Blocking animations?

[meloukhia]

Animations and flashing things (including animated user icons and mood icons) basically break my brain and they keep showing up on my reading list, much to my dismay. I'm wonder if it's possible to add an option to the user settings to block all animations on the site (in my innocence about web development, I have no idea how difficult this would be)? I know this is an accessibility need for other people as well. 

Comments

[aithine]

Yeah, that would be a nice option. I was also thinking it would be nice to have the ability to override by user--to be able to set an icon out of that user's icons that you've chosen as their default to display on your reading page (or pages where, say, light layout is specified) instead of whatever icon they've specified for that post. (If that makes sense. Brain's tired.)

[jadelennox]

that makes perfect sense! I've wondered about that with my own icons, actually. Sometimes I switch icons halfway through commenting on a post, and I wonder if that causes cognitive issues for people who are associating me with one image. I feel like that could actually be a real cognitive gain, although I admit I am making that one up and have never actually seen somebody with a cognitive disability complain about people switching icons.

[jumpuphigh]

I associate people that I don't know that well with their default icons. Mid-conversation or people that I know well can switch icons at will without bothering me.

[mercredigirl]

My only issue (but obviously not speaking for everyone) are icons that turn out to be unintentional and irrational triggers. :/