EasyTrace5000 Accessibility Guide

EasyTrace5000 is designed to be usable with keyboard-only navigation and compatible with assistive technologies. This document details keyboard controls, focus management, and WCAG 2.1 compliance efforts.

Keyboard Navigation Overview

The interface is designed for full keyboard operability using a Focus Zone strategy. This reduces repetitive tabbing by allowing users to jump between major workspace areas.

Global Navigation

These shortcuts work globally to navigate the application structure.

Note: A Skip Link is available on the first Tab press after page load to jump directly to the Canvas. Each F6 press announces the zone it landed in through the status region.

Zone-Specific Controls

Each zone has specific interactions once it receives focus.

Toolbar & Sidebar Headers

Operations Tree (Left Sidebar)

The tree uses a roving tabindex pattern. Press Tab to enter the tree list, then use arrow keys to navigate.

Each operation category holds a source file, and each generated artifact — Offsets, Preview, Toolpaths — appears as its own child node with its own visibility toggle.

Canvas Controls

These controls are active when the Canvas zone has focus.

View Manipulation

Display & Tools

3D View

These apply once the 3D viewport has focus. Press F2 to enter 3D, then F6 until focus reaches the viewport.

Property Panel (Right Sidebar)

This panel handles parameter inputs for the selected stage node. The fields it shows change with the stage, so the same keys apply throughout.

Modals & Dialogs

When a modal is open, focus is trapped within it until it closes, and global navigation keys (F6) are disabled. Closing a modal returns focus to the element that opened it. Where a modal's body scrolls, focus lands on the scrollable body so the arrow keys and Page Up / Page Down work immediately.

General Navigation

Confirmations

EasyTrace5000 has no undo. Deleting an operation or a generated artifact therefore asks first. The confirmation is an alert dialog, its buttons are reachable by Tab, Escape cancels, and focus returns to the tree node you were on either way.

Sortable Lists (Export Manager)

The Export Manager's operation list is drag-and-drop, with a full keyboard equivalent:

Drill Tooling Table

The per-diameter drill table is a modal grid. Tab moves between cells and Escape closes the modal. Every input and dropdown carries an accessible name that names both its hole diameter and its column, so a cell is never announced as a bare number.

Screen Reader Support

Live Regions

• Status region: a polite region carries ordinary progress and completion messages; a separate assertive region carries errors, so urgency is not lost.
• The visible status text is not itself a live region. Its idle state, which restores a few seconds after every message, is therefore silent rather than being re-announced.
• Status messages announce file loading, generation progress, stage completion, and errors
• Long-running generation reports progress through the same region, so a background job is audible rather than silent
• The status log holds the full history and is reachable from the keyboard: Tab to the chevron at the left of the status bar and press Enter.

Semantic Structure

• Main landmarks: <header> (toolbar), <main> (canvas), <aside> (sidebars), <footer> (status bar)
• Headings hierarchy maintained within sections
• Form labels associated with inputs via for/id

Button Labels

All icon-only buttons include aria-label attributes describing their function:

• "Fit to View", "Zoom In", "Zoom Out"
• "Toggle Visibility", "Delete", etc.

SVG Icons

Decorative icons are marked aria-hidden="true" as they enter the page, including icons injected into tree nodes and stage nodes after load. Icons that carry meaning on their own are given an accessible name instead.

WCAG 2.1 Compliance

EasyTrace5000 targets WCAG 2.1 Level AA compliance. While the application is fully functional for keyboard users, some visual aspects (such as complex canvas geometry) have inherent limitations.

Implemented Guidelines

Partial or Planned Support

Known Limitations

1. Canvas interaction: The 2D canvas preview is visual-only. Geometry data is available via the operations tree, but spatial relationships require visual inspection.

2. 3D view: The 3D toolpath view is visual-only, though the camera is fully keyboard-operable. Nothing in the workflow requires it: an operation can be generated, exported and cut without ever opening it.

3. Complex geometry feedback: When generating offsets or toolpaths, detailed geometric results are shown visually but not fully announced to screen readers beyond progress and success/failure status.

4. Drag-and-drop file upload: Requires a pointer. Alternative: click the drop zones, or use the file input buttons in the operations tree.

5. Touch devices: Touch zoom/pan works but keyboard navigation is the primary accessibility path.

6. Color-coded warnings: Drill operation warnings use color coding (green/yellow/red). Status messages provide text descriptions of the same information.

7. Narrow viewports and high zoom: See guideline 1.4.10 above. Rotating a tablet to landscape, or widening the window, restores the full workspace.

8. Audio: EasyTrace5000 produces no sound. Every state change is reported as text, so no information is conveyed by audio alone.

9. EasyShape5000: This guide covers EasyTrace5000 only.

Reporting Issues

If you encounter accessibility barriers, please report them via GitHub Issues.

There's a dedicated template available for these reports to ensure the necessary technical details are included.

1. Go to the New Issue page
2. Select the Accessibility Report template
3. Fill in the required details (Browser, OS, Assistive Technology)

Resources

• WCAG 2.1 Guidelines
• WAI-ARIA Authoring Practices
• WebAIM Keyboard Testing