Python and Accessibility

[mbrown36]

I wanted to get some reaction to a topic about Python. I am a college professor in the US. I was speaking to a blind student and he brought up an interesting point. Python is not accessible to the blind. The issue is with code blocks (either in conditions or loops). Code blocks in Python in indented, but screen readers do not indicate indentations.

At least in the United States this opens up legal issues concerning the Americans with Disability Act and the US Government 508.

It seem like an “end block” command would address this issue. Has there been any discussions on that?

[perfringo]

Isin't it the problem of a screenreader and not Python?

[Yoriz]

how would a blind programmer deal with something like python?

[micseydel]

Adding an end-block to Python seems like a silly way to make the language less elegant and noiser, but I don't see any reason why a screen reader or a Python IDE for the blind couldn't infer where it should be, and insert it, if it's really that valuable.

At least in the United States this opens up legal issues concerning the Americans with Disability Act and the US Government 508.

I'm highly skeptical of this, but if it's true we're the wrong ones to talk to about it.

[mbrown36]

All of the responses here are not compliant with ADA. It is not the job of screen readers to be compliant with Python or IDEs. It is the other way around.

There are many blind programmers and making some compliant is not silly.

There will be people that sue companies that use Python and they will win.

The Python community should address this.

[Yoriz]

Who is python-forum.io

python-forum.io is not connected to the Python Software Foundation. We are the not the ones to contact regarding changing the python language or python.org site. Go here if you need to contact them.

[perfringo]

It is not the job of screen readers to be compliant with Python or IDEs. It is the other way around.
There are many blind programmers and making some compliant is not silly.
There will be people that sue companies that use Python and they will win.

I am in no way expert in US legislation but it seems to me that there are lot of low hanging fruits to pick before (non-profit) Python.

I would start with car manufacturers and all the companies which are using cars. Why can't blind drivers drive cars?

On more serious note: there are refreshable braille displays (like this). The braille display should solve the problem of figuring out punctuation and indentation. It is my understanding that blind programmers use this type of devices.

[DeaD_EyE]

With the US-Law you can't enforce a new standard in a language.
Even if you try, nobody would use it. No one would change the code.
I won't use it!

In addition, if we change the syntax, we invalidate how many million lines of existing code?
It's a huge amount of code, no one would do the change. Even the switch from Python 2 to 3 was horrible.

The screen-reader have to support it, and they could support it.
What is the problem, to attach an existing code parser to a screen reader?

Talk to the people, who create screen reader. It's not a Python issue.


PS: If you want to kill Python, your suggestion is the best way to kill it fast.
PPS: Remind the discussion about the walrus operator (assignment expression). Guido stepped down because of the reaction of the community.