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Any other #deaf social media fans a little apprehensive about this? If there was a setting which saw the generated video clips appear with captions, I think I’d be a bit more comfortable. However, I do worry that if this becomes a prominent feature, #deaf users will be left out. https://twitter.com/TEindustry/status/1273310829723750400
Here’s social media commentator @MattNavarra trying it out, to illustrate my point. Could Twitter not be more creative with the visuals, including text captions of what’s being said?
Thoughts, @TwitterA11y? https://twitter.com/mattnavarra/status/1273303580880109568
Thoughts, @TwitterA11y? https://twitter.com/mattnavarra/status/1273303580880109568
Let’s not forget that captions are needed by hearing audiences too. What about when they want to listen to something in public, when they don’t have earphones or headphones to hand?
Foreign language speakers, autistic people and those with APD benefit from captions as well.
Foreign language speakers, autistic people and those with APD benefit from captions as well.
We also see that captions boost video engagement on social media platforms, too - especially when Twitter users have to actively ‘tap for sound’ to access the audio from a video clip.
Surely a similar feature should be rolled out here to boost engagement with the audio?
Surely a similar feature should be rolled out here to boost engagement with the audio?
An excellent point below, and one which I’ve been thinking, too. Sure, auto captions, especially on YouTube, can be atrocious, but if there’s a feature could allow for these to be amended, then that would be great.
I guess I just find the current visual layout rather... bland? https://twitter.com/QueerlyAutistic/status/1273317388788936706
I guess I just find the current visual layout rather... bland? https://twitter.com/QueerlyAutistic/status/1273317388788936706
Rustled up a quick blog post explaining this in more detail.
It's one thing getting Twitter users to caption their videos, asking them to caption audio tweets just makes the social media platform even more inaccessible to #deaf people like me.
https://wp.me/p2EVWK-3Bq
It's one thing getting Twitter users to caption their videos, asking them to caption audio tweets just makes the social media platform even more inaccessible to #deaf people like me.
https://wp.me/p2EVWK-3Bq
To add to the above: if any tech journalists are looking to speak to a #deaf activist or commission a more in-depth piece about why @Twitter's latest audio feature in its current state is a bad thing in terms of accessibility, my DMs are open. 
Here’s Maya Patterson, Product Designer at @Twitter, addressing comments around the accessibility of the audio feature. 
https://twitter.com/mayagpatterson/status/1273329872622850048
https://twitter.com/mayagpatterson/status/1273329872622850048
With the greatest of respect, Twitter, describing this version of the feature as ‘early’ to make up for the fact that it currently isn’t accessible (but may well be in a later version) isn’t good enough.
Accessibility should be considered from the start, not as an afterthought. https://twitter.com/twittersupport/status/1273332642113617921
Accessibility should be considered from the start, not as an afterthought. https://twitter.com/twittersupport/status/1273332642113617921
Reading the reactions to this rollout, I’ve just come across this tweet. Interesting that captions can currently be added retrospectively.
Let’s be clear: if users have to do this after each tweet is posted, most won’t do it. Twitter has to provide another solution. https://twitter.com/cassidoo/status/1273332410382290944
Let’s be clear: if users have to do this after each tweet is posted, most won’t do it. Twitter has to provide another solution. https://twitter.com/cassidoo/status/1273332410382290944
If you have audio tweets enabled and want to tweet one, please follow the steps below.
Or better yet - seeing as most people who currently have it enabled have a large following - don’t use it at all, and call on Twitter directly to make it accessible. https://twitter.com/cassidoo/status/1273338643894071299
Or better yet - seeing as most people who currently have it enabled have a large following - don’t use it at all, and call on Twitter directly to make it accessible. https://twitter.com/cassidoo/status/1273338643894071299
This tweet from @Twitter’s Head of Design and Research proves my earlier point around accessibility being an afterthought, with the platform wanting to “prove the concept and learn before investing” further. #TweetMeEqual https://twitter.com/dantley/status/1273449823316742144
https://twitter.com/dantley/status/1273449823316742144
#TweetMeEqual | A further update from @Twitter’s Head of Design and Research, Dantley Davis. https://twitter.com/dantley/status/1273667212436320256
https://twitter.com/dantley/status/1273667212436320256
Short thread below from Twitter’s Andrew Hayward, @TwitterAble Co-Founder, saying the volunteers at @TwitterA11y are “as frustrated and disappointed as the rest of the community”.
It’s shocking that there’s no formal team working on accessibility at @Twitter.
#TweetMeEqual https://twitter.com/arhayward/status/1273619162905169920
It’s shocking that there’s no formal team working on accessibility at @Twitter.
#TweetMeEqual https://twitter.com/arhayward/status/1273619162905169920
#TweetMeEqual | Twitter’s issued a statement to @verge saying they’re “looking at how we can build out a more dedicated group to focus on accessibility tooling and advocacy across all products.”
Read it in full, along with a quote from myself, below. https://www.theverge.com/2020/6/18/21296032/twitter-audio-tweets-accessibility-volunteers
Read it in full, along with a quote from myself, below.
https://www.theverge.com/2020/6/18/21296032/twitter-audio-tweets-accessibility-volunteers
#TweetMeEqual | Maya Patterson, Product Designer at Twitter who worked on audio tweets, issues a personal response to the #deaf and hard of hearing community, saying “we fucked up”.
“We launched a test and we should have included accessibility features in that test,” she writes. https://twitter.com/mayagpatterson/status/1273851224920485889
“We launched a test and we should have included accessibility features in that test,” she writes. https://twitter.com/mayagpatterson/status/1273851224920485889
And here’s an earlier statement from @TwitterSupport. They say “accessibility should not be an afterthought” and add that they are “already exploring ideas for how we could support manual and auto transcriptions”. #TweetMeEqual https://twitter.com/twittersupport/status/1273794890543935488
They say they’re “looking at how we can build a dedicated group to focus on accessibility, tooling, and advocacy across all products”, and while that’s a great commitment, it’s important that those involved are paid for their time, expertise and insight. #TweetMeEqual
They say accessibility should not be an afterthought, but there’s no denying that none of this would have happened if @Twitter had a formal team in place looking at the accessibility of their product features. Why is this only being considered now? #TweetMeEqual
Katie makes a good point. While I appreciate you need to trial features first before rolling them out more widely, not even factoring in accessibility in an early version of the product isn’t good at all.
Audio tweets should be taken down until it’s accessible. #TweetMeEqual https://twitter.com/katiepennick/status/1273918011603333120
Audio tweets should be taken down until it’s accessible. #TweetMeEqual https://twitter.com/katiepennick/status/1273918011603333120
#TweetMeEqual | It reminds me of the terrible situation with subtitled cinema. I have to wait weeks for an accessible screening just to join a conversation which is already underway.
I touch upon this in a piece I wrote for @MetroOpinion last year. https://metro.co.uk/2019/04/25/deaf-doesnt-ruin-movies-lack-access-9318996/
I touch upon this in a piece I wrote for @MetroOpinion last year.
https://metro.co.uk/2019/04/25/deaf-doesnt-ruin-movies-lack-access-9318996/
I mention this because the same things are happening here. If #deaf people aren’t offered access at the same time as hearing people, then we are left behind in the conversation, forced to play unnecessary catch-up as we receive information after everyone else. #TweetMeEqual
So yes, for now, @Twitter, take the feature down. It’s good that the oversight in launching it without accessibility enabled has been recognised by different teams and individuals, but it’s now important that deaf/HOH don’t face the issue I describe above. #TweetMeEqual
