#Document Accessibility Services

[accessiblemindstech]

In today’s digital age, ensuring web accessibility is crucial for inclusive design and providing equal access to all users. The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) outline numerous standards that help developers and designers create accessible websites. One key aspect of these guidelines is optimizing text spacing to enhance readability for people with various disabilities. While the WCAG doesn’t mandate specific typefaces, font sizes, or text spacing, it provides criteria that ensure text remains legible and functional when users adjust the default settings. This is especially relevant to WCAG Success Criterion 1.4.12, “Text Spacing.”

[itesservices]

Ensuring compliance with accessibility standards is essential for all organizations. Document remediation services play a crucial role in making documents accessible to everyone, including individuals with disabilities. These services help in converting existing documents into accessible formats, ensuring compliance with legal standards such as ADA and Section 508. By utilizing document remediation, organizations can avoid legal issues, enhance user experience, and demonstrate their commitment to inclusivity and accessibility. 

[sdettechnologies]

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) prohibits discrimination based on disability, and this extends to the digital realm. But this is where digital accessibility services come in to play a crucial role in ensuring digital accessibility. Click Here: https://rb.gy/lzuuh5

[gayestcowboy]

one of the reasons i hate generative AI is that i have a chronic injury that makes me unable to write by hand for longer than a few sentences and therefore i need a keyboard in order to write essays for classes, and i’m a bit worried that professors won’t allow me to type essays as a result of potential AI use, even though i have a perfectly valid medical reason to need a keyboard. i’ve seen a few posts online saying that the only way to prevent students from relying on AI is to make them write by hand, and while i understand the sentiment and don’t even necessarily disagree with the general point, the matter of accessibility still needs to be addressed somehow, and it’s just a bit frustrating on a personal level as someone who has had to fight with teachers and professors in order for my needs to be met even before the era of chatgpt

[horsesource]

The American service dog and ESA conversations say a lot about this country’s animal/human relations. The dog is medical equipment, regardless of how well-trained she is? Full access. The dog is not medical equipment, regardless of how well-trained she is? Get outta here! Seems to reflect a training crisis too, you see so many people with service dogs decrying Fake Service Dogs

[butchviking]

one thing i truly do not know where i stand on is the ability 2 change legally documented gender. someone throw some opinions at me so i can figure out wtf i think abt that

[stinkrascal]

why doesnt google docs give u the option to indent paragraphs on mobile?? like the most basic thing u can do and they simply wont let you 😭

[theropodtheroblogs]

today i learned it feels fucking impossible to get a free minecraft server running a 1.7.10 modpack unless you know esoteric coding language and even when you try to figure that shit out it doesn't fucking work so i guess i wont be able to play 1.7.10 Regrowth with friends because fuck me I guess

[secretkeeper007]

Best cloud services? Ideally looking for something free with reasonable upgrade options.

[august--and-everything-after]

The pure rage I feel anytime I have to deal with the government of Canada's website is indescribable

[tofupixel]

⭐ So you want to learn pixel art? ⭐

🔹 Part 1 of ??? - The Basics!

Hello, my name is Tofu and I'm a professional pixel artist. I have been supporting myself with freelance pixel art since 2020, when I was let go from my job during the pandemic.

My progress, from 2017 to 2024. IMO the only thing that really matters is time and effort, not some kind of natural talent for art.

This guide will not be comprehensive, as nobody should be expected to read allat. Instead I will lean heavily on my own experience, and share what worked for me, so take everything with a grain of salt. This is a guide, not a tutorial. Cheers!

🔹 Do I need money?

NO!!! Pixel art is one of the most accessible mediums out there.

I still use a mouse because I prefer it to a tablet! You won't be at any disadvantage here if you can't afford the best hardware or software.

Because our canvases are typically very small, you don't need a good PC to run a good brush engine or anything like that.

✨Did you know? One of the most skilled and beloved pixel artists uses MS PAINT! Wow!!

🔹 What software should I use?

