I'm building a course in Articulate Storyline 360 and publishing that in Flash only output. But while testing it with JAWS reader v18, the up/down arrow keys are not working to focus the content within slide. I'm aware that Tab key is used to focus content or UI element but I still want Up/Down arrow keys to navigate content.
Can it be possible to make this work in Storyline 360 + JAWS reader?
I'm actually working towards A and AA level of accessible course.
Hi Ravinder! Thanks for your question. Currently you can use the Tab key to change the focus of slide objects, but I can see how using the up/down arrow keys would be handy, too.
Can you tell us a bit more about why this feature would be important for you and your learners in a feature request here? Thanks!
I came across this post because we have encountered the same problem. Just wanted to confirm that using the tab key is still the only form of navigation in Storyline 360 courses. We are having our courses evaluated for accessibility with screen readers and this is a major issue.
Yes, the tab key is still the only form of navigation in Storyline 360 courses. What screen readers are you using to evaluate for accessibility? Storyline 360 is supported with JAWS 16 and later.
Hi Alyssa, thanks for responding :) Our accessibility advisor is using a JAWS screen reader, I'm not sure which version, but I'm sure its current. The issue is that he needs to be able to navigate text line by line, so he can return to something he didn't understand and 'read' it again without having to listen to entire box of text again. From my understanding this is typically done by navigating to a text box and hitting enter, which changes JAWS to another mode where the learner can then navigate line by line using the arrow keys (this is how PowerPoint functions) Is this possible in Storyline?
I just gave this a test in JAWS and with Storyline 360. Jaws will read the entire text box upon navigating too it, and there wasn't a way to have it read each line individually. If you needed to have each individual line read out, I'd look at breaking them up into individual text boxes.
I tried using the enter as you mentioned (and the space bar) but it didn't allow me to navigate within a text box. Although you would use that to navigate say the menu or resources list in the player, those are are listed out as individual items.
I just wanted to chime in about navigating through Storyline content via the Tab key vs. navigating with the arrow keys.
Our JAWS users always navigate by using the arrow keys. For them, this is standard operating procedure. When the arrow keys don't work for navigation the content seems inaccessible. Do you know if there are any plans to include arrow key navigation in future versions of Storyline as part of your support for JAWS?
Thanks for reaching out and sharing your concerns as well.
Could you share a bit more about what you would like your learners to be able to do? I'm not clear if you're sharing the same idea shared above with navigating to specific lines of text and words via arrow keys or if you were wanting to navigate the course (prev/next) buttons with arrow keys.
Thanks so much for any additional information you can provide so that we can best help you with your questions.
Just want to add my voice to the choir. Our Storyline project has been flagged in accessibility compliance testing because JAWS users navigate through content using up/down arrows and Storyline has no provisions to allow this. This needs to be fixed if Articulate is going to tout JAWS compatibility.
Thanks for adding your voice here. Our team designed the accessibility and navigation elements based on the ARIA standards outlined here.
Currently, the Tab key allows you to navigate around the player and slide, and then within something like a menu, resources list, or even the answer choices on question slide the learner can use an arrow key to navigate within those items.
We've been consulting extensively with our customers and have identified a range of improvements we could make to serve customers with accessibility needs. The current player architecture allows us to deliver incremental improvements, but we want to aim higher. Our current active development work focuses on upgrading the overall architecture and structure of the player to enable us to deliver industry-leading accessibility support for Storyline customers that complies with the latest accessibility standards across a broader range of screen readers and web browsers.
I've encountered the same problem. I'm using JAWS 2019 and I know that we use the TAB key to focus selection. BUT the instruction it says when it's reading the Knowledge Check radio buttons is "To change the selection, press UP or DOWN arrow". When I press the buttons, it doesn't do anything.
I posted this in the original discussion, but it looks like this thread is getting more activity, so here it is again:
Here is my understanding of the issue. Jaws has two modes, 1) Forms mode; 2) Browse mode.
Browse mode: user will navigate with arrow keys and has access to Jaws shortcut key combinations, (E.g. selecting Ctrl+Insert+B will bring up a list of available buttons that are on screen and allow the user to navigate and select within that button list, vs. having to tab through all on screen elements until they find the button they are looking for); In this mode, Jaws users can also left and right arrow key through words, sentences and letters if they need to re-hear something.
