If you’re picking up on some sarcasm this morning, I have a good friend of mine who is literally one of the most famous people in a certian industry who just quit Mastodon.
She is trans. She’s an extremely nice person that doesn’t do well with conflict when it’s personal.
Why did Mastodon get mad? She forgot alt-text once and she didn’t think it was reasonable to get yelled at over some extremely mild posts on Trans healthcare as “political.”
2/ It‘s not that I think these efforts are wrong or misguided. I do think they are exhausting and frequently framed in moral language that comes off as smug.
It’s part of a tendency on the left to focus on aesthetics over systems that I don’t think serves us well.
Again. Not wrong, just exhausting.
@briannawu Out of curiosity, why do you consider alt-text more aesthetic than systemic? I tend to think of it as being akin to wheelchair ramps; a subsystem of our sidewalk system that makes it more accessible.
@briannawu True, but most people feel powerless to address those things. Whereas alt-text is something they can do to make at least one small corner of the world more accessible, where they can see the results of their efforts.
@LouisIngenthron you are not powerless to address those things.
@briannawu @LouisIngenthron Many people *feel* powerless. We logically know we aren't - or shouldn't be...but we still feel that way.
An example: I live outside of Disney World. My biggest worry is not that I can't "say gay" or talk about my husband. It's that if I do, will someone with a gun decide to shut me up just 'cos I did? Tons of ppl here have guns on them or in their huge trucks.
Yes, I feel powerless here.
Yes, I try to reclaim my power when it's safe.
Many times it's not. 😳
@LouisIngenthron I think it’s a good thing to do. I also think if you’re serious about disabilities, it’s not solving anything structural.
It’s a very American, individual responsibility approach to things. Like we did with Covid.
I learned a lot about disability access running for congress, especially disability courts and HOLY SHIT. We have some serious problems to address.