Fortunately someone is talking about smart glasses and blind people, in mainstream media. This matter must be taken seriously.

Today I quoted someone who said "no one worries so much of camera equipped phones" but about glasses, there is a huge difference: glasses can be kept always on, with camera recording. Take a pic and film someone is matter of a second.

But the message that has not passed, is that they are not spying/recording by default (or the battery would be drained).

I have tried them with an app called "scribe me" yesterday, with a live assistant describing objects around me. And, having video always on, drains the battery drastically. That's why I find NO SENSE in keeping them always turned on! Can I say that paradoxically I feel more scared by extreme anti-glasses movement, than about glasses themselves?

Being protecting and defending our privacy is a duty. But, it would be better done being aggressive towards the companies, claiming more privacy respect, not against single users making their lives impossible. Banning glasses from school, for example, is a barrier against blind students (and teachers).

We need more protection, we ask it.
Blind and visually impaired people fear smart glasses backlash https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cmx2qlz7ney2o

su questo articolo si parla principalmente di disabilità cognitive, ma "anche i disabili diventano adulti" vale anche per il resto: disabilità fisiche e sensoriali. Quando c'è un cieco o un sordo adulto per esempio, si tende a infantilizzarlo. Tipo dargli sempre del tu, chiedere a eventuali persone "normodotate" cosa lui voglia da bere (spesso accade negli esercizi pubblici), a me una volta uno ha capito che doveva rivolgersi a me direttamente, quando dopo essermi presa da bere mi sono categoricamente rifiutata di pagare. No, cazzo. Tu non ti puoi comportare come se io non esistessi quando si tratta di portarmi un panino e una bibita, poi i soldi li vuoi da me. O mi parli, o non ti pago. Se non esisto, se sono un accessorio del mio accompagnatore, io non ti devo niente.

Poi lasciamo stare quando si stupiscono perché noi persone con disabilità facciamo sesso consenziente, vogliamo relazioni, vogliamo sposarci e avere figli, possiamo essere gay, trans, lesbiche, queer, possiamo decidere di NON sposarci e non volere figli esattamente come quegli altri, anzi no. Addirittura se uno di noi vuole figli, certe volte cercano pure di convincerlo a non farli.

Cosiddetti "normodotati" voglio il diritto a mandarvi a fare in culo, così come va detto, e non stare sempre inginocchiata a ringraziare per la poca inclusione che ci date.

Ah, sì, e in teoria saremmo pure in grado di sceglierci i prodotti informatici da usare, se l'inclusione invece di essere uno slogan, esistesse davvero anche nell'open source.

Le cose sono molto più complesse di come le mette questo pezzo.
https://www.ilpost.it/2026/10/10/ninotti-anche-i-disabili-diventano-adulti/

A pervert's journey, day 2.
My pervert aura is stable, no decreasing or increasing of points today...

SERIOUS: after yesterday's experiment with "where's the toilet paper roll", I have done some research to find out if I could train/customize the model.

I found nothing. For example, on Claude and GPT, there's an edit field in settings/customization, where you can write down and save how the model should behave towards your prompts. Many customize it with name, personal info, and so (very careless, IMHO); I do something different. Customize the answer's structure, writing down what a blind needs when describing objects, summarizing PDF documents, etc.

But Meta Glasses have nothing similar. There's a flag, into Meta AI settings, where you can turn on "memorize data, save your data on Meta to improve the model" but I turned it off to at least mitigate privacy problems this device has. I can't eliminate issues, I'm aware of this. But at least mitigating is my duty.

That said, mitigation creates a deep dilemma: with memorize data turned on, I could hope on the chance for it to save the instruction "take a pic and describe the environment providing directions", to the question "where is [object]". I could at least try it.

But if I turn "memorize data" off, nothing of this is stored, and I must repeat all the poem of "take a pic, describe the scene, tell me where [object] is, give me directions" every single damned time.

This is the big difference between mainstream and dedicated tech, the problem of dedicated tech is that having a smaller market, it has less probability to long-term survive.

