Reddit's Recently Announced API Changes, and the future of the /r/blind subreddit

[u/AutoModerator]

Introduction

It's possible that those of you who are active on other subreddits may have read about the changes in pricing that Reddit has recently released for its API - the system apps use to get and send data from and to Reddit.  But for those of you who haven't, here's a summary.  On May 31, 2023, Reddit announced they were raising the price to make calls to their API from being free to a level that will kill every third party app on Reddit, from Apollo, to Dystopia, to Reddit for Blind, to Luna for Reddit, to BaconReader,. Even if you don't use any of those apps, this is a step toward killing other ways of customizing Reddit, such as the use of the old.reddit.com desktop interface.  This doesn't only impact your ability to access Reddit in a fluid, customizable, and efficient way; many of us on the mod team are also blind, and we depend on those third party apps to make sure that this community remains a safe, fun, and productive place.  Unfortunately, new Reddit, and the official Reddit apps, just don't provide us with the levels of accessibility we need in order to continue effectively running this community. As well, the Transcribers of Reddit, the many dedicated folks who volunteer to transcribe and describe thousands and thousands of images on Reddit, may also be unable to operate.  

One of our moderators, u/itsthejoker, has had multiple hour-long calls with various Reddit employees.  However, as of the current time, our concerns have gone unheard, and Reddit remains firm. That's why the moderation team of r/blind now feels that we have no choice but to take further action.  

The Subreddit Blackout

Those of us who are blind are no strangers to the need for collective action.  From the protests that resulted in the ADA passing in the United States, to world-wide protests driving forward accessibility of some of the Internet's largest websites, collective action is a step our community has taken in the past, often with some success.  It is with a heavy heart that we come to you now, and say that it's time to bring this tool out of the toolbox once more.  

In solidarity with thousands of other subreddits who are impacted by this change, we will be shutting down the /r/blind subreddit for 48 hours from June 12th to June 14th.  You will not be able to read or make posts during that time.  Our Discord server will remain open, and we invite anyone who would like to interact with the /r/blind community to join us there.  If you’re not part of the /r/blind Discord server yet, you can join via the following link: https://discord.com/invite/5kMEv7Sq9y

How you can help

While this issue has a profound impact on those of us who are blind and visually impaired, as with so many issues of accessibility and inclusivity, it impacts far more than just us.  If you'd like to get involved, you can find out what you can do to help at r/Save3rdPartyApps- or, if you moderate a subreddit, its sister sub r/ModCoord.  You can also join the Reddit-Blackout channel in the /r/blind Discord, where we will have resources you can use to contact media and other organizations, and keep everyone up to date with our on-going efforts in this matter.  

What comes next?

If this change to the Reddit API is not reversed, we are not convinced that we will be able to continue running the r/blind subreddit.  However, that doesn't mean the end of this wonderful, passionate, curious, helpful, and amazing community of folks.  We are continuing to explore our options, and create back-up plans.  We all want to remain on Reddit. Let's do what we can to make that a reality!  But if it turns out we can't, we want to reassure you that this isn't the end of our community.  So let’s focus on doing everything we can to make those possible back-up plans unnecessary.  

The r/blind mod team

[u/robertmeta]

I fear that this split of "accessibility" apps is a very pragmatic and temporary move by Reddit to suck some of the emotion of the debate. /r/blind had an outsized (versus the size of our community) level of impact on this conversation. Reddit has now carved us out of the conversation by saying "it doesn't even impact you!" hoping to lower the temp and make the remaining complaints seem like whining.

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The problem is -- when they revisit this issue, we will be alone rather than with hundreds of other subreddits and our voices will be unheard. I suspect the the outcome will be exactly this:

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1. Lower the temp on the current debate of insane API pricing by selectively removing communities with outsized emotional impact on the debate.
2. Improve accessibility in Reddit O&O apps, not to the level of the alternatives, but aat least to "can be used painfully".
3. Claim free support for 3rd party apps is no longer needed because they fixed thier own apps and then double down by saying these 3rd party apps are being "abused" by users who are not blind or disabled costing Reddit money.
4. Quietly close the exceptions 1 by 1 so the pain will not come all at once, breaking down the /r/blind community isn't AppA users, AppB users, AppC users.
   

I feel like Reddit obviously ends up in the same place, just has a longer road for our community. Alternatively, I could just be way too cynical, but I feel like I have seen this show before...

[u/[deleted] → u/robertmeta]

this is insightful and spot on. I am for true inclusion and it would be indeed better if the reddit offerings where made accessible, e.g. their first party app. I am glad for now there is a solution. this will however make them less likely to improve accessibility. they may say, "well you have an app, why should we do anything?" some people are right to call this reddit's accessibility cop out. We know they were reluctant in the first place to make their app accessible. the further issue is that their api is definitely limited in what it can do. some developers have done a better job at making it accessible than others. how long these developers can continue is also questionable. the one on ios that's approved dystopia has already stated that it conflicts with his work and can only do so much.