Improving GitHub's Accessibility for Screen Reader Users

[Nisayuru2001]

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I wanted to start a discussion about enhancing GitHub's accessibility for users who rely on screen readers. While GitHub has made significant strides in making the platform more accessible, I think there are still areas that could be improved, particularly for screen reader users.

One specific issue I’ve encountered is navigating through the pull request and issue comment sections. When using a screen reader, it's challenging to differentiate between different comment threads and to quickly find the newest comments. It would be helpful if GitHub could implement more distinct landmarks or labels for comment threads and the latest updates, making it easier for users to navigate and understand the context.

Additionally, the focus on interactive elements like buttons and checkboxes can sometimes be unclear, which leads to confusion during navigation. I think adding more descriptive ARIA labels to these elements would improve the experience.

Has anyone else faced similar challenges, or does anyone have suggestions for further improvements? I’d love to hear what the community thinks about how we can make GitHub even more accessible for screen reader users!

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts!

[Hub-Mo]

Screen reader user here too - totally feel your pain with GitHub's comment navigation!
Here are some quick workarounds I use:

Keyboard shortcuts (j/k) help somewhat but aren't perfect
For comment threads, try using heading navigation (H keys) as GitHub does structure some elements this way
The 'jump to newest comments' function is missing - I usually search for timestamps insted

For those unclear interactive elements, I've found adding a custom stylesheet with better focus indicators helps a lot. Also, filing specific issues in github/feedback repo with exact WCAG references tends to get more attention from the team.
Have you tried the GitHub mobile site? Sometimes it's actually more navigable with VoiceOver/TalkBack than the desktop version!
What specific area frustrates you the most? Happy to share more specific tips if you tell me which screen reader you're using.