Annie J.

Ravelry is the industry leader in fibre arts for sure, and it's a great platform for discovering patterns and businesses, but there is a troubling undercurrent of ableism that has been exposed in the last week. At least seven seizures have been reported by users in the last eight days and hundreds of users have shared their experiences of migraines, eyestrain and headaches caused by the new layout. Ravelry has shut down all discussions of accessibility and safety and the team has refused to make any apologies for the suffering that has been caused. One user who had worked hard for the last ten years to create accessible patterns for blind knitters has shared how her work has systematically been targeted and removed from the site, and how she has been told in no uncertain terms that her style of knitting will never be considered equal. Ravelry has been a safe space and my favourite place on the internet for years but their silence is deafening and it's clear that the team and their volunteers are not as passionate about inclusivity as they claim.