Windows Client: Form Fields Not Keyboard Accessible with NVDA Screen Reader

[cmwalton]

Description

The Windows desktop client has critical keyboard accessibility issues that prevent blind users from using the application with the NVDA screen reader.

Environment

• Platform: Windows
• Client Version: Latest from Microsoft Store (as of 2025-12-20)
• Screen Reader: NVDA (latest version)

Issues Encountered

1. Form Fields Not in Tab Order

When attempting to set up the initial server connection, form fields (server address, password, etc.) do not respond to the Tab key. This makes it impossible to navigate the setup form using standard keyboard navigation.

2. Cannot Type in Fields

Even when using NVDA's object navigation to locate form fields, typing does not work. The fields are only discoverable through object navigation but remain non-functional for text input.

Impact

This completely blocks blind and visually impaired users from:

• Completing initial setup
• Connecting to their BlueBubbles server
• Using the application at all

Expected Behavior

Form fields should:

1. Be included in the standard Tab order for keyboard navigation
2. Accept keyboard input when focused
3. Properly expose their state and properties to Windows accessibility APIs
4. Follow Windows UI Automation (UIA) or MSAA accessibility standards

Steps to Reproduce

1. Install BlueBubbles Windows client from Microsoft Store
2. Launch the application
3. Attempt to navigate the server connection setup screen using Tab key
4. Attempt to type in any form field

Additional Context

This appears to be a framework-level accessibility issue, possibly related to how the cross-platform UI framework exposes controls to Windows accessibility APIs. Many cross-platform frameworks (Electron, Flutter, etc.) require explicit accessibility configuration to work properly with screen readers on Windows.

Suggested Fix

Ensure that all interactive UI controls properly implement Windows accessibility APIs so they:

• Appear in the keyboard tab order
• Can receive keyboard focus
• Accept text input when focused
• Expose proper accessible names, roles, and states to assistive technologies

Thank you for considering accessibility improvements to make BlueBubbles usable for blind and visually impaired users.