is linux ableist?
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is linux ableist? how?
some backstory: i was talking to a friend who was thinking of switching away from windows 10 to a mac because windows 11 is... well, terrible for a slew of reasons. i, perhaps too excitedly, brought up linux. they were talking about wanting something that works and i said i struggled with too and linux is actually much easier to use than i thought it'd be.
they then called me ableist for recommending linux because its assumptive that someone who is neurodivergent like them would have an easy time with linux at all. that how linux works itself is inaccessible and ableist in of itself (whereas macs and windows are not). i tried opening up a more in depth conversation about it but they werent available for it. so i figured id ask here, because im really confused, and would like to learn more
@insecteuthanasia I don't think your friend was going to listen whatever you said!
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is linux ableist? how?
some backstory: i was talking to a friend who was thinking of switching away from windows 10 to a mac because windows 11 is... well, terrible for a slew of reasons. i, perhaps too excitedly, brought up linux. they were talking about wanting something that works and i said i struggled with too and linux is actually much easier to use than i thought it'd be.
they then called me ableist for recommending linux because its assumptive that someone who is neurodivergent like them would have an easy time with linux at all. that how linux works itself is inaccessible and ableist in of itself (whereas macs and windows are not). i tried opening up a more in depth conversation about it but they werent available for it. so i figured id ask here, because im really confused, and would like to learn more
@insecteuthanasia
I am austic, with very moderate computer skills. I moved to mint, using a commercial usb device, i found the instructions to create a bootable drive confusing. I used it from this for a while before replacing windows.
I am general user, and was able to use this with no real issues. I expect i will be able to modify my set-up over time. Just one point for linux wizards, sometimes all we want, all we can do is pictures, email, browsing simple spreadsheets and typing letters -
Linux is working against a very negative image of being:
1. Elitist and for programmers mostly.
2. Requiring heavy and often inaccessible setup to install and operate.
3. Many different types that overwhelm those researching. Little to no guides written for nontechnical users.To overcome that requires work and collaboration with disabled community. It's doable but difficult.
I'm an academic historian. I've been using Linux since 2003 and since 2005 only Linux (although I maintain my partner's Win system). I once tried to install Windows from scratch - so many hoops to go through just to get to installation. Anyone being an initial user with Linux should start with Mint. From there you can progress (I've been a distro hopper since 2005). It's all FUD. Linux is perfectly accessible now and doesn't track or compel you to use AI.
As to your other point, of course developers should consult people with disabilities, but there are specialist Linux distros out there.
There is a list of distros with features for accessibility with Orca pre-installed.
https://itsfoss.com/visual-impaired-linux/ -
is linux ableist? how?
some backstory: i was talking to a friend who was thinking of switching away from windows 10 to a mac because windows 11 is... well, terrible for a slew of reasons. i, perhaps too excitedly, brought up linux. they were talking about wanting something that works and i said i struggled with too and linux is actually much easier to use than i thought it'd be.
they then called me ableist for recommending linux because its assumptive that someone who is neurodivergent like them would have an easy time with linux at all. that how linux works itself is inaccessible and ableist in of itself (whereas macs and windows are not). i tried opening up a more in depth conversation about it but they werent available for it. so i figured id ask here, because im really confused, and would like to learn more
Short version: no, Linux is not ableist.
Longer version: the Linux ecosystem suffers a limited support for people with vision issues, yes.
But that's arguably the one "ableist" issue that can be attributed to Linux.
Offensive version: claiming Linux is not neurodivergent-friendly is... have you SEEN us linux people? To use an offensive stereotype: we are are hyperfixated nerds. You could probably use us as litmus test for neurodivergency.
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