Grrrr, Darth Moose Shark
While I'm in my unmedicated-for-today ADHD rant space:
A word for privacy researchers who mock folks who use products by Megacorps whose product is the user:
This isn't my thought, this comes from lots of conversations with lots of the disabled community, but it's certainly my experience as a disabled person with a disabled child:
Assistants and home automation products that can control everything are optional privacy-stealing annoyances for your average person. (more)
Grrrr, Darth Moose Shark
Commercial made-for-purpose disability assistance products are prohibitively expensive WHERE THEY EVEN EXIST. Their interfaces are usually CRAP (anyone who has ever bought a piece of educational software should extend that experience to these products for an idea), because the developers do not have infinite funds to polish UI/UX stuff. (more)
Grrrr, Darth Moose Shark
But Google and friends have those infinite funds. And so when they make a product that is a convenience product for the average consumer, as a side effect, they end up filling a need for disabled people who can benefit from just saying out loud "make that appointment for X", "remind me of Y", "turn the lights off now", etc. (more)
Grrrr, Darth Moose Shark
And there are not other viable alternatives.
Here's why I take this so bloody personally - I was undiagnosed my entire adult life, which worked out pretty well (with some notable huge failures) until I didn't have the space and time for what I now realise were coping mechanisms. (Quiet spaces, carving out plenty of time to recover from social interactions, careful reminders to myself, etc)
And when I was suddenly caring for someone with many of the same issues, plus more?
I COULD NOT FUNCTION
Grrrr, Darth Moose Shark
Turns out my amazing memory and analytical skills are only amazing when I have time to be careful about how they are used.
In other words, I'm smart enough, but the costs for me using my brain are much higher than for many other people.
And so all of a sudden, all of that careful structure I built for myself became impossible.
All of a sudden, I didn't really care if Google had a record of my voice and knew what time I got up in the morning and where I was.
Grrrr, Darth Moose Shark
I mean, intellectually, in quiet moments, I still care. I absolutely know why this is Very Bad (tm).
But practically, I don't have the time, space, or money to give a shit.
So if you want to get mad about something, Peoples of The Infosec Sphere?
GET MAD ABOUT THAT.
Get mad about the fact that accessibility is SO bad that the only viable option is to sell your soul.
Do NOT get mad at/irritated by the people who need the service.
Grrrr, Darth Moose Shark
Do NOT tell the users that all they need to do is become Linux experts and install Home Assistant (which is great, but it's work...) and alternative product X and they will be better human beings.
You want to help?
Build accessibility products. Support strong privacy laws WITH disabled people in mind, because when you support marginalised people, you support EVERYONE.
Including yourself.
Grrrr, Darth Moose Shark
Make a product for the masses not so you can make ad money, but as a service, and get people who REALLY know UI/UX stuff with regard to accessibility involved. Make that a #1 priority - it will make ALL of your design better.
John H
@grrrr_shark Fantastic thread (and the stuff about coping mechanisms you spent your entire life not realising were coping mechanisms resonated *hard*)
Another example is Amazon. Yes, Amazon is awful, but sometimes (often, constantly) I just need to Buy The Thing without expending precious Executive Function points on planning a trip to the shops or buying from a slightly less evil seller far enough in advance that I don’t need Prime delivery
Morgan ⚧️
@grrrr_shark I've also seen a lot of variation upon "oh, if Linux is so inaccessible for blind people, why don't you simply make your own apps?" And no, fuck that
If you want disabled people to switch to the thing you use, make it accessible yourself. Don't put the onus on us
(And I'm gonna do my best to contribute to the accessibility of Linux etc but yk, I'm just one person and my ADHD prohibits me from ever finishing a project lol)
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