Here are some of the most popular programs I see my friends and peers using. Stars show how much I recommend the software for beginners! ⭐

💰 Paid options:

⭐⭐⭐ Aseprite (for PC) - $19.99

This is what I and many other pixel artists use. You may find when applying to jobs that they require some knowledge of Aseprite. Since it has become so popular, companies like that you can swap raw files between artists.

Aseprite is amazingly customizable, with custom skins, scripts and extensions on Itch.io, both free and paid.

If you have ever used any art software before, it has most of the same features and should feel fairly familiar to use. It features a robust animation suite and a tilemap feature, which have saved me thousands of hours of labour in my work. The software is also being updated all the time, and the developers listen to the users. I really recommend Aseprite!

⭐ Photoshop (for PC) - Monthly $$

A decent option for those who already are used to the PS interface. Requires some setup to get it ready for pixel-perfect art, but there are plenty of tutorials for doing so.

Animation is also much more tedious on PS which you may want to consider before investing time!

⭐⭐ ProMotion NG (for PC) - $19.00

An advanced and powerful software which has many features Aseprite does not, including Colour Cycling and animated tiles.

⭐⭐⭐ Pixquare (for iOS) - $7.99 - $19.99 (30% off with code 'tofu'!!)

Probably the best app available for iPad users, in active development, with new features added all the time.

Look! My buddy Jon recommends it highly, and uses it often.

One cool thing about Pixquare is that it takes Aseprite raw files! Many of my friends use it to work on the same project, both in their office and on the go.

⭐ Procreate (for iOS) - $12.99

If you have access to Procreate already, it's a decent option to get used to doing pixel art. It does however require some setup. Artist Pixebo is famously using Procreate, and they have tutorials of their own if you want to learn.

⭐⭐ ReSprite iOS and Android. (free trial, but:) $19.99 premium or $$ monthly

ReSprite is VERY similar in terms of UI to Aseprite, so I can recommend it. They just launched their Android release!

🆓 Free options:

⭐⭐⭐ Libresprite (for PC)

Libresprite is an alternative to Aseprite. It is very, very similar, to the point where documentation for Aseprite will be helpful to Libresprite users.

⭐⭐ Pixilart (for PC and mobile)

A free in-browser app, and also a mobile app! It is tied to the website Pixilart, where artists upload and share their work. A good option for those also looking to get involved in a community.

⭐⭐ Dotpict (for mobile)

Dotpict is similar to Pixilart, with a mobile app tied to a website, but it's a Japanese service. Did you know that in Japanese, pixel art is called 'Dot Art'? Dotpict can be a great way to connect with a different community of pixel artists! They also have prompts and challenges often.

🔹 So I got my software, now what?

◽Nice! Now it's time for the basics of pixel art.

❗ WAIT ❗ Before this section, I want to add a little disclaimer. All of these rules/guidelines can be broken at will, and some 'no-nos' can look amazing when done intentionally.

The pixel-art fundamentals can be exceedingly helpful to new artists, who may feel lost or overwhelmed by choice. But if you feel they restrict you too harshly, don't force yourself! At the end of the day it's your art, and you shouldn't try to contort yourself into what people think a pixel artist 'should be'. What matters is your own artistic expression. 💕👍

◽Phew! With that out of the way...

🔸"The Rules"

There are few hard 'rules' of pixel art, mostly about scaling and exporting. Some of these things will frequently trip up newbies if they aren't aware, and are easy to overlook.

🔹Scaling method

There are a couple ways of scaling your art. The default in most art programs, and the entire internet, is Bi-linear scaling, which usually works out fine for most purposes. But as pixel artists, we need a different method.

Both are scaled up x10. See the difference?

On the left is scaled using Bilinear, and on the right is using Nearest-Neighbor. We love seeing those pixels stay crisp and clean, so we use nearest-neighbor. 

(Most pixel-art programs have nearest-neighbor enabled by default! So this may not apply to you, but it's important to know.)

🔹Mixels

Mixels are when there are different (mixed) pixel sizes in the same image.

Here I have scaled up my art- the left is 200%, and the right is 150%. Yuck!

