Today I finally fiddled with the Universal Access settings in GNOME to:

• make the mouse cursor bigger, and add a contrasting outline, so it's easier to see where it is
• add a visible alert every time there's a sound/audio alert
• increase default text size everywhere

It took maybe 90 seconds total and was really easy. I went through some internalized ageism and ableism as I did this. Now I've done it and my computer is easier to use, and I am grateful to all the people who came before me and laid this path to make it easier for me to use. Thank you to everyone who has ever worked on desktop usability and accessibility.