Someity is a Chrome extension named after the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Mascot. It aims to make the web accessible for all by serving as an all-in-one accessibility and productivity tool. The extension offers various features such as colorblind aid, text-to-speech, magnifier, and more.
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More than 70% websites on the Internet have been classified as in-accessible. This is inimical to people with disabilities and restricts involving them within the Internet Community. We were determined to change this. We built Someity to serve as an all-in-one accessibility and productivity tool without having the website makers change a single line of source code.
We want our users with varied abilities to feel empowered and confident on the Internet just like their more fortunate peers. We want them to feel brave and fearless - just like Someity.
Features:
• Someity Actions
• Color Blind Aid
• Font Type
• Focus Mode
• Text-to-speech
• Text Zoomer
• Font Color
• Magnifier
• Cursor Customizer
Stay away from this at all costs as it's requesting credit card access and a clone.
I came across this extension on Twitter from someone in the Ed-tech community commenting on it.
As I'm a dyslexia advocate for schools in New York state, I'm always delighted to see new extensions and tools that push for more options on the web for users on the web but........
This is a clear rip-off of Helperbird and all the hard work that the Helperbird team has been doing in the last few years.
How is it a ripoff?
Besides using the exact branding taglines like "Your all in one accessibility and productivity tool." which has been used for the last two years or "Making the Web Accessible for All", which I have seen them use in posts. I know people can use any tagline they like, but it seems copied.
Their website looking on borderline stolen and too similar not to have been copied or highly inspired by. From the videos and layout.
The extension UI is a copy of Helperbird. It honestly feels like when a student copies some homework and tries to change to not copy 100%.
The features such as sign language, colour blindness seemed to be copied from Helperbird off as it uses the same colours and fonts.
The idea of this app sounds great, Siri in the browser had me excited and could have been more useful, just don't copy another app and pass it off as your own. Focus on what makes you special and in this case is Siri in the browser.
Accessing my Credit card? Why?
Also, the permissions make me concerned, why do you need my access to credit card and payment information. Which is a huge red flag "For example: transactions, credit card numbers, credit ratings, financial statements, or payment history"
I would like to note, I did see that this is a hackathon winner and might have used Helperbird as a guide. I will check this out in a few months but felt obliged about the clear rip-off and possible scam with the payment information permission.
Now for the app itself, it pretty broken and messed up several pages when using features mixed.
Hope this helps others and yourself to change this.
Thank you
Morgan Evans
Center for Assistive Technology at NYC Department of Education