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Accessibility benefits everyone, but in the basics you’re right. Too many simple straightforward options are now strictly inside accessibility. At least on the

Accessibility benefits everyone, but in the basics you’re right. Too many simple straightforward options are now strictly inside accessibility. At least on the Apple side. And don’t get me started on hidden command line settings.

a_wild_dandan 2y ago
I'm here to intentionally get you started on hidden CLI settings. Learn me somethin'!
- ibll 2y ago
  not OP, but macOS has a ton of options available with arcane commands. my favorites are the auto-hide dock speed setting, the third hidden window minimise animation, and the hidden system accent colours usually locked to the colourful iMacs
- philistine 2y ago
  https://github.com/mathiasbynens/dotfiles/blob/main/.macos https://github.com/mathiasbynens/dotfiles/blob/main/.macos
nottorp 2y ago
> Too many simple straightforward options are now strictly inside accessibility. <cough> Reduce Motion. Is it an accessibility feature or does it just get rid of an annoyance and is good for everyone?
- ornornor 2y ago
  Saves battery too along with cross fade transitions :)
- alwillis 2y ago
  > Reduce Motion. Is it an accessibility feature Yes--some people can become ill with certain types of motion on a screen [1]. [1]: https://www.a11yproject.com/posts/understanding-vestibular-disorders https://www.a11yproject.com/posts/understanding-vestibular-d...
  - nottorp 2y ago
    Yes they can, but I don't and I still hate needless animations and turn them off. The point is, why is it in "accessibility" when it should be more visible?
    - filleduchaos 2y ago
      It's plenty visible right where it is to people who don't have odd hangups about "accessibility".
      - nottorp 2y ago
        So would people with perfect eyesight and no motion sickness discover it? Personally I forgot about it on my latest phone because I had a fresh prescription for my glasses and didn't need to enlarge the font at the moment :)
gumby 2y ago
> Too many simple straightforward options are now strictly inside accessibility From outside, it feels like these are the only people with the freedom to improve the user experience at all. So they have to hide their work in the Accessibility preferences.
PaulStatezny 2y ago
You're getting a lot of agreement from other HN users, but I'm not sure it's fair to criticize Apple for putting these kinds of features under Accessibility. There's nothing that inherently "locks out" people who don't have a recognized disability from exploring these features. Furthermore, most of Apple's "accessibility" features are related to Vision/Hearing/etc (and categorized as such), so I think it's reasonable to consider them accessibility features. Clearly based on other comments here, plenty of people discover these features and find them useful.
ljm 2y ago
The thrust of my point, which I should have explained better, is that 'accessibility' is very tightly overlapping 'power user'. I'm glad the configuration is there, but it's hard to discover, so in and of itself it isn't accessible to find.

a_wild_dandan 2y ago

I'm here to intentionally get you started on hidden CLI settings. Learn me somethin'!

ibll 2y ago
not OP, but macOS has a ton of options available with arcane commands. my favorites are the auto-hide dock speed setting, the third hidden window minimise animation, and the hidden system accent colours usually locked to the colourful iMacs
philistine 2y ago
https://github.com/mathiasbynens/dotfiles/blob/main/.macos https://github.com/mathiasbynens/dotfiles/blob/main/.macos

nottorp 2y ago

> Too many simple straightforward options are now strictly inside accessibility. <cough> Reduce Motion. Is it an accessibility feature or does it just get rid of an annoyance and is good for everyone?

ornornor 2y ago
Saves battery too along with cross fade transitions :)
alwillis 2y ago
> Reduce Motion. Is it an accessibility feature Yes--some people can become ill with certain types of motion on a screen [1]. [1]: https://www.a11yproject.com/posts/understanding-vestibular-disorders https://www.a11yproject.com/posts/understanding-vestibular-d...
- nottorp 2y ago
  Yes they can, but I don't and I still hate needless animations and turn them off. The point is, why is it in "accessibility" when it should be more visible?
  - filleduchaos 2y ago
    It's plenty visible right where it is to people who don't have odd hangups about "accessibility".
    - nottorp 2y ago
      So would people with perfect eyesight and no motion sickness discover it? Personally I forgot about it on my latest phone because I had a fresh prescription for my glasses and didn't need to enlarge the font at the moment :)

gumby 2y ago

> Too many simple straightforward options are now strictly inside accessibility From outside, it feels like these are the only people with the freedom to improve the user experience at all. So they have to hide their work in the Accessibility preferences.

PaulStatezny 2y ago

You're getting a lot of agreement from other HN users, but I'm not sure it's fair to criticize Apple for putting these kinds of features under Accessibility. There's nothing that inherently "locks out" people who don't have a recognized disability from exploring these features. Furthermore, most of Apple's "accessibility" features are related to Vision/Hearing/etc (and categorized as such), so I think it's reasonable to consider them accessibility features. Clearly based on other comments here, plenty of people discover these features and find them useful.

ljm 2y ago

The thrust of my point, which I should have explained better, is that 'accessibility' is very tightly overlapping 'power user'. I'm glad the configuration is there, but it's hard to discover, so in and of itself it isn't accessible to find.