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Audit accessibility of the devguide #1792
Description
Audit our devguide for assistive tech and ARIA support.
From @hugovk:
Nice little shortcut, but I'm concerned this will interfere with keyboard handling for people using assistive tech such as screen readers.
https://www.w3.org/WAI/ARIA/apg/practices/keyboard-interface/ includes:
So, screen reader users will commonly expect that pressing the right arrow key will expand a collapsed node.
https://webaim.org/techniques/keyboard/ has examples where ←/→ keys are needed.
Originally posted by @hugovk in #1784 (comment)
Activity
StanFromIreland commentedon Apr 21, 2026
For contributors: please note that changes will most likely belong upstream in the Furo theme.
abitrolly commentedon Apr 21, 2026
I opened the Furo discussion is here pradyunsg/furo#933
Please, reopen #1784 as it has nothing to do with Furo theme.
willingc commentedon Apr 21, 2026
Answered in PR.
abitrolly commentedon Apr 21, 2026
@willingc I don't see how this issue is actionable. Do you have a plan in mind? ? What should be the end result in the context of #1784?
I opened #1784 without any accessibility in mind. It is just a common user experience for Linux and terminal users to avoid using mouse if possible - something that Rust people already do with their docs - https://doc.rust-lang.org/book/title-page.html - press right.
willingc commentedon Apr 21, 2026
Addressed in this message: #1784 (comment)
PyCon and Europython would be a good time to discuss doing an accessibility check on the devguide and docs.
abitrolly commentedon Apr 22, 2026
@willingc If you can arrange actual accessibility audit workshop during Python/EuroPython with a goal of completing it for devguide to solve this issue, that would be awesome. I would even participate live if there is a chance (no money to travel). Recording the workshop would maximize the impact. But I am afraid just discussing it there (where? with whom?) won't get keyboard navigation to the docs anytime soon. We are already discussing it.
abitrolly commentedon Apr 22, 2026
Opened the python/docs-community#199 with the specific keyboard navigation case that needs to be solved.
abitrolly commentedon Apr 22, 2026
Also interesting to evaluate the impact if the keyboard navigation is not implemented, or implemented only for screen reader users (making it inaccessible for everybody else). There was a major case (for me at least) when Berkeley removed all its public lectures, because Department of Justice ruled they were not properly captioned for students with disabilities.
Unfortunately, it looks like the story went hidden by the major media, so it is the only link I have https://reason.com/2017/03/07/berkeley-deletes-200000-free-online-vide/
Now there is a technology to subtitle everything, but the damage is done https://www.youtube.com/ucberkeley and the same may happen with the study.
abitrolly commentedon May 29, 2026
@willingc so did you discuss accessibility check for the devguide at PyCon? Maybe any other news here?
abitrolly commentedon Jul 6, 2026
@willingc ping?
A gentle reminder that you closed #1784 with the promise to do accessibility audit. Do you still have a plan in motion? If not, maybe reopen #1784
willingc commentedon Jul 10, 2026
I do plan to do an accessibility audit. Based on other commitments, I am targeting this fall. If other core devs wish to reopen #1784, feel free to do so.
abitrolly commentedon Jul 11, 2026
@willingc how to tag core devs so that they could see the #1784? The previous plan was PyCon/EuroPython, now it is fall with no specific date and actors/companies, so I don't see it is going anywhere. The version control here is for a reason - if anything becomes broken, we can roll it back. If you want to estimate the impact of shortcut keys, just invite somebody who uses screen reader to test the PR, and do the full audit later.