Accessible Sovereignty: Why the Four Freedoms Depend on Inclusion

<p>The four essential freedoms defined by the Free Software Foundation — freedom 0: the freedom to run the software; freedom 1: the freedom to study and change it; freedom 2: the freedom to redistribute; freedom 3: the freedom to distribute modified versions — are widely cited as the foundation of free software. https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.en.html#four-freedoms</p> <p>But what does “freedom” mean when people with disabilities cannot meaningfully use, extend, and share software? Digital sovereignty is hollow unless the tools and communities respect accessibility. If a user interface or workflow excludes a segment of users, then the right to “run” or “modify” the software is in practice restricted.</p> <p>This talk argues that accessibility (in code, UI, documentation, communities) is not an optional add-on — it is essential for the exercise of the four freedoms, and thus for true digital sovereignty. We will explore how CMS projects can embed accessibility into their governance, workflows and contributions so that every user can exercise the freedoms of use, study, share and collaborate.</p> <p>It is great to see GitHub making significant efforts to improve their accessibility, and that of the tools that they give to the community. https://accessibility.github.com/</p> <p>https://github.blog/open-source/social-impact/our-pledge-to-help-improve-the-accessibility-of-open-source-software-at-scale/</p> <p>We will cover: • How exclusion of users with disabilities limits freedom of software use and modification. • The link between accessibility and community inclusivity: if you cannot participate fully, you cannot help shape the software. • Practical steps for CMS ecosystems (Drupal, WordPress, etc) to make accessibility a governance norm rather than a compliance afterthought. • A call to action: build tools, policies and default workflows so that accessibility becomes part of the infrastructure of freedom.</p>