Making software program accessible usually comes right down to eradicating small however repeated factors of friction in on a regular basis workflows. Right this moment, on International Accessibility Consciousness Day, we’re sharing latest enhancements in JetBrains IDEs throughout a number of areas: compatibility with assistive applied sciences on varied platforms, keyboard navigation, and non-visual suggestions. A few of these enhancements are already obtainable, and a few are coming later this 12 months.
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Higher compatibility with assistive applied sciences
One of many key areas we’ve been engaged on is enhancing how JetBrains IDEs work together with OS-level accessibility instruments.
Improved Magnifier help on Home windows
Display magnifiers are among the many mostly used assistive applied sciences in JetBrains IDEs. Till not too long ago, the built-in Home windows Magnifier didn’t reliably comply with the textual content cursor within the editor, making navigation and modifying tougher for low-vision customers. We’ve carried out help for cursor monitoring so Magnifier follows textual content as you kind, simply because it does in different functions.
This builds on earlier work on macOS, the place we addressed textual content cursor monitoring with macOS Zoom. Now, the identical help is being prolonged to Home windows.
Orca and GNOME Magnifier help on Linux
With model 2026.2, coming this summer season, JetBrains IDEs will mean you can use the Orca display reader and GNOME Magnifier in supported Linux environments.
That is an energetic space of labor, with a number of associated duties already underway. Accessibility shouldn’t rely in your working system, and we’re persevering with to enhance help throughout platforms.
Extra predictable keyboard navigation
We’ve additionally been making it simpler to maneuver by way of the IDE with out counting on a mouse.
Most important menu entry with Alt on Home windows
In native Home windows functions, urgent Alt strikes the main target to the principle menu, permitting you to navigate it with the keyboard. This conduct was beforehand lacking from JetBrains IDEs, and display readers, akin to NVDA, would generally announce the system menu as a substitute.
Now, the principle menu behaves in a method that feels acquainted and predictable for keyboard-only and screen-reader customers, and the brilliant focus indicator helps low-vision customers establish the chosen merchandise.
Navigating between main elements of the IDE
One other focus space is the expertise of shifting between completely different elements of the IDE interface, akin to toolbars, panels, and the editor. We’re engaged on a extra structured mannequin for navigating by way of the large element teams:
- Tab and Shift+Tab transfer the main target inside the present space.
- A devoted shortcut enables you to leap between bigger sections of the IDE.
This reduces the hassle required to succeed in important controls and makes the general structure simpler to navigate. For the present iteration, we made it attainable to deliver the principle toolbar and standing bar into focus, and we mounted the Venture and Git toolbar widgets, which weren’t selectable by display readers, although different parts already had been.
As the following step, we’ll polish particular controls and embrace software window bars on each side of the IDE body within the navigation movement.
Exploring richer non-visual suggestions with audio cues
Accessibility will not be solely about reaching controls, but additionally about understanding what’s taking place whilst you work. We’re exploring methods to supply richer audio suggestions within the IDE. Two instructions we’re at the moment investigating:
- Contextual indicators when the caret lands on traces with errors, warnings, breakpoints, or model management modifications. We would like the IDE to supply fast, non-visual suggestions in context.
- Extra normal audio notifications for IDE actions and state modifications.
The aim is to scale back the necessity to depend on visible indicators or swap contexts simply to grasp what modified. As a substitute, we wish the IDE to supply that info extra instantly.
Accessibility as an ongoing effort
We’re enhancing accessibility in JetBrains IDEs throughout a number of areas without delay, together with by offering compatibility with assistive applied sciences like display readers and magnifiers, in addition to by providing extra constant keyboard navigation and clearer suggestions for occasions which can be in any other case principally visible.
These enhancements construct on earlier updates, akin to help for VoiceOver and NVDA, a high-contrast UI theme, and coloration schemes for red-green imaginative and prescient deficiency. There’s nonetheless extra to do, and we’ll proceed working on this course.
We’d love to listen to from you
We’re keen to listen to from builders who depend on accessibility options, in addition to from anybody thinking about enhancing the expertise of utilizing them.
In case you have concepts or suggestions about accessibility in JetBrains IDEs, you possibly can attain us instantly at accessibility@jetbrains.com. You can even report points by way of YouTrack or the help request kind.
If you happen to’d like to remain knowledgeable about accessibility enhancements, you possibly can subscribe to updates right here.
