Looking like I will be using JS and firebase though guess will figure it all out as I go...

At least it's free and by Google?

Website for people with disabilities using Javascript. Makes sense.

@Demolishun hm... You mean web app no good. Should use static pages generated in backend?

@donuts No, I am saying Javascript devs are the handicapped.

In seriousness, this is a good idea regardless of how its implemented.

I hope you can get stories like this:

https://youtube.com/watch/...

@Demolishun guess I need to figure out Firebase first. If it can somehow seve dynamic html pages guess could but seems it's like a JS microservices/SDK backend at first glance in which case JS would be the only way to generate dynamic content

@Demolishun thinking will be text based first just get a working POC and some user feedback/testing/dev experience.

So like a blog post with commenting.

Sorta like how devRant started I guess

@donuts You have to choose the tech stack that matches your skills (or desired skills if learning is part of your goal).

For example I'd go for React frontend, .NET Core backend and Postgres for storage - simply because that would get me to the finish line the quickest.

Just start simple and expand as needed - don't over-engineer just for the sake of it. The requirements you have listed are very basic and can be implemented in almost anything. Also have a look for an existing open source solution that you can modify (bulletin board type application). It will get you out of the hassle of login and account management and all that boring crap that we have solved 150 times before.

If it's for a disabled person, it should be a native app and not web app, convenience is the most important criteria here.

@devdiddydog well I need to find a hosting provider that supports it.

Right now I'm looking at firebase but I hate their realtime db... Send like just one giant json document.... Tables are nodes and all relationships must be added removed in all nodes seperately. So no foreign keys.

And still not sure about the access control... Seems each user can access db directly but then how do you handle Search or permissions on who can edit etc.

To upvote apparently need to update a counter on the post and need to add the post to list user upvote. But sure how other sites do it though either.

But as far as I can tell there's no backend seperating the client from the DB....

@theabbie native as in mobile? I'm at ideation now. And most will use on PC.

Who writes blog length content on their phones?

Reading maybe but well ... Just look at devRant

@donuts But disabled, so, it's longer to open browser, type address, login and then do it. native app can make it much easier.

@theabbie depends on what the disability is. Since they're sharing their story. I would suggest they write it in Word first and save it as they go. (POC ain't going to have auto-save, drafts like Medium... And well even medium sucks on phone to write in.)

And then copy into to submission page.

I think most will not be writing their story on their phones.

That's a good idea!

@devdiddydog I haven't done web dev from scratch in a long time. On the job we use angularJs and Node but way outdated versions. So gonna end up learning something either way.

Maybe I'll just use php for the Rest API and DB access... Learn React/Native for frontend. Shouldn't be too hard to relearn just that...

After POC if there's interest maybe can find a team and open source it.

@donuts To start with just develop and run locally on your computer, wrap it in a Docker container and you can host it almost anywhere in the future. You could even just pay for a static IP and host the site on a computer at home until traffic starts picking up! Once you've got users it's worth a small monthly cost to run it in the cloud I'd say.

@devdiddydog I actually don't know docker, microservices either... I'm that outdated at work... Just always on stagnant teams ...

I'm thinking will just do HTML with Bootstrap? maybe better at first. Don't think you can use Google Translate on WebApps?

Though I guess that's thinking a bit too for ahead... Internarnalization...

@donuts HTML with bootstrap will give some static web pages, but you need a javascript framework or similar to communicate with a backend.

Google translate for internationalization will not give you a good result (and it's slow....). You're better off storing the text as key/values in a separate .js file or something, and then if you need a different language get someone to translate it for you.

My gut feeling after reading these posts is that you should find an existing product that you can configure, style and slightly modify (Wordpress or something) rather than build somehing from scratch.

@devdiddydog well not just me posting. Someone with a disability signs up and shares their story. They may not be native English speaker so they could post in their language and tag the language it was written in.

Sort of like reddit... Maybe there's already a subreddit... but yea sort like AMA.... but was thinking like Kiva could see search with different tags, categories

Disability Stories was what I was thinking of calling it but that's too long for a url. And maybe disability is not the right word though can't think of anything else.

Thats Facebook!

@donuts Just say "Differently abled"

@asgs yes but for a url? But yes may pilot with a subreddit instead

Maybe could use it there.

There's already one named disabilities though seems to be all-in-one and a lot discussions/questions around getting disabilities benefits

@donuts honestly you could look at how devRant works and do something similar. iirc dfox's pipeless.io is about the infrastructure needed for this

(Not trying to be an asshole, but...) unless you have a disability, don't. If you do have a disability, there are already groups set up. We are able to organise ourselves, and several of us are better software engineers than you.

@atheist groups set up? So what do you do?