As we can see, the "pixel" sizes end up different. We generally try to scale our work by multiples of 100 - 200%, 300% etc. rather than 150%. At larger scales however, the minute differences in pixel sizes are hardly noticeable!

Mixels are also sometimes seen when an artist scales up their work, then continues drawing on it with a 1 pixel brush.

Many would say that this is not great looking! This type of pixels can be indicative of a beginner artist. But there are plenty of creative pixel artists out there who mixels intentionally, making something modern and cool.

🔹Saving Your Files

We usually save our still images as .PNGs as they don’t create any JPEG artifacts or loss of quality. It's a little hard to see here, but there are some artifacts, and it looks a little blurry. It also makes the art very hard to work with if we are importing a JPEG.

For animations .GIF is good, but be careful of the 256 colour limit. Try to avoid using too many blending mode layers or gradients when working with animations. If you aren’t careful, your animation could flash afterwards, as the .GIF tries to reduce colours wherever it can. It doesn’t look great!

Here's an old piece from 2021 where I experienced .GIF lossiness, because I used gradients and transparency, resulting in way too many colours.

🔹Pixel Art Fundamentals - Techniques and Jargon

❗❗Confused about Jaggies? Anti-Aliasing? Banding? Dithering? THIS THREAD is for you❗❗ << it's a link, click it!!

As far as I'm concerned, this is THE tutorial of all time for understanding pixel art. These are techniques created and named by the community of people who actually put the list together, some of the best pixel artists alive currently. Please read it!!

🔸How To Learn

Okay, so you have your software, and you're all ready to start. But maybe you need some more guidance? Try these tutorials and resources! It can be helpful to work along with a tutorial until you build your confidence up.

⭐⭐ Pixel Logic (A Digital Book) - $10 A very comprehensive visual guide book by a very skilled and established artist in the industry. I own a copy myself.

⭐⭐⭐ StudioMiniBoss - free A collection of visual tutorials, by the artist that worked on Celeste! When starting out, if I got stuck, I would go and scour his tutorials and see how he did it.

⭐ Lospec Tutorials - free A very large collection of various tutorials from all over the internet. There is a lot to sift through here if you have the time.

⭐⭐⭐ Cyangmou's Tutorials - free (tipping optional) Cyangmou is one of the most respected and accomplished modern pixel artists, and he has amassed a HUGE collection of free and incredibly well-educated visual tutorials. He also hosts an educational stream every week on Twitch called 'pixelart for beginners'.

⭐⭐⭐ Youtube Tutorials - free There are hundreds, if not thousands of tutorials on YouTube, but it can be tricky to find the good ones. My personal recommendations are MortMort, Brandon, and AdamCYounis- these guys really know what they're talking about!

🔸 How to choose a canvas size

When looking at pixel art turorials, we may see people suggest things like 16x16, 32x32 and 64x64. These are standard sizes for pixel art games with tiles. However, if you're just making a drawing, you don't necessarily need to use a standard canvas size like that.

What I like to think about when choosing a canvas size for my illustrations is 'what features do I think it is important to represent?' And make my canvas as small as possible, while still leaving room for my most important elements.

Imagine I have characters in a scene like this:

I made my canvas as small as possible (232 x 314), but just big enough to represent the features and have them be recognizable (it's Good Omens fanart 😤)!! If I had made it any bigger, I would be working on it for ever, due to how much more foliage I would have to render.

If you want to do an illustration and you're not sure, just start at somewhere around 100x100 - 200x200 and go from there.

It's perfectly okay to crop your canvas, or scale it up, or crunch your art down at any point if you think you need a different size. I do it all the time! It only takes a bit of cleanup to get you back to where you were.

🔸Where To Post

Outside of just regular socials, Twitter, Tumblr, Deviantart, Instagram etc, there are a few places that lean more towards pixel art that you might not have heard of.

⭐ Lospec Lospec is a low-res focused art website. Some pieces get given a 'monthly masterpiece' award. Not incredibly active, but I believe there are more features being added often.

⭐⭐ Pixilart Pixilart is a very popular pixel art community, with an app tied to it. The community tends to lean on the young side, so this is a low-pressure place to post with an relaxed vibe.

