Title: Accessibility: Slash-command suggestion menu options are hidden from Windows UIA and screen readers (missing ARIA listbox/option roles)
Summary
In the ZCode desktop application, typing / in the chat input opens a slash-command and skills suggestions menu. While this menu is visually visible and navigable using the Arrow keys, it is completely hidden from Windows UI Automation (UIA) and assistive technologies like screen readers (NVDA/JAWS). Users relying on screen readers receive no spoken feedback when the menu opens and cannot hear which options are highlighted as they navigate.
Diagnostic Details
We performed a direct UI Automation (UIA) tree probe on the ZCode application window. During the probe:
- No Accessibility Tree Changes:
Opening the slash-command menu by typing / did not trigger any structural changes in the UIA accessibility tree. The tree difference remained 0 added, 0 removed, 0 changed.
- Focus Trapped in Text Input:
When pressing the Up/Down arrow keys to change the highlighted command option, keyboard focus stayed entirely on the main text input element. Assistive technologies are unaware of any selection changes because:
- The dropdown container does not announce itself as a
role="listbox".
- The suggestion options are not exposed with
role="option".
- The main text input element does not establish a relationship link with the suggestion list (lacks
aria-controls and does not dynamically update aria-activedescendant during arrow-key navigation).
Expected Behavior
To comply with standard accessibility patterns (WAI-ARIA Combobox design pattern):
- The popup suggestions container should be exposed to the accessibility engine with
role="listbox".
- Each item in the suggestions list (such as
/goal, /compact, or $caveman) should have role="option" and update its aria-selected state dynamically when highlighted.
- The main chat input element should declare the connection using:
aria-haspopup="listbox"aria-controls="[id-of-listbox]"aria-activedescendant="[id-of-currently-highlighted-option]" (updated dynamically as the user navigates using the Arrow keys).
This ensures screen readers can capture the event changes and announce the active menu option as the user cycles through them.
Title: Accessibility: Slash-command suggestion menu options are hidden from Windows UIA and screen readers (missing ARIA listbox/option roles)
Summary
In the ZCode desktop application, typing
/in the chat input opens a slash-command and skills suggestions menu. While this menu is visually visible and navigable using the Arrow keys, it is completely hidden from Windows UI Automation (UIA) and assistive technologies like screen readers (NVDA/JAWS). Users relying on screen readers receive no spoken feedback when the menu opens and cannot hear which options are highlighted as they navigate.Diagnostic Details
We performed a direct UI Automation (UIA) tree probe on the ZCode application window. During the probe:
Opening the slash-command menu by typing
/did not trigger any structural changes in the UIA accessibility tree. The tree difference remained0 added, 0 removed, 0 changed.When pressing the Up/Down arrow keys to change the highlighted command option, keyboard focus stayed entirely on the main text input element. Assistive technologies are unaware of any selection changes because:
role="listbox".role="option".aria-controlsand does not dynamically updatearia-activedescendantduring arrow-key navigation).Expected Behavior
To comply with standard accessibility patterns (WAI-ARIA Combobox design pattern):
role="listbox"./goal,/compact, or$caveman) should haverole="option"and update itsaria-selectedstate dynamically when highlighted.aria-haspopup="listbox"aria-controls="[id-of-listbox]"aria-activedescendant="[id-of-currently-highlighted-option]"(updated dynamically as the user navigates using the Arrow keys).This ensures screen readers can capture the event changes and announce the active menu option as the user cycles through them.