Forms mode: user will navigate with tab key; Latest version of Jaws automatically changes to this mode when it recognizes that there are on-screen controls (Buttons, etc.); Jaws will almost always default to this In the case of Articulate Storyline given that there are usually navigation buttons, (Next, Prev, etc.); Jaws will play a sound effect when it switches to this mode, thus alerting the user that arrow keys and Jaws shortcut keys are no longer available and user should rely on the tab key; Jaws users can manually switch back to browse mode by selecting ++ on the numpad.
Based on our research and troubleshooting, Articulate Storyline only works consistently in Forms mode, that is using tab keys for navigation and enter or space for selection. When Jaws users switch between modes Browse mode a number of issues can arise, including on-screen visual focus not aligning with keyboard focus, and tab order can be effected.
It would be great to hear if and how Articulate is planning to address this, since non-sighted users rely on both Jaws modes to navigate more efficiently.
Thanks for reaching out. Our team is still working on a number of accessibility updates, as I mentioned a couple months ago, and part of that will include updates to keyboard navigation.
We'll let folks know here as soon as those updates are ready.
Thanks for checking in! We currently support moving through courses with the TAB button, but as Ashley mentioned our team is working on accessibility updates. We hope to roll those out soon!
How many years now posting compliance issues on a tool that claims compliance features?
I too now have a compliance officer rejecting an Articulate 360 course because of a lack of keyboard accessibility. Clearly a lot of developers are having issue with Articulate's limited accessibility using only the TAB key (specifically cited in this thread the JAWS audible instruction to use the arrow key to move up/down in an Articulate 360 standard quiz slide).
If no update is going to be made to provide keyboard accessibility, is there a way then to edit the quiz answer options to disable whatever the trigger is used for the audible JAWS instructions to use the arrow keys?
Do I have to now manually create new quizzes with manually created radio buttons to avoid this? Effectively rebuilding much of our course?
I can assure you that we are just as excited as everyone to make building accessible courses way easier! Keyboard navigation is high on our list, but we aren't quite ready to release it yet. You're right, specifically with the up/down arrows that aren't moving users throughout the course. even though this is JAWS suggestion.
An Accessibility Conformance Report was also on our Accessibility roadmap which was completed in August. You can find how we did here!
Noel, I will be back to share good news when I hear it!
I am having the same issue as everyone on this thread. My compliance tester is blind, and so uses JAWS all the time. He tells me he prefers to use the up/down arrow keys, because when forced to use the Tab key JAWS reads the text all in one chunk. This might not seem like an issue to a sighted person who can read at the speed they prefer and easily jump back to the beginning of a sentence or paragraph to re-read text they didn't quite understand the first time, but for someone who is sight disabled it becomes a problem. To have JAWS re-read text they have to tab to the next item and then shit+tab back to the original item and listen to the whole thing again.
Since JAWS does have a way to read text on the screen Articulate is technically 508 compliant, but it comes down to the experience for someone who is sight disabled - do other tools allow for easier navigation with JAWS? My clients rely on me to recommend a tool, and if they require 508 compliance I may not be able to recommend Articulate in the future.
I am interested in an enhancement to Articulate that would allow JAWS users to use the up/down arrow keys. I suspect this isn't an easy enhancement in the code but would be a worthwhile enhancement for anyone who is working for the government or a client who mandates 508 compliance. Please add my name to the enhancement request.
While we are talking enhancements, it would be great if the "Object is visible to accessibility tools" was opt in instead of opt out. It is most often that only a few objects need to be visible to accessibility tools. I work for a disability services organisation and it would save me lots of time if it was opt in only. Perhaps even the ability to change the default behaviour.
It's helpful to hear this approach especially coming from the position of creating content for a disability services organization. I can see how this directly impacts the courses you create.
I'm going to pass this along to our team since we haven't heard this type of request. Just to clarify, you're looking for the default option to be for screen readers to ignore the objects by default. Are there specific objects that consistently choose to be visible to accessibility tools?
I appreciate your feedback and will be sure to update our team once I receive more information on exactly what would be beneficial.
26 Replies
Hi Ravinder! Thanks for your question. Currently you can use the Tab key to change the focus of slide objects, but I can see how using the up/down arrow keys would be handy, too.
Can you tell us a bit more about why this feature would be important for you and your learners in a feature request here? Thanks!
