Ah yes, the other question you quoted is much better. And in fact, when protocols/APIs for things like IM and social networks were more open, alternative client

Ah yes, the other question you quoted is much better. And in fact, when protocols/APIs for things like IM and social networks were more open, alternative clients were developed, including ones for blind people. (I developed one such client myself.) The important thing is having access to the same information and services. It's perhaps unfortunate that in most cases that has to be done through retrofitted access to the same UI that sighted people use.