Rocket.chat: Rocket Chat is not fully accessible for Screen Readers

[carlosandrews]

Description:

Users who use Job Access With Speech (JAWS) are not fully able to use Rocket Chat when accessed from a web browser only.

Recommend testing with JAWS/NVDA or use tools like Accessible Name & Description Inspector (ANDI).

Testing with JAWS:
https://webaim.org/articles/jaws/

Testing with NVDA:
https://webaim.org/articles/nvda/

DHS Harmonized process for Section 508 testing of web applications:
https://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/publications/Baseline_Tests_for_Software_and_Web_Accessibility_v2_0_2.pdf

DHS Section 508 Compliance Testing Tools:
https://www.dhs.gov/508-tools

Accessibility testing tools from The Paciello Group:
https://developer.paciellogroup.com/blog/2019/02/accessibility-testing-tools-we-use/

Steps to reproduce:

1. Open a Rocket Chat instance from a web browser (e.g. Chrome)
2. Utilize the ANDI bookmarklet
3. Download NVDA (open source screen reader)
4. Test Rocket Chat as per above reference with NVDA
5. If needed, purchase JAWS
6. Test with JAWS as per above reference
7. Use the DHS Harmonized process for Section 508 testing of web applications as a reference.

Expected behavior:

Actual behavior:

Server Setup Information:

• Version of Rocket.Chat Server:
• Operating System: Windows 10 64-bit
• Deployment Method:
• Number of Running Instances:
• DB Replicaset Oplog:
• NodeJS Version:
• MongoDB Version:
• Browser version: Google Chrome Version 74.0.3729.131 (Official Build) (64-bit)

Additional context

Relevant logs:

[Sing-Li]

@carlosandrews please DM me on open if you are available.

[carlosandrews]

@carlosandrews please DM me on open if you are available.

@Sing-Li How do I do that?

[ethindp]

I am also having accessibility problems of my own on my instance of rocket.chat. For example, if I press the "more" button in chat rooms, the menu doesn't display a normal dropdown like most menus that I've used on the web do. When I navigate down to the menu, it lets me navigate among a few options and then vanishes. In order for me to make it remain open, I have to explicitly navigate by list (which could be challenging if I'm in a very large discussion/room with lots of messages). Also, I can't create a public channel either. I click on 'create new', select 'channel' (with the same menu behavior as explained above) and it doesn't show public anywhere (and I have to guess as to which option I'm selecting when I just press enter on the channel type I want). Public, in fact, is shown nowhere. If I create the channel and then try setting its type to public, it doesn't let me save it and makes the save button unavailable, and if I do set it to a non-privat type it still lists the channel under 'Private Groups'.

[mgifford]

I suspect that this is too broad a way to approach this.

I'd love to know if Rocket.Chat works well for keyboard only users. I haven't done any testing on this, but so many web interfaces depend on mice.

It would also be useful to know if automated tools like:
https://accessibilityinsights.io/
http://wave.webaim.org/

identify problems. These tools are easy for developers to use and evaluate.

Next thing is to see if you can get it working in either NVDA or VoiceOver as a sighted person. If your a developer, it should be pretty easy to install NVDA or windows or just learn how to use VoiceOver.

Then you can start engaging with blind users. There are a bunch that are already using Rocket.Chat! You might already know who they are. If there is any $$ you might engage with groups like https://www.makeitfable.com/

I'm also a big fan of accessibility statements:
https://github.com/accessibility/Accessibility-Statement

But to address accessibility issues in software it is important to break it down into little parts that can be tested and approved by developers. Problems have to be specific and you don't just start with testing on JAWS. I'm an accessibility professional and I know that I do not know enough to evaluate a site as a blind user does.

[valeriemichaud-k1]

Just checking if there is any accessibility roadmap?

[github-actions[bot]]

This issue has been automatically marked as stale because it has not had recent activity. It will be closed if no further activity occurs. Thank you for your contributions.

[echuber2]

Could this issue be reopened? Does anyone have recent experience with improvements or changes this year on the accessibility front?