Skip to content

accessibility.md

Latest commit

 

History

History
314 lines (257 loc) · 10.1 KB

accessibility.md

File metadata and controls

314 lines (257 loc) · 10.1 KB

Wixen Mail - Accessibility Guide

Overview

Wixen Mail is designed from the ground up to be fully accessible to users who rely on assistive technologies, particularly screen readers. This document outlines our accessibility commitments and provides a comprehensive guide to keyboard navigation.

Accessibility Commitments

Standards Compliance

  • WCAG 2.1 Level AA: We aim to meet or exceed Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 Level AA standards
  • Section 508: Compliance with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act
  • Windows Accessibility: Full integration with Windows accessibility APIs (UIA - UI Automation)

Screen Reader Support

Wixen Mail is tested and optimized for the following screen readers:

  • NVDA (NonVisual Desktop Access): Primary testing platform
  • JAWS (Job Access With Speech): Full support
  • Windows Narrator: Native Windows screen reader support
  • Other Screen Readers: Best effort support for other screen readers that follow Windows accessibility standards

Keyboard Navigation

Global Keyboard Shortcuts

Application Control

  • Alt + F4 - Close application
  • Ctrl + Q - Quit application
  • Ctrl + , (Comma) - Open preferences/settings
  • F1 - Open help documentation
  • Ctrl + Shift + K - Open keyboard shortcuts reference

Window Navigation

  • F6 - Cycle through main panes (folder tree, message list, reading pane)
  • Shift + F6 - Cycle through main panes in reverse
  • Ctrl + Tab - Switch between tabs (if multiple windows/tabs are open)
  • Ctrl + Shift + Tab - Switch between tabs in reverse
  • Esc - Close dialog/cancel current operation

Folder Tree Navigation

Movement

  • Up/Down Arrow - Move between folders
  • Left Arrow - Collapse current folder
  • Right Arrow - Expand current folder
  • Home - Jump to first folder
  • End - Jump to last folder
  • * (Asterisk) - Expand all subfolders
  • Ctrl + Up/Down - Move without changing selection

Actions

  • Enter - Open/select folder
  • Ctrl + N - Create new folder
  • F2 - Rename selected folder
  • Delete - Delete selected folder (with confirmation)
  • Ctrl + C - Copy folder
  • Ctrl + X - Cut folder
  • Ctrl + V - Paste folder
  • Alt + Enter - Show folder properties
  • Shift + F10 or Menu Key - Open context menu

Message List Navigation

Movement

  • Up/Down Arrow - Move between messages
  • Page Up/Page Down - Scroll one page of messages
  • Home - Jump to first message
  • End - Jump to last message
  • Ctrl + Up/Down - Move without changing selection
  • Shift + Up/Down - Extend selection
  • Ctrl + A - Select all messages

Message Actions

  • Enter - Open message in new window
  • Space - Mark message as read/unread (toggle)
  • Delete - Move message to trash
  • Shift + Delete - Permanently delete message (with confirmation)
  • Ctrl + R - Reply to message
  • Ctrl + Shift + R - Reply all
  • Ctrl + L - Forward message
  • S - Star/flag message
  • M - Move message to folder
  • T - Add tag to message
  • J - Mark as junk
  • Shift + J - Mark as not junk

View Control

  • N - Jump to next unread message
  • P - Jump to previous unread message
  • Shift + N - Jump to next unread thread
  • Shift + P - Jump to previous unread thread
  • T - Toggle thread view
  • O - Expand/collapse thread
  • Shift + O - Expand/collapse all threads

Reading Pane Navigation

Movement

  • Space - Scroll down one page
  • Shift + Space - Scroll up one page
  • Home - Jump to top of message
  • End - Jump to bottom of message
  • Tab - Move to next link/button
  • Shift + Tab - Move to previous link/button

Actions

  • Ctrl + R - Reply to message
  • Ctrl + Shift + R - Reply all
  • Ctrl + L - Forward message
  • Ctrl + S - Save message
  • Ctrl + P - Print message
  • A - Show/hide attachments pane
  • Ctrl + K - Open link (when focused on a link)

Attachments

  • Tab (when in attachment area) - Navigate between attachments
  • Enter - Open/view attachment
  • Ctrl + S - Save attachment to disk
  • Shift + F10 or Menu Key - Open attachment context menu

Message Composition

Composition Window

  • Ctrl + N or Ctrl + M - New message
  • Ctrl + Enter - Send message
  • Ctrl + S - Save draft
  • Ctrl + W - Close composition window
  • Alt + S - Send message (alternative)
  • Esc - Close composition window (saves draft)

Editing

  • Ctrl + Z - Undo
  • Ctrl + Y - Redo
  • Ctrl + X - Cut
  • Ctrl + C - Copy
  • Ctrl + V - Paste
  • Ctrl + A - Select all
  • Ctrl + F - Find in message
  • Ctrl + H - Replace text

