Accessibility

[bpasero]

We break Accessibility down into multiple chunks of work:

Issues labeled Accessibility

https://github.com/Microsoft/vscode/labels/accessibility

Keyboard navigation & Focus indication

• Define central CSS rules for focus indication
• Support navigation in actions and action bars
• Support navigation in tree widget and embedded actions
• Support navigation in split view and embedded actions
• Support navigation to search details toggle
• Support navigation in iframe previews
• Support navigation in feedback widget
• Support navigation in debug repl
• Support navigation in debug complex hovers
• Support navigation to sashes for resizing parts
• Don't navigate to the html of the app

Related PR: #2077

[zersiax]

Looking good so far :) I think screenreader support can be broken up into points like the following:

• Make main edit area focusable
• Enable screenreaders to receive useful information using UIA when simply arrowing through existing input and creating input (yes, yes, I know that is easier said then done with this app)
• Add UIA events for things like autocomplete suggestions, debugger warnings etc.
• See what can be reused in the initial UIA implementation for the editor to make things like preferences screens and other such dialogs speak

The action bar and its actions are already sort of usable if you know how to get to them, so those only need some minimal work to be keyboard-accessible, no additional screenreader support should be required.

[egamma]

@zersiax thanks the feedback. In the January update we will have some first rough support for accessibility including the editor (needs to be enabled through a setting). I would much appreciate if you can give it a try. I'll follow-up with more details in this issue once the update is available.

[egamma]

@zersiax the 0.10.7 insiders build is now available. There is some initial support for screen reading of the editor contents on Windows when using NVDA.

Here is the blog that describes how to get the release:
https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/vscode/2016/02/01/introducing-insiders-builds/

Here are the relase notes:
https://github.com/Microsoft/vscode-docs/blob/vnext/release-notes/latest.md

We would be much interested in your early feedback.

[zersiax]

Just did some quick checking. NVDA reas stuff in the code editor. Sometimes it seems NVDA thinks the line you are currently on gets selected after you've arrowed to it, leading to some strange output now and again. It makes some lines repeat with "selected" added in front to indicate selection of the entire line. This is false however since typing will not in fact delete the current line, which is good. It does lead to a bit of head-scratching for a f ew seconds though. Overall, good improvements so far :) Keep up the good work.

[bpasero]

@zersiax would also appreciate some feedback for screen reader support in areas outside the editor (views, etc.).

[bpasero]

Thanks for doing this btw 👍

[egamma]

Thanks much for trying it out and here are some more questions. We have also added additional support that should improving the screen reading. This is enabled with ALT+F1. Did you discover this support? Does it improve things.

@alexandrudima FYI.