⭐⭐ Pixeljoint Pixeljoint is one of the big, old-school pixel art websites. You can only upload your art unscaled (1x) because there is a built-in zoom viewer. It has a bit of a reputation for being elitist (back in the 00s it was), but in my experience it's not like that any more. This is a fine place for a pixel artist to post if they are really interested in learning, and the history. The Hall of Fame has some of the most famous / impressive pixel art pieces that paved the way for the work we are doing today.

⭐⭐⭐ Cafe Dot Cafe Dot is my art server so I'm a little biased here. 🍵 It was created during the recent social media turbulence. We wanted a place to post art with no algorithms, and no NFT or AI chuds. We have a heavy no-self-promotion rule, and are more interested in community than skill or exclusivity. The other thing is that we have some kind of verification system- you must apply to be a Creator before you can post in the Art feed, or use voice. This helps combat the people who just want to self-promo and dip, or cause trouble, as well as weed out AI/NFT people. Until then, you are still welcome to post in any of the threads or channels. There is a lot to do in Cafe Dot. I host events weekly, so check the threads!

⭐⭐/r/pixelart The pixel art subreddit is pretty active! I've also heard some of my friends found work through posting here, so it's worth a try if you're looking. However, it is still Reddit- so if you're sensitive to rude people, or criticism you didn't ask for, you may want to avoid this one. Lol

🔸 Where To Find Work

You need money? I got you! As someone who mostly gets scouted on social media, I can share a few tips with you:

Put your email / portfolio in your bio Recruiters don't have all that much time to find artists, make it as easy as possible for someone to find your important information!

Clean up your profile If your profile feed is all full of memes, most people will just tab out rather than sift through. Doesn't apply as much to Tumblr if you have an art tag people can look at.

Post regularly, and repost Activity beats everything in the social media game. It's like rolling the dice, and the more you post the more chances you have. You have to have no shame, it's all business baby

Outside of just posting regularly and hoping people reach out to you, it can be hard to know where to look. Here are a few places you can sign up to and post around on.

/r/INAT INAT (I Need A Team) is a subreddit for finding a team to work with. You can post your portfolio here, or browse for people who need artists.

/r/GameDevClassifieds Same as above, but specifically for game-related projects.

Remote Game Jobs / Work With Indies Like Indeed but for game jobs. Browse them often, or get email notifications.

VGen VGen is a website specifically for commissions. You need a code from another verified artist before you can upgrade your account and sell, so ask around on social media or ask your friends. Once your account is upgraded, you can make a 'menu' of services people can purchase, and they send you an offer which you are able to accept, decline, or counter.

The evil websites of doom: Fiverr and Upwork I don't recommend them!! They take a big cut of your profit, and the sites are teeming with NFT and AI people hoping to make a quick buck. The site is also extremely oversaturated and competitive, resulting in a race to the bottom (the cheapest, the fastest, doing the most for the least). Imagine the kind of clients who go to these websites, looking for the cheapest option. But if you're really desperate...

🔸 Community

I do really recommend getting involved in a community. Finding like-minded friends can help you stay motivated to keep drawing. One day, those friends you met when you were just starting out may become your peers in the industry. Making friends is a game changer!

Discord servers Nowadays, the forums of old are mostly abandoned, and people split off into many different servers. Cafe Dot, Pixel Art Discord (PAD), and if you can stomach scrolling past all the AI slop, you can browse Discord servers here.

Twitch Streams Twitch has kind of a bad reputation for being home to some of the more edgy gamers online, but the pixel art community is extremely welcoming and inclusive. Some of the people I met on Twitch are my friends to this day, and we've even worked together on different projects! Browse pixel art streams here, or follow some I recommend: NickWoz, JDZombi, CupOhJoe, GrayLure, LumpyTouch, FrankiePixelShow, MortMort, Sodor, NateyCakes, NyuraKim, ShinySeabass, I could go on for ever really... There are a lot of good eggs on Pixel Art Twitch.

