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Accessibility: Screen Reader Fails to Announce Notification Status "4.1.3 Status Messages" Violation #249426

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@anitakumari28

Description

@anitakumari28

Does this issue occur when all extensions are disabled?: Yes/No

  • VS Code Version: 1.100.0
  • OS Version: macOS Sequoia 15.4.1
  • VoiceOver: Built-in macOS Screen reader

Steps to Reproduce:

  1. On macOS, press Command + F5 to activate the built-in VoiceOver screen reader (or activate any screen reader of choice).
  2. Click on the notification icon in VS Code to read the latest notification message.

When a notification is opened, the screen reader reads the message content directly without first announcing the type or status of the notification (e.g., "Info", "Warning", or "Error").

According to Requirement No. 4.1.3 Status Messages, screen readers should first announce the type/status of a notification before its content. This allows users to understand the context or severity of the message prior to hearing the details.

Image

This issue affects the overall accessibility of both Visual Studio Code and the WCA4Z VSCode extension, making them less usable for users with visual impairments.

Activity

changed the title [-]Screen Reader Fails to Announce Notification Status "4.1.3 Status Messages" Violation[/-] [+]Accessibility: Screen Reader Fails to Announce Notification Status "4.1.3 Status Messages" Violation[/+] on May 21, 2025
added
bugIssue identified by VS Code Team member as probable bug
accessibilityKeyboard, mouse, ARIA, vision, screen readers (non-specific) issues
on May 21, 2025
added this to the June 2025 milestone on May 21, 2025
added
unreleasedPatch has not yet been released in VS Code Insiders
insiders-releasedPatch has been released in VS Code Insiders
and removed
unreleasedPatch has not yet been released in VS Code Insiders
on Jun 9, 2025
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accessibilityKeyboard, mouse, ARIA, vision, screen readers (non-specific) issuesbugIssue identified by VS Code Team member as probable buginsiders-releasedPatch has been released in VS Code Insiders

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    @meganrogge@anitakumari28

    Issue actions

      Accessibility: Screen Reader Fails to Announce Notification Status "4.1.3 Status Messages" Violation · Issue #249426 · microsoft/vscode