This post was removed by the author
Hi Alyssa,
I came across this post because we have encountered the same problem. Just wanted to confirm that using the tab key is still the only form of navigation in Storyline 360 courses. We are having our courses evaluated for accessibility with screen readers and this is a major issue.
Thanks!
Kara
Hi Kara,
Yes, the tab key is still the only form of navigation in Storyline 360 courses. What screen readers are you using to evaluate for accessibility? Storyline 360 is supported with JAWS 16 and later.
Hi Alyssa, thanks for responding :) Our accessibility advisor is using a JAWS screen reader, I'm not sure which version, but I'm sure its current. The issue is that he needs to be able to navigate text line by line, so he can return to something he didn't understand and 'read' it again without having to listen to entire box of text again. From my understanding this is typically done by navigating to a text box and hitting enter, which changes JAWS to another mode where the learner can then navigate line by line using the arrow keys (this is how PowerPoint functions) Is this possible in Storyline?
Thanks,
Kara
Hi Kara,
I just gave this a test in JAWS and with Storyline 360. Jaws will read the entire text box upon navigating too it, and there wasn't a way to have it read each line individually. If you needed to have each individual line read out, I'd look at breaking them up into individual text boxes.
I tried using the enter as you mentioned (and the space bar) but it didn't allow me to navigate within a text box. Although you would use that to navigate say the menu or resources list in the player, those are are listed out as individual items.
Okay, thanks for looking into it for me! :)
Hi Alyssa,
I just wanted to chime in about navigating through Storyline content via the Tab key vs. navigating with the arrow keys.
Our JAWS users always navigate by using the arrow keys. For them, this is standard operating procedure. When the arrow keys don't work for navigation the content seems inaccessible. Do you know if there are any plans to include arrow key navigation in future versions of Storyline as part of your support for JAWS?
Thanks!
Hey Karen,
Thanks for reaching out and sharing your concerns as well.
Could you share a bit more about what you would like your learners to be able to do? I'm not clear if you're sharing the same idea shared above with navigating to specific lines of text and words via arrow keys or if you were wanting to navigate the course (prev/next) buttons with arrow keys.
Thanks so much for any additional information you can provide so that we can best help you with your questions.
Just want to add my voice to the choir. Our Storyline project has been flagged in accessibility compliance testing because JAWS users navigate through content using up/down arrows and Storyline has no provisions to allow this. This needs to be fixed if Articulate is going to tout JAWS compatibility.
Hi Rob,
Thanks for adding your voice here. Our team designed the accessibility and navigation elements based on the ARIA standards outlined here.
Currently, the Tab key allows you to navigate around the player and slide, and then within something like a menu, resources list, or even the answer choices on question slide the learner can use an arrow key to navigate within those items.
We've been consulting extensively with our customers and have identified a range of improvements we could make to serve customers with accessibility needs. The current player architecture allows us to deliver incremental improvements, but we want to aim higher. Our current active development work focuses on upgrading the overall architecture and structure of the player to enable us to deliver industry-leading accessibility support for Storyline customers that complies with the latest accessibility standards across a broader range of screen readers and web browsers.
Hi,
Is there any update on this issue?
I've encountered the same problem. I'm using JAWS 2019 and I know that we use the TAB key to focus selection. BUT the instruction it says when it's reading the Knowledge Check radio buttons is "To change the selection, press UP or DOWN arrow". When I press the buttons, it doesn't do anything.
Thanks in advanced!
Hi Joyce,
I also responded to your other question, but no update as of yet. We'll post here as soon as we can!
I posted this in the original discussion, but it looks like this thread is getting more activity, so here it is again:
Here is my understanding of the issue. Jaws has two modes, 1) Forms mode; 2) Browse mode.
Browse mode: user will navigate with arrow keys and has access to Jaws shortcut key combinations, (E.g. selecting Ctrl+Insert+B will bring up a list of available buttons that are on screen and allow the user to navigate and select within that button list, vs. having to tab through all on screen elements until they find the button they are looking for); In this mode, Jaws users can also left and right arrow key through words, sentences and letters if they need to re-hear something.
Forms mode: user will navigate with tab key; Latest version of Jaws automatically changes to this mode when it recognizes that there are on-screen controls (Buttons, etc.); Jaws will almost always default to this In the case of Articulate Storyline given that there are usually navigation buttons, (Next, Prev, etc.); Jaws will play a sound effect when it switches to this mode, thus alerting the user that arrow keys and Jaws shortcut keys are no longer available and user should rely on the tab key; Jaws users can manually switch back to browse mode by selecting ++ on the numpad.
