Wolf looking directly into a camera at close proximity.

There is a bit of an issue I have noticed lately: websites actively blocking Reading Mode in Firefox, and derivative web browsers. I was stunned to find out (just a minute ago) that Reading Mode doesn't appear to be a default feature in Chromium, but instead an add-on. So, I don't know if this is an issue for Chrome based browsers.

This is getting frustratingly annoying for me. Why? There are multiple reasons that Reading Mode is a necessity for many people, myself included. Let's talk about a few of them.

Poor Contrast Color Schemes

This is a problem I see a lot with websites, it seems to be a trendy or fashionable aesthetic… Have a light gray background so it's not completely white, then have a “dark” gray for the text. In most cases probably not too bad, but for some people that's not enough contrast. My personal issue seems to be with blue versions of themes with this style.

I understand quite a few people like pastel colored themes. They really do look nice. I have even tried to take some from this aesthetic with my sites: use a medium/neutral background color, light color for the logo and highlights so they aren't overbearing. But, I still maintain a fairly high contrast for the main content.

While sites like this can really look amazing in their simplicity, and soothing color choices, they can be a nightmare from an accessibility standpoint.

Neo-cities Style Sites

I get it, really I do: there is a lot of nostalgia for the 1990s personal websites… Heck there is a lot of nostalgia for anything that is “retro”. That isn't a bad thing. I enjoy websites where personal expression is as important, or sometimes more important than the content.

But, sometimes, we want to read and potentially engage with the owner of the website… Sometimes the retro aesthetics get in the way. When it does, allowing visitors choices in how they engage with your content is necessary.

Tiny and / or Thin Fonts

I don't know what has happened in the last twenty-something years, but somewhere along the way we seem to have gone wrong with fonts. There are a lot of sites that, while they are amazing from an overall aesthetic perspective, have fonts that are either tiny or have very thin strokes.

Personally, I think this is likely due to changes in displays. We have to have our websites look good on many devices (desktop, laptop, tablet, eInk tablets, phones), and under multiple browsers and operating systems. All of these factors can make it difficult to get font choices right. This is especially true when you are trying to make a site that has a clean look, or a professional aesthetic.

This is another reason to allow visitors options for how they view your content.

Audience Vision Differences

I'll hold my hand up here and say this applies to me specifically. I have an issue that is categorized as dyslexia, but isn't typical dyslexia. The problem is my eyes don't synchronize properly all the time. One of the worst is when I am reading. Let me try to explain.

When I read my right eye will move through a line of text more quickly than my left eye. In order to compensate for the difference in speed between them, I slow down my right eye to keep it in sync with my left eye. This issue can be exacerbated by the font and color choices. This was found when I went through a series of tests over forty years ago. (Before anyone asks / comments: no, the “dyslexia font” doesn't help, it makes things worse for me. That font is more for people with issues recognizing letter shapes, or people that tend to recognize letters out of order. I recognize the letters / words / etc. just fine. This is purely an eye muscle / neural control issue.)

More recently, a couple of color blindness tests have shown indications I may be partially color-blind. Not to any significant level, I can still differentiate all colors in the spectrum. Rather some blues may appear more washed out to me than they do to others.

Another, far more common issue is age. As people get older their eyes can become weaker. They need to be able to read sites in as comfortable a manner as possible. The best way for many of them is using Reader Mode. How do I know this? Up until she passed away, I took care of my mother. There were numerous times when she needed to read a website, but had difficulties. I showed her how to use Reader Mode, and helped set it up so it was comfortable for her.

Finishing My Rant

Basically, actively disabling the Reader Mode of any browser is an act of denying someone with a disability access. It's the same as non-disabled asshats parking in the spots reserved for people with disabilities. Or stores / shops that won't provide a ramp for people in wheelchairs or walkers.

While this isn't a super common issue, I've been noticing it more and more lately. Especially with the IndieWeb, where we want people actively reading and interacting with each other.

I noted tonight on one site, an author made a comment about their site potentially being difficult to read. Honestly, the color scheme of the site was difficult for me. But, guess what: I was able to use Reader Mode to read their comment without issue. I wouldn't change their site, it has a really cool semi-retro aesthetic to it. As long as Reader Mode is available, it's accessible for me.

That's all I'm asking for: accessibility.

End rant.

---

Categories: #Essays Tags: #accessibility, #readermode, #eyes, #disability, #rant License: Copyright Unattributed. Licensed under Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0.

	FediRing
◀️ Prev	Home	Next ▶️