Gmail customers warned of major change next year as much-loved feature is shutting down – and fans are fuming

HTML Basic View is essentially what Gmail's design looked like in 2007.

It is often used by people with slow Wi-Fi connections.

This is because it doesn't need to load-in some of Gmail's Standard view features, such as the chat box, spell check or the importing of contacts.

However, blind technology expert Pratik Patel has warned that retiring HTML Basic View will be a major blow to the blind and partially sighted community.

"I know many #blind people who use GMail's HTML view," he wrote in a post.

"Not only will they be confused but will be unhappy."

HTML Basic View made using screen reader technology much easier for blind people.

The Standard interface has become more usable to blind people, but many stick to the basic HTML version because its what they know.

Many Mastodon users chimed in to say that this is the latest occurrence of 'Big Tech' rowing back on accessibility features.

"I'm not arguing or saying that the standard interface isn't accessible," Patel continued.

"I find it a pretty good one and I've been using it for many many years.