The following is the text copied from the reddit post in the /r/blind sub reddit.
Moderators of r/blind—along with moderators in other communities who use assistive technologies and Reddit users with accessibility expertise—had a Zoom meeting with representatives at Reddit on Friday, June 16, 2023. While the call was promising in that Reddit invited us to be part of continuing dialog and demonstrated some well-conceived accessible designs for Reddit users, we came away with serious concerns which Reddit was either unable or unwilling to address during the meeting.
Reddit is currently prioritizing accessibility for users rather than for moderators, and representatives were unwilling to provide timelines by when Reddit’s moderation tools would be accessible for screen reader users. Further, Reddit representatives seemed unaware that blind moderators rely on third-party applications because Reddit’s moderation tools present significant accessibility challenges. They also seemed unaware that the apps which have so far received exemptions from API pricing do not have sufficient moderation functions. u/NTCarver0 explained that blind moderators will be unable to ensure safety for our communities—as well as for Reddit in general—without accessible moderation systems, and asked Reddit representatives how blind moderators were supposed to effectively moderate our communities without them. Reddit representatives deferred the question, stating they would have to take notes and get back with us. A fellow moderator, u/MostlyBlindGamer, also pointed out that blind moderators who are unable to effectively moderate the subreddit and thus will become inactive may be removed at Reddit’s discretion per policy, and that such removal would leave r/Blind with no blind moderators. Reddit representatives also deferred comment on this issue.
Reddit representatives refused to answer questions concerning the formal certifications, accreditations or qualifications of employees tasked with ensuring universal accessibility. These certifications demonstrate that a professional has the knowledge necessary to create universally-accessible software and/or documents. Because Reddit cannot confirm that employees tasked with universal accessibility hold appropriate certifications or that the company will provide for such training and certification, we have concerns that employees do not have the appropriate knowledge to effectively ensure access for all assistive technology users both at present and in the future. Reddit has also indicated there are not currently any employees who work full-time on accessibility. This is a necessity for any organization as large and influential as Reddit.
Reddit representatives had previously disclosed to r/Blind moderators that an accessibility audit had been performed by a third-party company, however they refused to answer questions as to what company performed the audit or how the audit was conducted. Answers to these questions would have allowed us to determine whether the audit was performed by an accredited organization known for credible and thorough work. Reddit also could not answer questions as to what assistive technologies, such as screen readers, screen magnifiers, dictation softwares, etc., were used during the audit. Bluntly, we cannot know the thoroughness or scope of the audit—and therefore the extent to which Reddit is aware of the accessibility barriers present in their website and apps—without this information.
During the previous meeting, Reddit representatives raised a question regarding perceived disparities between the accessibility of the iOS and Android apps, suggesting the audit did not confirm that the accessibility failings in the iOS app are much more severe than those present in the Android app. During the latest meeting, u/MostlyBlindGamer explained that the iOS app has no labels for the ubiquitous and essential upvote and downvote buttons while the Android app does. This question raises the concern that Reddit representatives may not have a full and actionable understanding of the issues at stake or, in fact, the exact accessibility failings in their apps.
Reddit representatives narrowly defined the scope of the latest meeting less than an hour ahead of it, explicitly excluding third-party apps and API pricing from the conversation. They did acknowledge that this made it difficult to adequately prepare for the meeting.
Reddit refused to define the term “accessibility-focused app,” alleging that this was outside the scope of the meeting. This term is not industry-standard and was instead created when Reddit carved out an exemption in their upcoming API policies for third-party apps used by blind people to access the platform. Without this definition, we are unable to ascertain whether apps that have not been approved but are nevertheless relied upon by community members qualify for an exemption.
Reddit gave no firm commitments as to when accessibility improvements would be rolled out to the website or apps. However, it is obvious that the Reddit website and apps will not be ready for disabled users—and especially moderators—by July 1.
In general, moderators of r/Blind who attended the call came away with mixed impressions. Reddit seems to be somewhat aware of the myriad accessibility barriers present in their applications and website, and the company appears to be laying the groundwork to fix issues which they are aware of. This is excellent news. However, we also feel that Reddit does not know what it does not know, and this lack of knowledge is exasperating, disheartening, and exhausting. We also came away frustrated that Reddit representatives were either unwilling or unable to answer prudent and pertinent questions which would allow us to determine not only how we can best keep our community safe and healthy, but also whether Reddit is truly prepared to commit to ensuring accessibility for all disabled users both now and in the future. Finally, we hope that our concerns—especially those pertaining to moderation—will be addressed expeditiously and satisfactorily, thus assuring that r/Blind can operate effectively well into the future. Despite our concerns, we remain open to continued dialog with Reddit in the hope that it will foster a more accessible platform.
![](https://media.kbin.social/05/00/050055a0bf9f91e195dcf507c04f23ac5c2c5f7ae8be7c4ac3c8f58ecb4a7127.png)
Can anyone give tl;dr?
Reddit has no tools for blind users, because it never considered that they needed them.
Reddit cannot commit to creating these tools, because "we're working on accessibility" is purely a lie to placate the masses.
Reddit doesn't even know what they're supposed to be working on or what the problems are, because they simply do not care about users with disabilities.
That's hardly fair. They clearly care even less about moderators with disabilities!
Seems clear to me that they only reason they’re even bothering to pay lip service is that they’re trying (poorly) to damage control the HORRIBLE pr disaster of screwing over a bunch of disabled people. They didn’t even know blind people existed. The problem isn’t disappearing and reddit is panicking because they can’t have their good pr for the blind cake and eat the 3rd party apps go away cake too.
Well, it's reddit not heardit or feltit. Those could be good app names for a reddit accessibility feature, but at the moment it's more 'stuffit'. (Not the Mac utility.)
Reddit: "we've tried nothing and we're all out of ideas!"
Best TL:DR I've read in a while ... thanks
Lots of lip-service from Reddit, very little in the way of actual solutions.
When 3rd party apps are blocked on July 1st, Reddit is no longer going to support accessibility features that blind mods and users need. Reddit's owners don't seem to have considered how much work it's going to be to provide said features "in-house."
Chat GPT generated summary:
_The moderators of the r/blind subreddit recently had a meeting with Reddit representatives to discuss accessibility concerns. While Reddit demonstrated some accessible designs, there were serious issues that the representatives couldn't address. They didn't provide timelines for accessible moderation tools, seemed unaware of blind moderators' reliance on third-party apps, and refused to share information about employee qualifications and the details of the accessibility audit. This lack of knowledge and transparency raised doubts about Reddit's commitment to accessibility. The moderators hope their concerns will be addressed promptly to ensure an effective and accessible future for the subreddit.
In summary, the meeting highlighted Reddit's prioritization of user accessibility over moderator accessibility, the lack of knowledge and transparency regarding accessibility efforts, and the absence of firm commitments for improvements. The moderators remain open to dialogue but express frustration and concern about the platform's accessibility and its impact on the r/blind community._
no they didn't
wrong, they aren't caring about anyone's accessibility
tldr: reading the last paragraph (traditionally known as a "conclusion") would be more useful than reading dumb bullshit chat gpt
Oh crap sorry about that. Lesson learnt for me, I shouldn’t rely on ChatGPT for summaries anymore because it can miss a fair bit
GPT-4 is much better at summarizing (or at everything):