That's why my hope is that smart glasses could be reverse-engineered and equipped with an open-source, community-based software which can be gradually developed for community needs. It's useless to rant about damages if no one concretely helps for legitimate use.

#blind #meta #pervert #smartglasses

[SARCASM] my journey to become a real pervert glasses user. I earned 10 perv aura points today. [/SARCASM]

SERIOUS: here's the difference between a blind-optimized pair of smart glasses, and a mainstream one. But the blind-only optimized trained AI model, is not long-term reliable because of those companies business models which count just on one niche of people.

Scenario: a stranger toilet, where you need to go but you have no idea how dirty it is.
Blind-optimized glasses. Command: "Where is the toilet paper roll?"

Glasses output: it takes a picture and describes the environment accordingly, in case providing directions as well: the roll is on the wall on your right. That depends on software.

Mainstream glasses, native Meta AI model:

Command: Where's the toilet paper roll?
AI output: it attempts to find public toilets around my area.

I have to entirely specify "look at the surroundings, take a picture and look for a toilet paper on the walls, then tell me the direction where I can find it"

But now, it's the less evil alternative I have because Envision is shutting down, then we have Agiga Echo Glasses sold just in the USA, Fovionic coming from Brazil but they're startups which who knows where they end up.

Pervert aura milestone 1: find the toilet paper.

Pervert aura milestone 2: tell me how dirty it is when it's used. Tell me the amount of shit released. Its color.

I'm ironic on this, but if well trained, an AI on wearable devices can seriously avoid me to dirty my hands while searching for objects in an unknown restroom.

#meta #blind #pervert #aura

RE: https://mastodontti.fi/@mhalila/117382332593562423

There are a lot of progressive folks, even blind, who rely on substack.

@tayarndt - @payown are two, but I think there are others.

I suspect the issue is always the same: more accessible interface, than other services. And, maybe, better conditions for paid subscribers?

I had tried @buttondown but then have given temporarily up with the newsletter. Always for the same issue: it's USA based, it's centralized. Going to consider playing with Steady - steady.page

Just asking if someone of my followers and niche, comes to @sfscon 2026 in Bozen next November. Let's meet in person there.

But, there is always the same issue: sighted folks see faces so they can recognize someone; but blind people like me can't. How can we reach each other to share our hands and say hello?

#AskFedi #blind #networking #sfscon #sfscon26

@sfscon @Two9A @stefano
@DavidGoldfield up to you, for placing it into tech-vi.

On November 13th and 14th 2026 I'll speak at @sfscon - to be more precise it'll be on Saturday 14th at 10:20 in the morning.

My talk, 15 minutes, is "reclaiming our choice: why digital independence demands accessibility in FOSS"

It's a 15 minutes speech where I'm going to explain what's right and what's wrong in current approach. Why blind people rely on politically/technically vulnerable tech? What has been already done and what should FOSS community improve?

SPOILER: making all people feel guilty about commercial and expensive tech is not the right direction. Not for us, at least.

I'll also mention the effort made by @Two9A Imran Nazar, who inspired by @stefano -Stefano Marinelli-'s FediMeteo, has built a Fediverse project to allow Muslim believers to be warned about when to pray.

A very specific need, for a very specific community, made by someone who feels this need and wanted to cover it. But the narration "do it yourself if you need", can't always work for everyone, especially when concerning code learning.

My talk's explanation:

https://www.sfscon.it/talks/reclaiming-our-choice-why-digital-independence-demands-open-standards-and-accessibility-in-foss/

Whole DiDay program:

https://www.sfscon.it/tracks/digital-independence-day-2026/

#accessibility #a11y #blind #events #foss #sfscon #sfscon26

Listen to this one, her stage name is Arisa. IMHO she's one of the best Italian singers' voices we currently have.

When she talks she seems a little kid. But listen to her singing; in this video she had technical problems, she sings without main microphone as far as I could understand the scene.

