Companies, are you testing the patience of your customers with disabilities?
Mujtaba Merchant
As a user of assistive technology, I've experienced firsthand the frustration of encountering inaccessible digital products. But what's even more frustrating is being asked to report these issues through complicated channels, only to be met with a generic response and no resolution.
Let's be real, when companies rely on their customers to test and report accessibility issues, it's not just unfair – it's also a missed opportunity. By investing in a dedicated team of user testers with disabilities, companies can catch these bugs before production and create a more inclusive experience for all.
Instead of getting accessibility testing for free, why not invest in making your digital products accessible to everyone? Your customers (and your bottom line) will thank you.
hashtagAccessibilityMatters hashtagInclusiveDesign hashtagUserExperience
If you resonate with the post, please visit the URL below, express your self in the comments and don’t forget to share it with your network for visibility:
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/mujtabam_accessibilitymatters-inclusivedesign-userexperience-activity-7404868419868647424-X4Kl?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAADXBygBYwNfopdycFKZA87kqWs9BLmxt-0
Devin Prater
--
***
Please note: the NVDA project has a Citizen and Contributor Code of Conduct.
NV Access expects that all community members will read and abide by the rules set out in this document while participating in this group.
https://github.com/nvaccess/nvda/blob/master/CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md
You can contact the group owners and moderators via nvda-user...@nvaccess.org.
---
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "NVDA Screen Reader Discussion" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to nvda-users+...@nvaccess.org.
To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/a/nvaccess.org/d/msgid/nvda-users/005001dc6a9f%241f081540%245d183fc0%24%40gmail.com.
Mujtaba Merchant
That is not nice to say, those who are really concerned know what to do with the post on LinkedIN and elsewhere they are connected. I believe we as a community can drive the change if we voice our opinions together.
Zvonimir Stanecic
It is very nice to say.
Not all people use it.
To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/a/nvaccess.org/d/msgid/nvda-users/008c01dc6aba%240a18a1c0%241e49e540%24%40gmail.com.
joseph....@gmail.com
Hi,
I think Devin is right in that you are talking to folks who already know the issue you are raising (the members of this forum, that is). I think the comment was meant to guide you toward a much better venue, not to silence you. Raising an issue for community awareness and participation is good, but what would be better is if you can think of additional places where you can raise concerns in addition to asking community members to join your cause.
Cheers,
Joseph
To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/a/nvaccess.org/d/msgid/nvda-users/008c01dc6aba%240a18a1c0%241e49e540%24%40gmail.com.
Mujtaba Merchant
Thank you for your reply Joseph. I understand, but my expectations were that the members visit the post on LinkedIn, share their experiences in the comments and share the post to their network. This will drive a snowball effect and in turn the awareness is created.
I do not use many of the online resources mentioned or suggested earlier in the mail, LinkedIn is a professional network and the reason for writing there is to get the attention of the people who are product managers, designers and developers.
The choice to support my cause is entirely up to the individual, was a request, if not honored nothing gained, nothing lost!
To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/a/nvaccess.org/d/msgid/nvda-users/001001dc6abc%2424b4b210%246e1e1630%24%40gmail.com.
joseph....@gmail.com
Hi,
I understand. However, I advise asking the following question the next time you do something like this: do all blind people have access to whatever platform you are using to post something? LinkedIn is a good choice if you want to network with professionals across industries, but may not be an effective platform to raise awareness of product accessibility. In other words, do not treat LinkedIn as a typical social networking service (SNS) because the primary purpose of LinkedIn is professional networking (nor should you treat GitHub as your soapbox because GitHub’s primary purpose is hosting and commenting on code repositories).
To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/a/nvaccess.org/d/msgid/nvda-users/005b01dc6b1b%2401284e60%240378eb20%24%40gmail.com.
Richard Turner
I have never used Linked IN.
I refuse to use FaceBook.
I have used Blueskies.
I think Joseph has an excellent point since Linked In is primarily a professional networking system and has no focus on visually impaired.
Of course, BlueSkies is not focused on visually impaired, but it is easier to use and less invasive than FaceBook.
Richard, USA,
he only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance."
-- Alan Watts (1915-1973)
My web site: https://www.turner42.com
To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/a/nvaccess.org/d/msgid/nvda-users/003901dc6b1b%24c3ba0770%244b2e1650%24%40gmail.com.
Mujtaba Merchant
Hi Richard,
Thank you for weighing in, and I appreciate your candid point of view, as well as Joseph’s.
The statement that gives me pause is: "Linked In is primarily a professional networking system and has no focus on visually impaired."
This sentiment is precisely the challenge we are collectively trying to overcome. The belief that professional networking, business, and commerce can somehow exist separately from inclusion for people with disabilities is the very reason why we, as a community, still have to advocate so forcefully for accessibility.