Formatting (Rich Text Mode)

  • Ctrl + B - Bold
  • Ctrl + I - Italic
  • Ctrl + U - Underline
  • Ctrl + Shift + L - Bulleted list
  • Ctrl + Shift + O - Numbered list
  • Ctrl + Shift + > - Increase font size
  • Ctrl + Shift + < - Decrease font size
  • Ctrl + \ - Clear formatting

Recipients and Fields

  • Tab - Move between To/Cc/Bcc/Subject/Body fields
  • Shift + Tab - Move backwards between fields
  • Ctrl + Shift + T - Show/hide Cc field
  • Ctrl + Shift + B - Show/hide Bcc field

Attachments in Composition

  • Ctrl + Shift + A - Add attachment
  • Delete (when focused on attachment) - Remove attachment

Search and Filtering

Quick Search

  • Ctrl + F - Focus quick search box (in message list)
  • Ctrl + Shift + F - Advanced search/filter
  • Enter - Execute search
  • Esc - Clear search/return to full list
  • F3 - Find next match
  • Shift + F3 - Find previous match

Search Window

  • Tab - Move between search criteria fields
  • Ctrl + Enter - Execute search
  • Ctrl + W - Close search window

Account and Settings

Account Management

  • Alt + T, A - Account settings
  • Ctrl + Shift + A - Add new account
  • F9 - Get new messages for all accounts
  • Ctrl + T - Get new messages for current account

Settings and Preferences

  • Ctrl + , (Comma) - Open preferences
  • Tab - Navigate between preference categories
  • Space - Toggle checkbox/radio options
  • Enter - Activate buttons
  • Esc - Cancel and close preferences

Context Menus and Dialogs

General

  • Shift + F10 or Menu Key - Open context menu for selected item
  • Up/Down Arrow - Navigate menu items
  • Enter - Activate menu item
  • Esc - Close menu
  • Alt + Letter - Access menu item by underlined letter (when available)

Dialog Navigation

  • Tab - Move to next control
  • Shift + Tab - Move to previous control
  • Space - Toggle checkbox/button
  • Enter - Activate default button
  • Esc - Cancel/close dialog
  • Alt + Letter - Access control by underlined letter

Accessibility Features

Screen Reader Announcements

  • Real-time announcements for new mail arrival
  • Message status changes (read/unread, flagged)
  • Folder selection changes
  • Progress notifications for long operations
  • Error and warning messages

High Contrast Support

  • Full support for Windows High Contrast themes
  • Custom high contrast mode within application
  • Adjustable color schemes for different visual needs

Keyboard Focus Management

  • Clear visual focus indicators
  • Logical focus order throughout the application
  • Focus trapped in modal dialogs
  • Focus returns to appropriate location after dialog closure

Text and Display

  • Customizable font sizes
  • Zoom in/out support (Ctrl + Plus/Minus)
  • Respect system font settings
  • Line spacing adjustments
  • Support for Windows display scaling

Timing and Animations

  • No time-sensitive operations without alternatives
  • Option to disable animations
  • Configurable auto-save intervals
  • No automatic timeouts for user interactions

Navigation Shortcuts

  • Breadcrumb navigation for complex hierarchies
  • Skip links to jump to main content areas
  • Landmarks for major application sections
  • Consistent navigation patterns throughout

Testing and Feedback

Accessibility Testing

We regularly test Wixen Mail with:

  • Automated accessibility testing tools
  • Manual screen reader testing (NVDA, JAWS, Narrator)
  • Keyboard-only navigation testing
  • High contrast and zoom testing
  • Real users with disabilities

Reporting Accessibility Issues

If you encounter any accessibility barriers:

  1. Open an issue on our GitHub repository
  2. Tag it with the accessibility label
  3. Provide details about:
    • Your assistive technology (name and version)
    • Operating system version
    • Steps to reproduce the issue
    • Expected vs. actual behavior

We prioritize accessibility issues and aim to address them promptly.

Customization

Keyboard Shortcut Customization

Users can customize keyboard shortcuts through:

  1. Settings → Keyboard Shortcuts
  2. Select action to customize
  3. Press new key combination
  4. Save changes

Screen Reader Verbosity

Adjust the level of detail provided by screen readers:

  • Verbose: Detailed announcements for all events
  • Normal: Standard announcements (default)
  • Brief: Minimal announcements for experienced users

Focus Management Preferences

  • Auto-focus: Automatically focus new windows and dialogs
  • Manual focus: Keep focus in current location until manually moved

Resources

Documentation

External Resources

Contact

For accessibility-related questions or feedback:

Commitment to Continuous Improvement

Accessibility is not a one-time effort but an ongoing commitment. We will:

  • Regularly audit our application for accessibility
  • Incorporate user feedback from the disability community
  • Stay updated with accessibility standards and best practices
  • Continuously improve our accessibility features

Thank you for helping us make Wixen Mail accessible to everyone!