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I'm preparing a new article for #TheFutureIsFederated about the values of the Fediverse & FOSS communities (vs. Big Tech platforms). (mastodon.social)

submitted 1 month ago by _elena@mastodon.social to c/fediverse@fedia.io

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I'm preparing a new article for #TheFutureIsFederated about the values of the Fediverse & FOSS communities (vs. Big Tech platforms).

Something that I LOVE about the #Fediverse is the encouragement to use #AltText in pics... for accessibility / people with visual impairements / ppl using screenreaders.

I see you can add #Alttext to images posted on #Threads but where do you read those descriptions?

Or is nobody using it on Threads?

If you have an example, please LMK. Thanks! 🙏

#AskFedi

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[–] _elena@mastodon.social 2 points 1 month ago (2 children)

Follow-up:

I posted a poll on Threads about #alttext (which likely nobody will see) and I replied to my own message with a photo with an alt text description.

Once the photo is published I cannot read the alt text I had written. Am I doing something wrong? The post is here: https://www.threads.net/@elenarossini/post/DAS8jb-Ntl-?xmt=AQGzU6RVWnVjBvoDGP6ft8CGHZwncy-1-vRAQxtB7ldFRA

And sorry for linking to a Meta website, but for the record I only use Threads to post messages about the #Fediverse 🤗

[–] _elena@mastodon.social 1 points 1 month ago

Update no. 2: mystery solved thanks to @mathi_gwithyas@ohai.social ✨🏆✨

So on the Threads MOBILE app you need to enable the accessibility text button by clicking on:

settings > account > accessibility > show alt text

Source:
https://mastodon.social/@mathi_gwithyas@ohai.social/113192022494725131

If you don't click on it, you won't see the alt text. And I could not find that setting on Threads on desktop 🤔

I just pinged @pcottle on Threads asking if he could turn it on BY DEFAULT for EVERYONE to raise awareness about accessibility

[–] mathi_gwithyas@ohai.social 1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

@_elena@mastodon.social on threads app, settings > account > accessibility > show alt text

[–] _elena@mastodon.social 1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

@mathi_gwithyas@ohai.social thanks! but what about desktop?

I will fetch my burner phone and turn it on ;)

[–] mathi_gwithyas@ohai.social 1 points 1 month ago (2 children)

@_elena@mastodon.social Don’t know; I would investigate on my Mac but it’s powered down for the evening. I’ll have a look tomorrow morning (Aus. Central Time). I guess as the alt text attribute on the img ?

[–] _elena@mastodon.social 1 points 1 month ago

@mathi_gwithyas@ohai.social I looked for the setting under Account on my desktop computer but couldn't find it 🤷‍♀️

Thanks again for your help!

[–] mathi_gwithyas@ohai.social 0 points 1 month ago (1 children)

@_elena So I couldn't find a setting on the web/desktop version either. It is there in the in the <img> but I had a play with various Firefox plugins that are meant to show on hover, none of which worked on the page as is (but worked fine on another page), one of which did work when I clicked on the image to make it bigger. I did try an admittedly very basic screen reader plugin with no luck.

[–] _elena@mastodon.social 0 points 1 month ago (1 children)

@mathi_gwithyas thank you for checking Mathi! It’s just so strange - definitely looks like a big oversight

[–] mathi_gwithyas@ohai.social 1 points 1 month ago

@_elena@mastodon.social Accessibility is such an important issue, and in making things accessible it really does benefit everyone. Thanks so much for exploring and documenting the topic.