Accessibility is not just a social issue; it is a professional and economic imperative.
The professionals I am trying to reach—product managers, designers, developers, and company executives—are overwhelmingly active on LinkedIn. They are the individuals whose career focus is on creating the digital products that we use.
My post was targeted at them, using their primary professional platform, to ensure the message gets to where the decisions are made.
The call to action was not just for community members to join LinkedIn, but for those who already use the platform to leverage their existing networks and amplify the message directly into the corporate environment.
My request was simple: If you resonate with my thought, please engage with the post and share it with your network.
If you or others do not use LinkedIn, that is absolutely fine. The goal is to maximize the reach to the people who can institute change within the companies—and those people are listed and networked on the world’s largest professional platform.
To create truly inclusive products, the topic of disability and accessibility must become a regular, unavoidable part of the professional conversation, not something confined only to specialized disability forums. Using LinkedIn helps achieve that goal.
Cheers,
To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/a/nvaccess.org/d/msgid/nvda-users/002501dc6b1e%2481ec7320%2485c55960%24%40comcast.net.
David Grossoehme
Richard I'm like you as far as Facebook. I will never use it, since if they wish to copy any of your information it belongs to them. don't ever put any pictures on Facebook, because if you do so, they become the owner of that picture.
As far as the other sites, how can they help us as far as accessibility?
dave
To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/a/nvaccess.org/d/msgid/nvda-users/002501dc6b1e%2481ec7320%2485c55960%24%40comcast.net.
Gene Asner
you will look incompetent and will be helping to spread or reinforce the
stereotype of blind people being either incompetent or less able. If
enough people do this or enough messages are sent by you, it may arouse
resentment.
I doubt you would like it if different groups tried to post various
messages here that are completely off topic to protest discrimination
against them.
Gene
> <nvda-...@nvaccess.org>
> *Sent:* Friday, December 12, 2025 9:49 AM
> *To:* nvda-...@nvaccess.org
> *Subject:* RE: [NVDA] Companies, are you testing the patience of your
>
> I have never used Linked IN.
>
> I refuse to use FaceBook.
>
> I have used Blueskies.
>
> I think Joseph has an excellent point since Linked In is primarily a
> professional networking system and has no focus on visually impaired.
>
> Of course, BlueSkies is not focused on visually impaired, but it is
> easier to use and less invasive than FaceBook.
>
> Richard, USA,
>
> he only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move
> with it, and join the dance."
>
> -- Alan Watts (1915-1973)
>
>
> *From:*nvda-...@nvaccess.org <nvda-...@nvaccess.org> *On Behalf Of
> *joseph....@gmail.com
> *Sent:* Thursday, December 11, 2025 8:00 PM
> *To:* nvda-...@nvaccess.org
> *Subject:* RE: [NVDA] Companies, are you testing the patience of your
>
> Hi,
>
> I understand. However, I advise asking the following question the next
> time you do something like this: do all blind people have access to
> whatever platform you are using to post something? LinkedIn is a good
> choice if you want to network with professionals across industries,
> but may not be an effective platform to raise awareness of product
> accessibility. In other words, do not treat LinkedIn as a typical
> social networking service (SNS) because the primary purpose of
> LinkedIn is professional networking (nor should you treat GitHub as
> your soapbox because GitHub’s primary purpose is hosting and
> commenting on code repositories).
>
> Cheers,
>
> Joseph
>
> *Mujtaba Merchant
> *Sent:* Thursday, December 11, 2025 8:54 PM
> *To:* nvda-...@nvaccess.org
> *Subject:* RE: [NVDA] Companies, are you testing the patience of your
>
> Thank you for your reply Joseph. I understand, but my expectations
> were that the members visit the post on LinkedIn, share their
> experiences in the comments and share the post to their network. This
> will drive a snowball effect and in turn the awareness is created.
>
> I do not use many of the online resources mentioned or suggested
> earlier in the mail, LinkedIn is a professional network and the reason
> for writing there is to get the attention of the people who are
> product managers, designers and developers.
>
> The choice to support my cause is entirely up to the individual, was a
> request, if not honored nothing gained, nothing lost!
>
> *joseph....@gmail.com
> *Sent:* Thursday, December 11, 2025 10:05 PM
> *To:* nvda-...@nvaccess.org
> *Subject:* RE: [NVDA] Companies, are you testing the patience of your
>
> Hi,
>
> I think Devin is right in that you are talking to folks who already
> know the issue you are raising (the members of this forum, that is). I
> think the comment was meant to guide you toward a much better venue,
> not to silence you. Raising an issue for community awareness and
> participation is good, but what would be better is if you can think of
> additional places where you can raise concerns in addition to asking
> community members to join your cause.
