Hi everyone! I hope you're having a good night, morning, or whatever time it is where you are. I slept most of the day, but now I'm curled up in bed propped up against my new wedge pillow (a birthday gift!) with the heated blanket my mom gave me draped over my lap. It was supposed to be a Christmas present, but she gave it to me early since it's cold here and my joint pain has been worse in this weather.
I'm sipping coffee, watching TV, and getting some work done. I'm also about to buy a Raspberry Pi 5 with some birthday money—so excited for that! Afterward, I need to tackle lesson 15 exercises for my Braille proofreading course, work on Codecademy and freeCodeCamp lessons, and update my website. That said, I might just fall asleep as cozy as I am right now, and honestly, that's okay. This joint pain has been rough lately, so extra sleep might do me some good.
This heated blanket is so soft and warm—I love it! Stay safe and warm out there!
#disability #disabled #DisabilityLife #BlindProgrammer #ChronicPain #JointPain #ChronicIllness #Spoonie #NEISVoid #Braille #CodingJourney #RaspberryPi #Accessibility #CozyVibes #SelfCare #BirthdayGifts

Just installed AutoHotkey and looking for recommended scripts! I'm a #blind user who uses my computer for #programming (learning Python and web development), writing, #gaming, web browsing, email, and social media. Any suggestions for useful AutoHotkey scripts that could enhance my productivity or accessibility?
#AutoHotkey #Accessibility #BlindProgrammer #AssistiveTechnology #productivitytips #Tech #Technology

My #WordPress website is finally back to normal—and maybe even a little improved! I spent all night undoing the damage caused by someone who offered to "help" but left my site in chaos. Lesson learned: be cautious about who you trust with your work.

The one challenge I still haven’t solved is making my #portfolio filterable by project type. With 13+ projects and growing, this feature is becoming essential! Ironically, this was my original request for help before things went sideways. The person not only messed up my site but also claimed it wasn’t responsive (I can’t verify that myself as I’m #Blind, but no one else has reported issues) and tried to take over. Now I’m back to square one—but wiser!

I’m using Jetpack's built-in portfolio feature, which unfortunately doesn’t support filtering natively, along with the GeneratePress Premium theme. If anyone has tips or workarounds for creating a filterable portfolio with these tools, I’d love your advice!
#WebDevelopment #AccessibleDesign #PortfolioDesign #WebsiteTroubleshooting #Freelancing #TechLessons #BlindProgrammer #IndieWeb #WordPressPlugins #GeneratePress #Tech #Technology

#BlindTech friends, especially #WindowsUsers, I need to vent and ask if you've had similar experiences!

I just had a maddening interaction with the WinCam screen recording app. Here's what happened:

1. Opened WinCam settings
2. Started tabbing through options
3. Didn't realize I was on the hotkeys tab
4. Suddenly, my #ScreenReader got stuck in an edit box for assigning a shortcut to start recording
5. Nothing would get me out - not even using my mini touchscreen display
6. I tried using the JAWS Touch Cursor shortcut and even the special app keys on my wireless keyboard, but WinCam just assigned them as new shortcuts!
7. Finally had to use a wireless mouse, moving and clicking randomly until I escaped the edit box

This lack of keyboard accessibility in that specific area is infuriating! Interestingly, other than this issue, the WinCam app is very accessible overall.

Have any of you encountered similar "keyboard traps" or accessibility issues in any software, not just recording apps? How did you handle it?

What strategies do you use when you get stuck in an inaccessible part of an application? Any clever workarounds or tools you've found helpful?

Also, I'm curious: Can anyone recommend other accessible screen recording apps for Windows? I bought a WinCam license for usability testing, thinking it was the most accessible option, but I'd love to know if there are other good choices out there.

I'm particularly interested in hearing from other Windows users, but all experiences are welcome. Let's share our knowledge and maybe help developers understand our needs better!

#Accessibility #AssistiveTech #BlindProgrammer #SoftwareAccessibility #KeyboardNavigation #UserExperience #a11y #VisuallyImpaired #AdaptiveTechnology #InclusiveDesign #DigitalAccessibility #AssistiveSoftware #BlindnessAwareness #AccessibleSoftware #KeyboardTraps #ScreenRecording #UsabilityTesting #JAWS #ScreenReaderChallenges #blind @mastoblind @main

As a blind, autistic, chronically ill person learning to program, Perplexity has been an absolute game-changer for me!

Its AI-powered search provides clear, concise answers that are easy for me to process. The accessibility-friendly format works great with my screen reader. And being able to ask follow-up questions helps me dive deeper into coding concepts at my own pace.

But it's not just for coding! Perplexity is also helping me write clearer posts and emails. It ensures my thoughts are organized and expressed effectively, which is a huge help with my communication challenges.

Perplexity adapts to my unique needs, making learning and communicating so much more accessible and enjoyable. It's become an invaluable tool in my daily life and programming journey.

Check it out here: https://www.perplexity.ai

#blind #programmers and those learning to #program like me: Do you think it would be useful to have a group here on #Mastodon for blind #devs? I've been getting questions from other blind people about the tools I use and #coding with a #screenReader, so I was thinking it might be neat to have a place where we can all talk and exchange tips.
#programming #blindProgrammer #screenReaders #accessibility #learningToCode #learningToProgram
@mastoblind @main
Edit: group exists now: @blindprogrammers