She can sing whatever she wants: from pop songs, even difficult ones, to prayers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WyDWDmIUEM8

#UniRadio #FediRadio #music

RE: https://infosec.exchange/@josephcox/117315761403151624

I share this one, for blind users like me. We must become aware of what Meta really does.
Some days ago, I saw a post on the applevis.com website (a community for blind and low vision users) very enthusiastic of Muse and what it does, simply sending a message via WhatsApp. True, here in the EU, Muse isn't available.
I was astonished of that, and wondered where the trap was.
And now here it is: Meta involves humans, making us believe that we are using a machine.
That means, we are using Meta's slaves.
Because when a human works for 24 hours, paid a pair of cents or even nothing, the word to use is slavery.
People following me here, know that I don't agree with most guilty narration/propaganda shared by extremists in the "no AI" movement, so I rather push forwards the awareness narration, that is, Meta is acquiring slaves and providing them to us, declaring it's giving us a machine-driven service. In other words, they're de-humanizing someone in Africa or in who knows which other unmentioned country.
And consequences? We can in short term use these agents as an accessibility aid, to overcome barriers placed by original site's developers and designers; but then? Restaurants, shops, etc, have their right to block automated (or semi-automated) services from browsing their site and acting in it. Then? Inaccessibility issues remain there, undocumented. With them unaware. With the result of us remaining blind as before, but screwed and fooled. Seduced and abandoned, unaware of having exploited someone else's slave.
Who should feel guilty then? Meta, I think; they're in the heaviest position.

#ai #accessibility #a11y #blind #meta #muse

RE: https://tweesecake.social/@lerven/117300287743416960

This guy is an experienced blind game developer I have known for almost 20 years.
He's sharing his experience with camera-equipped meta glasses, which allow to connect to remote human assistance so that blind people can move through an airport using white cane and suitcase in hand. Something that sighted folks don't need. But, sighted anti-AI and anti-glasses movements, don't consider these use cases and just say that smart glasses users are perverts.
Those people deserve just one treatment: if they have their "meta glasses bluetooth detector" app, blind user should insert the white cane between that sighted person's leg, to make them lose balance. That's the least.

RE: https://social.coop/@smallcircles/117268097138431761

I agree: most time it seems that Fediverse is full of people complaining and feeling depressed; it's not the first time I feel doomscrolling like the old commercial platforms, I think we are a capable community but we should roll up our sleeves, and go ahead.

I assumed that Fediverse could really be an open, progressive environment where to discuss ideas and grow up, with different points of view. But what I'm finding lately, is something different. Narration going from "pro AI / glasses" to "no AI / glasses" so if you don't maintain a position, you are just in favor of fascists or perverts.
The last one I had a discussion with, called me "a waste of time" because I made him realize that a sighted pervert can use his own eyes, without glasses, while I fasten my shoes strings, bent over. Instead of joining me, thinking of a proposal to satisfy blind people's needs while protecting privacy, no. The problem is me.

Same for github/codeberg stuff: do AI-built pull-requests ruin open source software? Yes.
Is AI-generated code dirty and unreliable? Yes.
Have hand made coders the right to prohibit automated code? Yes, of course.
But same coders, went on for years saying "I'm an independant coder, a small company, I have no resources to make it accessible to blind, if you need it, make it yourself".
Now, thanks to assisted coding, many of us blind are doing exactly this: trying to solve their gaps by having the bots fix the issue. Then, to help other users (and the coder himself), they place the fix in form of pull request, into the repository. And it's often refused.
But, would the original coder ever solve accessibility? No. I'm alone, it's a small company, you're the first blind user I hear, and similar bullshit.
What, the fuck, should, we, do?

From far-right, I know what to expect: they're racist, ableists, and all the worst. They don't hide it. But I couldn't definitely expect such behaviours from people caring for freedom, ethics, open technologies, etc. I'm fed up of being considered an object who can gladly be sacrificed for purity of something or someone.

UPDATE: on blindness, coding and AI, please read this story, wrote by an experienced blind guy, about the topic:

https://mosen.org/ai

And as the discussion must be complete, I also add another point of view, together with the one pro vibe-coding.

On the link below, Robert (another experienced blind person) talks about "disability dongle", meaning those super-tech hardwares made for disability, but are more for inspirational videos than for real time usage. Expensive and uncomfortable.