>
> Cheers,
>
> Joseph
>
> *Mujtaba Merchant
> *Sent:* Thursday, December 11, 2025 9:20 AM
> *To:* nvda-...@nvaccess.org
> *Subject:* RE: [NVDA] Companies, are you testing the patience of your
>
> That is not nice to say, those who are really concerned know what to
> do with the post on LinkedIN and elsewhere they are connected. I
> believe we as a community can drive the change if we voice our
> opinions together.
>
> *Devin Prater
> *Sent:* Thursday, December 11, 2025 8:27 PM
> *To:* nvda-...@nvaccess.org
> *Subject:* Re: [NVDA] Companies, are you testing the patience of your
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google
> Groups "NVDA Screen Reader Discussion" group.
> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it,
> send an email to nvda-users+...@nvaccess.org.
> To view this discussion visit
> https://groups.google.com/a/nvaccess.org/d/msgid/nvda-users/005001dc6a9f%241f081540%245d183fc0%24%40gmail.com
> --
> ***
> Please note: the NVDA project has a Citizen and Contributor Code of
> Conduct.
> NV Access expects that all community members will read and abide by
> the rules set out in this document while participating in this group.
> https://github.com/nvaccess/nvda/blob/master/CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md
>
> You can contact the group owners and moderators via
> nvda-user...@nvaccess.org.
> ---
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google
> Groups "NVDA Screen Reader Discussion" group.
> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send
> an email to nvda-users+...@nvaccess.org.
> To view this discussion visit
> <https://groups.google.com/a/nvaccess.org/d/msgid/nvda-users/CAGJxbF6g11dPQykNPp%2BOOm8Em%3DOBtxKCX%3D%2Bucc-5SnMmrMGbFw%40mail.gmail.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer>.
> --
> ***
> Please note: the NVDA project has a Citizen and Contributor Code of
> Conduct.
> NV Access expects that all community members will read and abide by
> the rules set out in this document while participating in this group.
> https://github.com/nvaccess/nvda/blob/master/CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md
>
> You can contact the group owners and moderators via
> nvda-user...@nvaccess.org.
> ---
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google
> Groups "NVDA Screen Reader Discussion" group.
> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send
> an email to nvda-users+...@nvaccess.org.
> To view this discussion visit
> <https://groups.google.com/a/nvaccess.org/d/msgid/nvda-users/008c01dc6aba%240a18a1c0%241e49e540%24%40gmail.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer>.
> --
> ***
> Please note: the NVDA project has a Citizen and Contributor Code of
> Conduct.
> NV Access expects that all community members will read and abide by
> the rules set out in this document while participating in this group.
> https://github.com/nvaccess/nvda/blob/master/CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md
>
> You can contact the group owners and moderators via
> nvda-user...@nvaccess.org.
> ---
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google
> Groups "NVDA Screen Reader Discussion" group.
> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send
> an email to nvda-users+...@nvaccess.org.
> To view this discussion visit
> <https://groups.google.com/a/nvaccess.org/d/msgid/nvda-users/001001dc6abc%2424b4b210%246e1e1630%24%40gmail.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer>.
> --
> ***
> Please note: the NVDA project has a Citizen and Contributor Code of
> Conduct.
> NV Access expects that all community members will read and abide by
> the rules set out in this document while participating in this group.
> https://github.com/nvaccess/nvda/blob/master/CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md
>
> You can contact the group owners and moderators via
> nvda-user...@nvaccess.org.
> ---
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google
> Groups "NVDA Screen Reader Discussion" group.
> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send
> an email to nvda-users+...@nvaccess.org.
> To view this discussion visit
> <https://groups.google.com/a/nvaccess.org/d/msgid/nvda-users/005b01dc6b1b%2401284e60%240378eb20%24%40gmail.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer>.
> --
> ***
> Please note: the NVDA project has a Citizen and Contributor Code of
> Conduct.
> NV Access expects that all community members will read and abide by
> the rules set out in this document while participating in this group.
> https://github.com/nvaccess/nvda/blob/master/CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md
>
> You can contact the group owners and moderators via
> nvda-user...@nvaccess.org.
> ---
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google
> Groups "NVDA Screen Reader Discussion" group.
> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send
> an email to nvda-users+...@nvaccess.org.
> To view this discussion visit
> <https://groups.google.com/a/nvaccess.org/d/msgid/nvda-users/003901dc6b1b%24c3ba0770%244b2e1650%24%40gmail.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer>.
> --
> ***
> Please note: the NVDA project has a Citizen and Contributor Code of
> Conduct.
> NV Access expects that all community members will read and abide by
> the rules set out in this document while participating in this group.
> https://github.com/nvaccess/nvda/blob/master/CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md
>
> You can contact the group owners and moderators via
> nvda-user...@nvaccess.org.
> ---
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google
> Groups "NVDA Screen Reader Discussion" group.
> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send
> an email to nvda-users+...@nvaccess.org.
> To view this discussion visit
> <https://groups.google.com/a/nvaccess.org/d/msgid/nvda-users/002501dc6b1e%2481ec7320%2485c55960%24%40comcast.net?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer>.
> --
> ***
> Please note: the NVDA project has a Citizen and Contributor Code of
> Conduct.
> NV Access expects that all community members will read and abide by
> the rules set out in this document while participating in this group.
> https://github.com/nvaccess/nvda/blob/master/CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md
>
> You can contact the group owners and moderators via
> nvda-user...@nvaccess.org.
> ---
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google
> Groups "NVDA Screen Reader Discussion" group.
> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send
> an email to nvda-users+...@nvaccess.org.
> To view this discussion visit
> <https://groups.google.com/a/nvaccess.org/d/msgid/nvda-users/007101dc6b5f%24be7efa10%243b7cee30%24%40gmail.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer>.
joseph....@gmail.com
Hi,
I see. Just because a platform caters to professionals does not mean it is a good place to practice company outreach. Sure, LinkedIn posts can be noticed by folks working across industries. But if folks want to give feedback on accessibility, unless you haven’t done so, start by reaching out to individual companies.
Let me give you an NVDA example: let’s say I need to discuss something on or about NVDA. The first question I ask is, “which aspect of NVDA am I going to discuss?” If it is an NVDA bug or a feature request, then I would go onto GitHub because GitHub is the platform used to discuss screen reader code changes. If it is something that is about a community concern, then I need to ask a further question, “do I have credibility to address the issue?” If I determine that I do have credibility and thus can offer thoughts on say, add-ons development or explaining a feature I have worked on, then I could discuss it on a forum like this. However, after sitting on the topic for a while, if I realize that this is something for NV Access to tackle such as NVDA roadmap, then I would contact NV Access to discuss my issue with folks there. Only if they won’t budge or feel the issue should be brought up to community attention would I post on a community forum like this, and in under specific circumstances would I post on social media platforms, including multimedia platforms such as TikTok and Instagram to raise awareness at a more regional or global scale.
The choice of platform is not easy as some of us may think it is. Some folks steer clear of certain platforms for a variety of reasons (I do have a Twitter/X account but don’t post on it much these days for several reasons; ask me privately). Some people do not recommend certain platforms due to accessibility concerns. Some choose to post on a platform because of its appeal and target demographic and audience such as LinkedIn but that is a double-edged sword.
If you wish to raise accessibility issues with companies, LinkedIn is the last place you wish to post your thoughts on it because:
- Not all professionals have LinkedIn accounts. The first thing I told college students when I taught business and professional communication was to create a LinkedIn account for visibility, but not all people would do so.
- Not all industries, or entities within an industry, will take accessibility seriously unless you contact them directly. Not all corporations and nonprofits monitor social networking services, LinkedIn, and other platforms (NV Access has its own social media presence on several platforms including X, Facebook, and Mastodon, but don’t expect them to show up one day on newest platforms out there). On one hand, having social media presence and soliciting feedback through say, DM’s (direct messages) can make users feel they are talking to someone who knows about latest trends in online audience engagement. On the other hand, if an organization has its own website and preferred ways to be contacted, then that’s what they will prioritize (social media presence is engagement, not the primary way to exchange feedback).
In case of raising accessibility concerns, the first thing to do is sit down and think carefully about the accessibility concern you have, then communicate with the entity responsible for whatever product you are using. If the entity is not responsive, raise the issue on a support network such as product forums like this one. Only after gauging community responses and you think it should be brought to attention of several communities should you post on a more general-purpose social networking service, and this also applies if you wish to discuss a really broad topic like accessibility in professional contexts.
I like the idea of thinking big to raise issues concerning minority voices. But in order to think big, we should think carefully about small decisions that can come back to help or haunt us later. This is applicable not only to the linked LinkedIn post and the possible steps taken (in the past and the future), but in anything we do. To make it contextual to the NVDA community, if we want to create more effective feature requests or bug reports, don’t just start and stop with your grand idea – walk people through your thoughts so people reading your GitHub issue can see your thinking process. This starts with not creating a GitHub issue the moment you come up with this grand idea; sit on it for a few minutes to hours (or even days), gather your thoughts (and materials including supporting documents), write down or think about exact steps to reproduce the issue or how the suggested feature can come to life, and then post on GitHub. Same goes with pull requests: the last thing NVDA code writers want to see is a “gray box” pull request – a piece of code with no accompanying documentation/explanation present.
I will discuss all this somewhere on social media later today.
To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/a/nvaccess.org/d/msgid/nvda-users/007101dc6b5f%24be7efa10%243b7cee30%24%40gmail.com.