On 16 June 2020, Ravelry rolled out a new look. The aesthetic is their choice to do with as they see fit. However, they also broke some of the screen reader access they had in doing so. Folks have reported seizures, migraines, vertigo, eye strain, and other symptoms from spending a bit of time on the new version.
Two days later, Ravelry released a way to access the older version of the website, but one had to go through the new version to get to the older version to do so. This still leaves out those who cannot access the site because of the broken screen reader access or other symptoms. Plus, the fact that one had to know that the access to the older version was even available.
Throughout the time since Ravelry has released their new look, they have posted two blog posts. Both posts are super cheerful and encouraging about the changes. Neither post mentions the hardship some members have in accessing the site, just a small reference to a set of users using the older version. Not that that is an indication of anything when all the former users are not able to access the site, and what does it mean anyways. Percentages were given, but percentages of what numbers, from what time and what kind of snapshot is that. Statistics are always manipulations of data.
There's been a lot of new accounts from folks logging in to see how things are to see how the code works and offer how to help adjust it for better practices to make it accessible to all users. Some new accounts are also journalists and others looking for interesting things to stir up trouble. And, a few are valid accounts of new folks actually interested in the crafts Ravelry represents. A 103% increase over a time when account sign ups were closed isn't hard to explain away.
In the past, the owners of Ravelry have been transparent and hands on with users. In the time since the change, Ravelry has only posted twice on social media outlets to share the blog posts already mentioned. This feels like ghosting from the owners.
The forums have always been open to a variety of topics. In particular forums, everyone can ask questions of the management of Ravelry and have a discussion. Since the change, the moderators of the forums in question have been locking threads and hiding posts by folks asking valid questions of the management. When that happens and folks ask more questions, those are hidden and the questioners are banned from asking questions. This is why folks with disabilities and their friends feel like the management of Ravelry is being ablest and gas lighting and demeaning us.
We just want an open discussion with the ability to fix this snafu. It can be fixed. Alt text for screen readers is not hard to add to the log in screen. A choice to log in to the old or new version at the log in screen is not a hard thing, why make folks go through the adverse reaction website to get to the better website (even if it's not the best it could be).
