11 upvotes, 3 direct replies (showing 3)
View submission: Reddit's Recently Announced API Changes, and the future of the /r/blind subreddit
Hello, r/blind!
I'm not a member of your community; however, I very nearly suffered complete vision loss due to posterior uveitis. After half a decade of monthly steroid injections and a couple rounds of laser surgeries, I now have relatively stable, mostly-functional vision.
I remember the years I spent wondering how I could adapt to a society that offers so little to the visually-impaired, and I thought of you all first when the API news broke. I just want to say that you have not been forgotten; as upset as I am for myself, the most cynical part of all of this is the callous disregard that Reddit has shown for users that depend on accessibility apps to remain engaged with their communities here.
I'm disgusted with the way that this has been handled, and I will not be participating on this website once they drop third-party support. I hope you all are able to find a digital space that treats you with the dignity that you deserve.
Comment by suitcaseismyhome at 04/06/2023 at 19:43 UTC
11 upvotes, 0 direct replies
Thank you for your support and I mean that very sincerely. However this is not about this community finding another space.
This is about this community having the ability to participate with other communities just as we actively do today.
This sub was very helpful when I lost more of my vision a few years ago and was struggling to find a way to keep my career and to use technology. I still read almost every day and sometimes post in support but for the most part I don't want to just participate with this community.
I want to be able to be part of the communities where I read and post and have relationships or I'm just an observer. My access to the world has already been limited in recent years and I don't want this to become yet one more way that I cannot be part of a larger community.
I suspect that my reading and usage of reddit actually increased after I lost more of my vision because I could not go out and participate as actively as I was used to.
This is not just about the blind and the visually impaired community finding a place where they can lead together. It is about finding a place where we can all be together regardless of whether or not we can see.
Comment by fastfinge at 05/06/2023 at 11:12 UTC
8 upvotes, 0 direct replies
Thanks for your support! The issue isn't so much that we need a community specifically for blind folks. There are actually quite a few of those. But blindness doesn't make up our entire identity. Personally, I read Fanfiction, love Harry Potter, and am interested in advancements in AI. Reddit offers me a place where I can read, learn, and talk with others about all of those interests. Wherever we move, it's important to us that it's a place where blind and sighted people can participate alike, on equal footing.
Comment by [deleted] at 05/06/2023 at 19:45 UTC
2 upvotes, 0 direct replies
Yeah, I don’t actually come on r/blind too much I am obligated to with r/blindsurveys because I am mod there. I wanted to come see this thread.
What the goal is I think is to be able to be part of reddit not just this sub. I use reddit actually more for stuff like r/mbti and r/socionics and r/jung_mbti yeah, I know call me a weirdo hahaha! I’d like to continue to use that. I also own a sub which I hope more serious typology students can continue using.