not guilt.

"Wow Katie you're so cool and that's so amazing that you made an accessible bluesky client for yourself. How inspiring!"
There — I said it for you so you don't have to be an ableist cunt.

Oh no really — ableism looked great on you for the last 2.5 years — don't pretend to care now.
I don't need your performative solidarity. I clearly have to just make the world more inclusive to blind folks by my goddamn self.

Not that I expect any of you to do anything or say anything or acknowledge me in any way. Y'all were fine just ... abandoning me for the last couple years so it's ok. I actually don't expect much from you.
Go ahead and like this and move on. Scroll on past. Don't own your complicity. I get it.

If you used to interact with me on twitter — or you're part of my Portland community — know that I am so betrayed, upset and disappointed in you all.

I'll get over it because I have no other choice if I want community.
But y'all really need to do the fuck better.

Me: Hey comrades bluesky isn't accessible.
Comrades: But the alt text!
Me: there's more to a11y than alt text
comrades: *tags bsky support once or twice*
Me: ...
me: ...?
me: ...

Also me: Well guess I'm fixing it myself.

What's pathetic is that I taught myself 3 new programming languages and fixed the problem by myself in the last 18 hours.
"allies" are a joke and a lie.

Do you feel shitty? Do you feel ashamed?
Good. DO that more.
If you don't then you're an ableist piece of shit and get the actual fuck off my timeline and out of my "community".

Pathetic Pathetic Pathetic Pathetic Pathetic Pathetic Pathetic Pathetic Pathetic Pathetic
all of you "allies".
Making me make my own accessibility tools.

And the rest of you — shame on you all for focusing on alt text and leaving me isolated for 2 years when bullying the blue sky devs coudl have gotten this fixed in 12 hours — this is literally their job.