Thread by @kingdomofwench, So let's talk about this.#RavelryAccessibility https://twitter.com/kingdomofwench/status/1288909716714913792 This will be a thread, and [...]

So let's talk about this.

#RavelryAccessibility https://twitter.com/kingdomofwench/status/1288909716714913792

https://twitter.com/kingdomofwench/status/1288909716714913792

This will be a thread, and yes, I am going to tag @ravelry here. I will also be posting my thoughts about Jess' blog post from today, found here: https://blog.ravelry.com/a-letter-from-jessica/

2/?

A letter from Jessica

Dear Ravelry Community, I first would like to apologize for any stress and uncertainty that the Ravelry site redesign has caused in what is already a difficult year. I am so sorry that our actions,...

https://blog.ravelry.com/a-letter-from-jessica/

Let me say a couple things right here:

1. I'm using my laptop for this, so I am not gonna see responses right away, but dear god, all this typing on my phone is just no right now.

2. I can't decide for anyone whether what Ravelry and its staff has done so far is sufficient. 3/?

3. I am going to try to keep this to just the facts and my own opinions as much as possible, rather than speculation.

Can and have I speculated? I'm human, so of course I have. I am going to not in this thread though. 4/?

Okay, that all being said.

I appreciate that one of the founders of Ravelry finally publicly addressed the situation that has arisen from their new site design causing seizures, migraines, and more. 5/?

I appreciate that Jess acknowledged that this response should have come a lot sooner. I appreciate that she made clear that the moderation decisions in FTLOR have come down from here and Cassidy. 6/?

I appreciate the acknowledgement that Ravelry was built as much by its users as it was by Cassidy and Jess. 7/?

I am incredibly upset and concerned that we are being told that Jess and the rest of the staff take the accessibility problems seriously, but that in the first paragraph, those problems are referred to as "stress", "uncertainty", and "anxiety". 8/?

I am also concerned at the continued framing that all of this comes down to preferences, and that competing access needs - which are real! - seems to be being used as a shield or excuse. 9/?

Let me be clear:

Disability access is not a matter of feelings. It is not a matter of preferences. It is not a matter of stress or uncertainty.

True inclusivity needs to include disabled people. 10/?

I appreciate that the emails Cassidy sent out over the past few days from an official Ravelry email account were addressed.

I am deeply unhappy and concerned that the ableist tweets and comments of other staff remain unaddressed. 11/?

I am concerned that all of the Ravelry staff have deleted their social media presence, and that this was not addressed. I cannot point you to the ableist joke that MaryHeatherB tweeted after the new look came out, because it was deleted. 12/?

I am concerned that the long history of ableism, reluctance to implement accessibility-related features on the site, and dismissal of accessibility concerns on the part of Cassidy was not addressed. 13/?

I am concerned that the deep structural lacks in the sites IT management, including change management, have not been addressed.

To put that in perspective, if I had rolled out a change this was rolled out? I would have been out of a job. 14/?

I am, at this point, alarmed that after this blog post went live, in which it was said that Cassidy "no longer has access to the customer service emails", I received an email via Jess' Ravelry email account from Cassidy. 15/?

While I appreciate the desire to apologize, and agree that everyone who received an email like mine, or DM's or other comments, public or private, that were as unprofessional and cruel, I am also concerned at how it happened. 16/?

Additionally, to my knowledge, I am the only person who received an individual apology note from Cassidy. I was not the only person who was attacked or disparaged by her. 17/?

I am fully aware that Cassidy, Jess, and the rest of the staff are real people, undergoing the same real stress as the rest of us are during a pandemic, as well as the stresses that come with the ways they are marginalized people. 18/?

However, Ravelry is a business. That's not me just saying that. That is Cassidy and Jess saying that, and having said that when they filed their LLC papers. And having said that when they hired people. And having said that when they started selling ads and taking sales fees. 19/?

And I want to be clear: everything that has happened, from the redesign to the personal attacks, has happened in the context of and on behalf of the business.

This wasn't a Twitter spat between friends. 20/?

I also find "We have not been as aware as we should be that these messages were being sent." alarming. I think it speaks to some deep-seated issues with how the business is managed. 21/?

This includes instances of database super-editors targeting accessibility-related pattern tags and removing them, as well as harassing designers, but still remaining super-editors, after Cassidy was made aware of the situation. 22/?

I think Jess' blog post was an improvement over the communication that has happened in the past six weeks.

I also think that at this point, that was a truly low bar to clear. 23/?

I have severely curtailed my Ravelry usage, and at this time, do not plan to return to my former baseline.

I do not think this post is sufficient action on the part of Jess and the rest of the Ravelry staff. 24/?

I am interested to see what comes of the mentioned plan to hire a web accessibility consultant.

I am waiting to see if any of the many other, layered, long-standing issues will be addressed. 25/?

I, without hesitation, believe everyone who has reported adverse effects from Ravelry, both past and present. And I support both those who want to fight to make Ravelry better, as well as those who are done and moving on.

26/26

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