Twitter is improving its accessibility features but there's more work to be done

Date:
Thu, 14 Jul 2022 10:35:38 +0000

Description:
A reminder to add image descriptions is rolling out to 10% of its users, but the way it's rolling out the feature feels backwards.

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Accessibility is an important aspect of technology, and it's only in the last few years that companies have taken it seriously. That's why a new reminders feature from Twitter is great, but also strange in how it's being introduced to users.

Adding descriptions to images has been available on Twitter for a while. It allows someone with a visual impairment to read a small block of text explaining what the image is, from its colors to its location and more.

Seeing images on Twitter as you scroll through your feed is incredibly
common. From memes to what people are currently doing, there's a bunch that some users can miss out on.

So while this new feature will remind you to write up a description when you add an image to a tweet, it's baffling that it's arriving to users switched off. Analysis: One step forward, one step back (Image credit: Twitter)

The feature is currently appearing to 10% of Twitter's overall users on iOS and Android , and if you're lucky to be in this group, you can go to Settings

Accessibility, display and languages > Accessibility and the reminder will

show toward the bottom so you can switch it on.

However, this aspect feels backward. There should be a default reminder when adding an image even just a few words to say what the image is can be enough for a lot of users with a visual disability. If you forget to add image descriptions, turning on the reminder will be a big favor to your future
self. And to everyone on Twitter. Actually, if everyone turns it on, everyone would be helping everyone.Heres how to turn on the reminder: https://t.co/MR4KbZjrfy. (2 of 6) pic.twitter.com/J1jJBL2n8P July 13, 2022
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In fairness, Instagram and Facebook have the ability to add image descriptions, but there are no reminders to add them in these apps at all.

There's been encouraging steps from Meta and Twitter in accessibility as a whole, but reminders should be a universal feature that's on by default, not the other way round.



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/news/twitter-is-improving-its-accessibility-features -but-theres-more-work-to-be-done/


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