🔸 Other Helpful Websites

Palettes Lospec has a huge collection of user-made palettes, for any artist who has trouble choosing their colours, or just wants to try something fun. Rejected Palettes is full of palettes that didn't quite make it onto Lospec, ran by people who believe there are no bad colours.

The Spriters Resource TSR is an incredible website where users can upload spritesheets and tilesets from games. You can browse for your favourite childhood game, and see how they made it! This website has helped me so much in understanding how game assets come together in a scene.

VGMaps Similar to the above, except there are entire maps laid out how they would be played. This is incredible if you have to do level design, or for mocking up a scene for fun.

Game UI Database Not pixel-art specific, but UI is a very challenging part of graphics, so this site can be a game-changer for finding good references!

Retronator A digital newspaper for pixel-art lovers! New game releases, tutorials, and artworks!

Itch.io A website where people can upload, games, assets, tools... An amazing hub for game devs and game fans alike. A few of my favourite tools: Tiled, PICO-8, Pixel Composer, Juice FX, Magic Pencil for Aseprite

🔸 The End?

This is just part 1 for now, so please drop me a follow to see any more guides I release in the future. I plan on doing some writeups on how I choose colours, how to practise, and more!

I'm not an expert by any means, but everything I did to get to where I am is outlined in this guide. Pixel art is my passion, my job and my hobby! I want pixel art to be recognized everywhere as an art-form, a medium of its own outside of game-art or computer graphics!

This guide took me a long time, and took a lot of research and experience. Consider following me or supporting me if you are feeling generous.

And good luck to all the fledgling pixel artists, I hope you'll continue and have fun. I hope my guide helped you, and don't hesitate to send me an ask if you have any questions! 💕

My other tutorials (so far): How to draw Simple Grass for a game Hue Shifting

[accessiblemindstech]

Accessibility is not a privilege but a right remarked Tim Berners-Lee, the inventor of the World Wide Web. Do You Love Our Reads Then Click Here:https://rb.gy/iej903 Click Here To Visit:https://rb.gy/uoyxqq

[itesservices]

PDF Accessibility is crucial for creating inclusive digital content. Our latest guide, "The Comprehensive Guide to PDF Accessibility: Bridging the Digital Divide For Readers," explores essential practices to make your PDFs accessible to everyone, including individuals with disabilities. Learn how to enhance your documents to comply with accessibility standards and ensure a seamless reading experience for all. Dive into our blog to understand the importance and techniques of making PDFs accessible for all users. 

[sdettechnologies]

“Unlocking digital doors for everyone leads to inclusive growth and unmatched opportunities.” The significance of an inclusive online presence cannot be overstated in today’s competitive digital landscape. As e-commerce continues to dominate, ensuring that your website is accessible to all users, including those with disabilities, is not just a legal obligation but a strategic business advantage. Accessibility testing services play a pivotal role in this regard, helping businesses optimize their websites to cater to a broader audience, thereby driving growth and enhancing customer loyalty. Click Here: https://rb.gy/hutkjh

[jcmarchi]

Anthropic Launches Visual PDF Analysis in Latest Claude AI Update

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/anthropic-launches-visual-pdf-analysis-in-latest-claude-ai-update/

Anthropic Launches Visual PDF Analysis in Latest Claude AI Update

In a significant advancement for document processing, Anthropic has unveiled new PDF support capabilities for its Claude 3.5 Sonnet model. This development marks a crucial step forward in bridging the gap between traditional document formats and AI analysis, enabling organizations to leverage advanced AI capabilities across their existing document infrastructure.

The integration arrives at a pivotal moment in the evolution of AI document processing, as businesses increasingly seek seamless solutions for handling complex documents containing both textual and visual elements. This enhancement positions Claude 3.5 Sonnet at the forefront of comprehensive document analysis, addressing a critical need in professional environments where PDF remains the standard format for business documentation.

Technical Capabilities

The newly implemented PDF processing system operates through a sophisticated multi-layered approach. At its core, the system employs a three-phase processing methodology:

Text Extraction: The system begins by identifying and extracting textual content from the document while maintaining structural integrity.

Visual Processing: Each page undergoes conversion into image format, enabling the system to capture and analyze visual elements such as charts, graphs, and embedded figures.