Based on our research and troubleshooting, Articulate Storyline only works consistently in Forms mode, that is using tab keys for navigation and enter or space for selection. When Jaws users switch between modes Browse mode a number of issues can arise, including on-screen visual focus not aligning with keyboard focus, and tab order can be effected.
It would be great to hear if and how Articulate is planning to address this, since non-sighted users rely on both Jaws modes to navigate more efficiently.
Hi John,
Thanks for reaching out. Our team is still working on a number of accessibility updates, as I mentioned a couple months ago, and part of that will include updates to keyboard navigation.
We'll let folks know here as soon as those updates are ready.
We have finished recently an accessible course and sent it to the client. Now client says: "Must enable arrow keys for easing navigation. "
What should I tell them now?
Using Articulate Storyline 360.... is it still true a keyboard only user can not navigate using the arrow keys?
Thanks,
Debbie
Hi Debbie!
Thanks for checking in! We currently support moving through courses with the TAB button, but as Ashley mentioned our team is working on accessibility updates. We hope to roll those out soon!
Thank you for the update!
How many years now posting compliance issues on a tool that claims compliance features?
I too now have a compliance officer rejecting an Articulate 360 course because of a lack of keyboard accessibility. Clearly a lot of developers are having issue with Articulate's limited accessibility using only the TAB key (specifically cited in this thread the JAWS audible instruction to use the arrow key to move up/down in an Articulate 360 standard quiz slide).
If no update is going to be made to provide keyboard accessibility, is there a way then to edit the quiz answer options to disable whatever the trigger is used for the audible JAWS instructions to use the arrow keys?
Do I have to now manually create new quizzes with manually created radio buttons to avoid this? Effectively rebuilding much of our course?
Hi Noel!
I can assure you that we are just as excited as everyone to make building accessible courses way easier! Keyboard navigation is high on our list, but we aren't quite ready to release it yet. You're right, specifically with the up/down arrows that aren't moving users throughout the course. even though this is JAWS suggestion.
An Accessibility Conformance Report was also on our Accessibility roadmap which was completed in August. You can find how we did here!
Noel, I will be back to share good news when I hear it!
I am having the same issue as everyone on this thread. My compliance tester is blind, and so uses JAWS all the time. He tells me he prefers to use the up/down arrow keys, because when forced to use the Tab key JAWS reads the text all in one chunk. This might not seem like an issue to a sighted person who can read at the speed they prefer and easily jump back to the beginning of a sentence or paragraph to re-read text they didn't quite understand the first time, but for someone who is sight disabled it becomes a problem. To have JAWS re-read text they have to tab to the next item and then shit+tab back to the original item and listen to the whole thing again.
Since JAWS does have a way to read text on the screen Articulate is technically 508 compliant, but it comes down to the experience for someone who is sight disabled - do other tools allow for easier navigation with JAWS? My clients rely on me to recommend a tool, and if they require 508 compliance I may not be able to recommend Articulate in the future.
I am interested in an enhancement to Articulate that would allow JAWS users to use the up/down arrow keys. I suspect this isn't an easy enhancement in the code but would be a worthwhile enhancement for anyone who is working for the government or a client who mandates 508 compliance. Please add my name to the enhancement request.
Hi Kristin!
I so appreciate that you shared this with us! I'll add your comments to the report!
Like I mentioned in my previous reply, this is a large task at hand which means we are taking extra precautions before releasing any updates.
While we are talking enhancements, it would be great if the "Object is visible to accessibility tools" was opt in instead of opt out. It is most often that only a few objects need to be visible to accessibility tools. I work for a disability services organisation and it would save me lots of time if it was opt in only. Perhaps even the ability to change the default behaviour.
Hi David!
It's helpful to hear this approach especially coming from the position of creating content for a disability services organization. I can see how this directly impacts the courses you create.
I'm going to pass this along to our team since we haven't heard this type of request. Just to clarify, you're looking for the default option to be for screen readers to ignore the objects by default. Are there specific objects that consistently choose to be visible to accessibility tools?
I appreciate your feedback and will be sure to update our team once I receive more information on exactly what would be beneficial.
This discussion is closed. You can start a new discussion or contact Articulate Support.