Accessibility treatment for currency values in Screen Readers

[Ro-Matos]

Goal

The goal of this proposal is to evaluate the feasibility of implementing an automatic accessibility treatment for currency values (e.g., "R$ XX", "R$ XX,XX"). The aim is to ensure that screen readers interpret and vocalize monetary values correctly, improving the experience for users who rely on assistive technologies.

Context

We have a recurring issue where currency values are often misread by screen readers, especially by VoiceOver on iOS. Typically, values in Brazilian Real, e.g. "R$ 50" are read as “R cifrão 50”, "real 50", instead "50 reais". And in some cases, even interpreted as US Dollars. This misreading can lead to serious misunderstandings for users, particularly in financial contexts. Although TalkBack on Android generally handles currency better, we have encountered at least one case where a value in BRL was incorrectly read as US Dollars, indicating that the issue may not be exclusive to VoiceOver.

Although the issue appears to stem from Screen Reader itself, we have come across the need to address it within, given that in some cases, the misinterpretation of currency can have significant consequences, such as misleading users about the actual value or currency of a transaction.

In the past, we considered using aria attribute to address this issue, but a case-by-case implementation is not scalable. Therefore, this proposal explores the possibility of a more efficient, automated solution that could be applied consistently across the system.

A workaround using ScreenReaderOnly for specific characters (like the "Vivinho" case) proved effective, which raises the possibility of applying a similar strategy for currency values.

Additionally, we recommend testing VoiceOver with EUR (€) values to determine whether similar issues occur. Ensuring broader accessibility coverage across different regions and use cases.

Impact

If successful, this proposal could enhance the accessibility of monetary values across the design system. It would:

• Improve the accuracy of screen reader output for users with visual impairments.
• Reduce the risk of miscommunication or confusion related to financial information.

Discussion Questions

• Should this solution be limited to Brazilian Real, or extended to other currencies like Euro and Dollar?

Additional considerations

We also conducted a variety of tests to verify whether the issue was related to formatting, such as “R$XX”, “R$ XX”, or “R$ XX,XX”. However, the problem proved to be independent of formatting, reinforcing the idea that the root cause lies in how VoiceOver handles currency symbols and values.

MicrosoftTeams-video.3.1.mp4

Issue in Talkback
Evidence: Screen reader reading BRL like USD.

Do you have a visual proposal?

No response