Enhancing accessibility in Visual Studio Code with screen readers.

In a recent chat I had with Microsoft’s Copilot, we explored how to set up Visual Studio Code (VS Code) to work seamlessly with screen readers, focusing on Narrator and NVDA. We talked about JAWS two, but you’ll see why setting that one up wasn’t a primary concern here in a few minutes.

If you use Narrator, here are some tips to help you along in working with VS Code.

1. Enable Screen Reader Mode: Open VS Code and press CTRL Cama to open settings. Search for “Screen Reader” and ensure that the “Screen Reader” mode is enabled.
2. Use the Accessibility Checker: Install the Accessibility Checker extension from the Extensions view which you should be able to reach using the Control+Shift+X keyboard command.
3. Customize Keybindings: Adjust keybindings to avoid conflicts with Narrator commands. You can do this in the “Keyboard Shortcuts” settings (Ctrl+K Ctrl+S).
4. Use Extensions for Better Navigation: Extensions like “Path IntelliSense” and “Better Comments” can make navigating and understanding your code easier.
5. Optimize Performance: Disable unnecessary extensions to improve performance.
6. Narrator Settings: Ensure Narrator is set to “Scan Mode” for better navigation. Toggle Scan Mode by pressing Caps Lock + Space.

NVDA (NonVisual Desktop Access) is another popular screen reader that works well with VS Code. Here are some tips for setting it up.

1. Enable Screen Reader Mode: Open VS Code and press Control plus Comma to open settings. Search for “Screen Reader” and ensure that the “Screen Reader” mode is enabled.
2. Install NVDA Extension: Install the NVDA extension from the Extensions view (Ctrl+Shift+X) to enhance compatibility.
3. Customize Keybindings: Adjust keybindings to avoid conflicts with NVDA commands. You can do this in the “Keyboard Shortcuts” settings (Ctrl+K Ctrl+S).

I’m told that JAWS for Windows also works with VS Code. However, the JAWS scripts available on GitHub seem to be about three years old when I checked out the page. So, I opted not to install them as they might affect compatibility with newer versions of JAWS. So, if you decide to give it a go with the scripts, “May the force be with you.”

However, if you still wish to use JAWS, scripts and all, you can follow these steps.

1. Download JAWS Scripts for VS Code: Visit the [GitHub repository for JAWS scripts for VS Code] (https://github.com/travisroth/VSCodeJAWSScripts) and download the latest release.
2. Install the Scripts: Unzip the downloaded file and copy the JAWS script files to your current user script directory. You can find this directory by opening JAWS, navigating to the JAWS menu, selecting “Utilities,” then “Explore Utilities Folder,” and finally “Explore My Settings.”
3. Configure VS Code Open VS Code and go to the settings (press Ctrl+Comma). Search for “Screen Reader” and ensure that the “Screen Reader” mode is enabled.
4. Additional Configuration Adjust key bindings in VS Code to avoid conflicts with JAWS commands. This can be done in the “Keyboard Shortcuts” settings (press Ctrl+K Ctrl+S).

To close the settings window in VS Code, press Ctrl+W. This command will close the currently active editor or panel, including the settings window.

Microsoft’s Copilot says setting up VS Code with screen readers like Narrator, NVDA, and JAWS can significantly enhance your coding experience. By following these steps, the GPT driven AI says you can ensure better accessibility and efficiency in your development workflow. We’ll soon find out if that’s true or not as I plan to use the Visual Studio Code application to assist me in my remake of this website. “This should be fun!”