Yes I am disabled in a few ways, just find that the US seems to have a problem with people with disabilities... Paralympics coverage and well general representation/recognition here is abysmal

@donuts there are several reddits for individual conditions, eg r/autism, r/ADHD. I think the level of gathering varies by condition, eg r/paralysis is fairly quiet, r/ADHD is crazy busy.

There are also Facebook groups, meetups and WhatsApp groups, these all have varying degrees of how easy it is to join, eg one of the groups I'm in, you have to have physically met the organiser.

They tend to be fairly defensive, because there are people that will join these groups to try to take advantage of the individuals in them, or have fetishised the condition. The site you're suggesting puts people's experience on display, usually hugely personal details. It's also got the risk of trotting the subjects out, showing them to the world, patting yourself on the back and expecting them to shut up now because "awareness has been raised", so we don't need to hear anything else.

For a current example of why this is concerning, check out #stopspectrum10k on twitter. Basically, some researchers want to label "useful" and "unproductive" types of autism. This is dehumanising. Aspergers, a term that is falling out of favour, is named after a guy that sent at least one disabled kid to a Nazi death camp. One of the guys running s10k has associations with trying to "cure" and "eliminate" autism.

@atheist ah OK. Actually I see your in London. How are people with disabilities/medical conditions viewed/treated there in general?

The reason why I started this Collab was in the US, there was no TV coverage of the Paralympics. And needed a cable subscription to watch online.

So eventually VPN'd into UK and created an account on Channel 4 to watch... for free.

And well the difference in coverage was insane. And there were lots of clips of athletes stories, interviews in them.

Plus lately lots of companies here are pushing Diversity and Inclusion so ya I was like "what the fuck?"

That and even China had better coverage... At least the opening and closing were on national tv and streamable online.

A couple of years ago I got told, "jokingly" by a colleague, that "learning disabilities are made up excuses for stupid people". I have a learning disability (dyspraxia). They lacked both the skills and knowledge to do my job. Literally today I had to explain to my manager that ADHD is protected under the UK equality act. Spent half an hour arguing with him. Was fucking furious by the end, did no work for the afternoon, couldn't deal. I literally work for a medical company.

Coverage is better, I think the BBC helps in that regard, doesn't matter if viewership is lower they're not trying to make money, they're trying to serve all audiences.

Diversity/inclusion is pushed by
a lot of companies, but people still don't know what they're talking about. 1 in 5 working age adults in the UK have a disability. Not even a shred of consideration. Fuckers.

Ironically, I think the most disability friendly company I've worked for was amazon. Their standard policies are acomodating because it's easier to default that way at that scale.

@atheist oh so day to day actually not much better over there either?

The last time I actually bothered looking for a job was maybe 8 years ago and recruiters and everyone just seemed like "deaf.... No".

So been at the same company, though a really big one, since graduating college, before I became deaf.

But yes they know the laws but feels like never had much of a career, just been on stagnant teams... Where I'm usually the one telling ppl they're doing shit wrong

@donuts So, the deaf reddit have my sense of humour.

It's also reasonably active, might be worth checking out. Also meetup.com is usually a gateway into smaller local groups.

Day to day is... OK. "Visible" disabilities eg wheelchair are usually reasonably well considered. Some companies are better than others, my current company lied to me about what the job would be (after I joined I was told it was 90% bug fixing and UI work. I'm not going to be here long). I think they're particularly bad. In the UK we have access to work (gov scheme), which can pay for most accommodations anyway, so going to the employer and asking for something is a bit easier if they don't have to actually *pay* for anything.

@atheist yes I'm on reddit more these days and that's one of the groups I follow, but deafness is just one of my problems. And never bothered learning sign language.

Till a few years ago was living with parents in the suburbs so didn't have much use for it.

Took an ASL course in college and basically got flunked for missing too many days (3 weeks)... They should've been justified since they were all for medical reasons...

Appealed to the disability office and well they were just like ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ professor makes the rules.

But well only class where this happened...

I've previously worked for employment lawyers, America is crazy with things like at will employment. The UK isn't much better, basically if you've been in a job for less than 2 years you've got no rights unless you've been discriminated against or bullied. But if you're in either of those categories, the lawyers see dollar signs.

@atheist usually the response I got back then was just not a good fit.

And then afterwards because of the disease I have, NF2, lot's of doctor visits, possible sudden problems appearing... Just makes prepping for Algo interviews hard and not worth it.

First time I tried after prepping for months... Got cut short because had a seizure.

Literally cancelled an interview from a hospital bed.

@donuts shiiiiitttt that sounds rough.

I'm gonna have to go to bed now, it's 3am... 9am start... 🤔

@atheist good chatting with you and thanks for giving me a better picture. Originally I thought the problem was just not as much awareness of disabilities in the US, particularly in the media, and the Paralympics being a big one. But guess things are more complicated... Just getting equal coverage, more awareness won't change much...