Storyline 3 not opening Keyboard Shortcut (Shift+?) when using JAWS

Mar 16, 2022

When using Storyline 3 and JAWS, I am unable to open the Keyboard Shortcut (Shift+?). When I attempt to use Shift+?, JAWS announces that "there are no clickable elements on this page". When I turn off JAWS, the function works fine. Is this a reported issue? Attached is a test file for your review. I appreciate any help you can provide.

3 Replies
John Say

Hi Kevin, 

Yes, this has been reported. I am able to replicate the behavior on my end as well. We found that with NVDA, you can use INS + SPACEBAR to toggle off browse mode and Shift+? will work. I am not sure if there is an equivalent for JAWS though.  
The keyboard shortcuts aren’t for screen reader users though, they’re for mobility accessibility, much like the tab key. For example, the keyboard shortcuts include zoom to fit, toggle accessible text and closed captions which would not be useful for screen reader users. 

David Bland

John,

I am experiencing the same issue with NVDA.  As you pointed out, some of the keystrokes may not be useful to screen reader users, but a number of them would be extremely useful (Play/Pause, Previous Slide, Next Slide).  Please note you may also have screen reader users who also have mobility issues, but the shortcuts would not be discoverable for them.

How would a sighted user with mobility issues discover that "Shift + ?" reveals keyboard shortcuts?  I've been looking for any clue on the many sample pages in your library, and I'm not finding it. 

Andrea Koehntop

Hi David, and thank you for your question! 

Regarding users who use screen readers, for NVDA, they use INS + SPACEBAR to toggle off browse mode, and Shift+? will work. For JAWS, we haven't found a workaround. But, the keyboard shortcut window is mainly for those with motor disabilities, as screen readers themselves have their own key bindings that take over normal keyboard use.

How would a sighted user with mobility issues discover that "Shift + ?" reveals keyboard shortcuts?

Currently, it would be the responsibility of the course author to include information on how to access keyboard shortcuts. Our documentation notes information on numerous keyboard shortcuts. 

I'm also going to submit a feature request on your behalf requesting easier accessibility of the keyboard shortcuts dialog. I will let you know if this feature request makes it onto our Features Roadmap