Robert talks about hardware but it can easily be applied to AI as well: it's far from affordable, not with disability in mind, it must be well trained and you use more tokens to get what you want...

I'm not pro, I'm not against, I'm in the middle. Appreciate good, hate the bad. And want the discussion to be more balanced.

https://sightlessscribbles.com/posts/disability-dongle/

#ableism #accessibility #ai #fediverse

Premise: please don't insult the offender. Block and report her. I've been heavily offended by an Italian user here on Fediverse, she is on MastodonSocial instance and I've reported her. Crying as a victim is not useful, I'm one who fights. Who isolate harassers. So, I hope MastodonSocial and this Poliversity instance will take steps, because the better way we have to marginalize these people is to make them howl to the moon.

The step I took against a harasser I've been mostly proud of, was during Covid period. A conference on a platform called Club House, among blind users. The guy started to scream over the others, no matter what. Without raising hand action, he didn't listen or care. So, I muted his mic remotely. And he started to talk for a little while on his own, then left. I know it because he called me the following day, saying that he kept on talking, but no one replied, but we all continued talking. And I said: maybe you muted your mic without noticing, maybe (more probable) we were fed up of listening to your voice only. Being polite pays. He said "you muted me?" I replied back: me? We were a group of mods. If you didn't mute, someone could have done it. Not me. But I assume it's been you. You're used to move your hands randomly when you are angry, so, being blind and moving uncontrollably, causes accident. Normal.

It's survival. It's self-defense.
Here's what I'm talking about. I have screenshot to show proof.

Given that I found an app to create slides in MarkDown: is there an open source solution, accessible to blind, to show those slides in a presentation (conference, office, etc.?
Better if it's self-hostable, but otherwise, decentralized anyways.

No idea if LibreOffice is still accessible, if it has a presentation tool - OnlyOffice is excluded, accessibility isn't optimized at all despite they speak about it. Already had a call with them but no news came since long.

#a11y #accessibility #askFedi #blind #FediHelp #markdown #opensource #selfhosting

Libro bellissimo. Io sono cresciuta con questo, e con Jack Frusciante è uscito dal gruppo.
“Noi, i ragazzi dello zoo di Berlino”: il libro che continua a disturbare intere generazioni https://www.illibraio.it/news/narrativa/noi-i-ragazzi-dello-zoo-di-berlino-1505368/

RE: https://caneandable.social/@WeirdWriter/117127393408675017

many blind users (my ex boyfriend included) have Meta glasses and are enthusiastic, but I don't trust this company and will not buy them. First, because I know meta policies have no regards about ethics and they're just using us to make us dependant from them. And second, because the anti-meta movement is growing, blind meta glasses users are not sufficiently protected in theaters, cinemas, etc, so, I don't want something else to be stigmatized for.
Besides what fediverse folks think, however, for smart glasses Meta is not someone worthy my money, because almost 10 percent of their earnings is by scams and disinformation, they do nothing to overcome and fight it, so, it's really not worth the effort. To blind meta users I say: I fight for you by making people aware of how helpful these tools can be, not to stigmatize someone blind using these meta glasses. But if I can choose for myself, I say NO.

Let me say this: now that Matt Mullenweg has explicitly declared he doesn't really care about WordPress accessibility, I'm exploring alternatives. I have PureBlog and Eleventy currently in hand; Ghost is potent but its accessibility is very, very poor. My strong fear on switching to another platform, however, is one: there are less and less skilled people on CSS code. Most are used to point-and-click palettes, and I could code but due to my blindness I have no feedbacks on how my pages appear so I have a need for sighted assistance to customize CSS.
What the hell should I do?
#a11y #accessibility #blind #inclusion #WordPress

RE: https://caneandable.social/@JonathanMosen/117027932337993552

I'm not the only one to say it, about this anti-rayban rethoric which will damage blind owners. I've tried to kick those in the ass for weeks, it is better to PREVENT rather than cure! @smallcircles

RE: https://masto.yttrx.com/@waffles/116947843159496927

cc @macfranc