Dear AccessWorld Readers,
Last month, I discussed the recent discontinuation of the Hearthstone Access mod. This month I'm happy to announce that community developers have taken up development of the mod and it is now available once again, with even more aspects of the game now being accessible. If you are interested in Hearthstone and would like to keep up with the latest updates, the best place to go is the Hearthstone Access Discord server; the link to join the server can be found on this page.
If you have not heard of Discord before, think of it like a combination of a social media platform and a chat app like MSN or AOL messenger from many years ago, or Facebook messenger/WhatsApp. Discord allows you to connect directly with friends one on one to chat or talk, as well as do the same with small groups of people. What makes Discord unique in comparison to most other chat apps is its use of servers.
Discord servers are central locations where you can connect with strangers over the Internet who have similar interests to you. Discord originally began as a space where gamers could congregate, but now there are servers for almost anything - books, movies, hobbies like hiking or knitting, politics, and anything that might come to mind.
Increasingly, Discord has become the premier location where you can find updates on projects by writers, artists, and hardware and software developers. Where before, someone might have a website where they would provide updates about their project, in many cases, those updates are being presented through Discord. In addition, the casual nature of Discord coupled with its immediacy, means that you will often have a chance to directly interact with a creator where you might not be able to otherwise.
I have been using Discord to keep in touch with friends, and make new ones, since the beginning of the pandemic and have been looking for the opportunity to review it for AccessWorld. As part of this issue, the last of 2022, I have included a review of the accessibility of the Discord desktop and mobile app.
In addition, Janet Ingber brings us a review of the latest Mac operating system update, while Steve Kelley discusses the AudiVision app on Android.
From all of us here at AccessWorld, Happy Holidays!
Aaron Preece
AccessWorld Editor in Chief
This article is made possible in part by generous funding from the James H. and Alice Teubert Charitable Trust, Huntington, West Virginia.