Integrated Analysis: The final phase combines both textual and visual data streams, allowing for comprehensive document understanding and interpretation.

This integrated approach enables Claude 3.5 Sonnet to perform complex tasks such as analyzing financial statements, interpreting legal documents, and facilitating document translation while maintaining context across both textual and visual elements. 

Implementation and Access

The PDF processing feature is currently available through two primary channels:

Claude Chat feature preview for direct user interaction

API access utilizing the specific header “anthropic-beta: pdfs-2024-09-25”

The implementation infrastructure accommodates varying document complexities while maintaining processing efficiency. Technical requirements have been optimized for practical business use, with support for documents up to 32 MB and 100 pages in length. This specification framework ensures reliable performance across a wide range of document types and sizes commonly used in professional settings.

Looking ahead, Anthropic has outlined plans for expanded platform integration, specifically targeting Amazon Bedrock and Google Vertex AI. This planned expansion shows a commitment to broader accessibility and integration with major cloud service providers, potentially enabling more organizations to leverage these capabilities within their existing technology infrastructure.

The integration architecture allows for seamless combination with other Claude features, particularly tool usage capabilities, enabling users to extract specific information for specialized applications. This interoperability enhances the system’s utility across various use cases and workflows, providing flexibility in how organizations can implement and utilize the technology.

Practical Applications

The integration of PDF processing capabilities into Claude 3.5 Sonnet opens new possibilities across multiple sectors. Financial institutions can now automate the analysis of annual reports, prospectuses, and investment documents, while legal firms can streamline contract review and due diligence processes. The system’s ability to handle both text and visual elements makes it particularly valuable for industries relying on data visualization and technical documentation.

Educational institutions and research organizations benefit from enhanced document translation capabilities, enabling seamless processing of multilingual academic papers and research documents. The technology’s ability to interpret charts and graphs alongside text provides a comprehensive understanding of scientific publications and technical reports.

Technical Specifications and Limitations

Understanding the system’s parameters is crucial for optimal implementation. The current framework operates within specific boundaries:

File Size Management: Documents must remain under 32 MB

Page Limitations: Maximum capacity of 100 pages per document

Security Constraints: Encrypted or password-protected PDFs are not supported

The processing cost structure is designed around a token-based model, with page requirements varying based on content density. Typical consumption ranges from 1,500 to 3,000 tokens per page, integrated into standard token pricing without additional premiums. This transparent pricing model allows organizations to effectively budget for implementation and usage.

Optimization Guidelines

To maximize the system’s effectiveness, several key optimization strategies are recommended:

Document Preparation:

Ensure clear text quality and readability

Maintain proper page alignment

Utilize standard page numbering systems

API Implementation:

Position PDF content before text in API requests

Implement prompt caching for repeated document analysis

Segment larger documents when exceeding size limitations

These optimization practices enhance processing efficiency and improve overall results, particularly when handling complex or lengthy documents.

The Bottom Line

The integration of PDF processing capabilities in Claude 3.5 Sonnet marks a significant advancement in AI document analysis, addressing the crucial need for sophisticated document processing while maintaining practical accessibility. As organizations continue to digitize their operations, this development, combined with Anthropic’s planned platform expansions, positions the technology to potentially reshape how businesses approach document management and analysis. 

With its comprehensive document understanding capabilities, clear technical parameters, and optimization framework, the system offers a promising solution for organizations seeking to enhance their document processing with AI.

[cmondary]

HACKMD : Le markdown facilement et en collaboratif

📌 HackMD est un espace de travail collaboratif et gratuit, proposant la rédaction de notes en Markdown pour le partage des connaissances

https://hackmd.io 📌 HackMD est un espace de travail collaboratif et gratuit, proposant la rédaction de notes en Markdown pour le partage des connaissances. HackMD est particulièrement adaptée pour les tâches collaboratives, en offrant un espace de rédaction en Markdown qui permet d’accélérer l’innovation et de renforcer la cohésion d’équipe. Ce service est non seulement un éditeur Markdown…