Question: How Accessible Is GitHub for Screen Reader Users When Navigating Pull Requests?

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I’m starting a new discussion regarding GitHub’s accessibility features. I’m particularly interested in the experience of screen reader users when navigating Pull Requests, code reviews, and file changes.

Here are a few questions I’d like to ask the community:

How well do screen readers (such as NVDA, JAWS, or VoiceOver) handle the Pull Request interface on GitHub?

Are there any known accessibility barriers when reviewing code line-by-line, viewing diff changes, or adding comments?

Does anyone have recommended workflows or settings that improve the accessibility of these features?
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Are there ongoing efforts or tools (browser extensions, GitHub Labs features, etc.) that enhance accessibility for visually impaired developers?

I believe this is an important topic, especially as many developers rely heavily on code review workflows. Any experiences, suggestions, or insights would be greatly appreciated.

[yassine-krichen]

I’ve used GitHub with VoiceOver a bit and… it’s okay, but definitely rough in some spots. Pull Requests work for the basics (comments, merging), but line-by-line diffs are kinda brutal, screen readers don’t always announce which line you’re on, so keeping track of changes can be confusing.

Adding comments works fine once you find the right button, but navigation takes a lot of patience. One tip that helped me: using the “Files changed” tab with keyboard shortcuts instead of trying to click around. Also, browser extensions like Vimium or keyboard-only navigation tricks make it slightly smoother.

Not sure about Labs features specifically, but GitHub does seem to improve accessibility slowly over time. Overall, usable, but far from perfect.

[iyawnnn]

In my experience, screen readers like NVDA, JAWS, and VoiceOver function OK with GitHub, although there are some problems with accessibility, especially when looking at Pull Requests and code modifications. Sometimes it's hard to use the PR interface. Basic navigation works, but stuff like line-by-line diffs or adding comments to certain parts of the code might be hard to understand. Screen readers don't like how code changes are shown (with colours and side-by-side views), and sometimes it's impossible to identify what has been added or removed in the diff without further information.

Screen readers can have trouble handling line-by-line changes while evaluating code, especially when it comes to telling the difference between lines that have been added or removed. It can also be hard to remark on a certain line or part of code directly since the layout doesn't always make it evident. Some keyboard shortcuts, such Ctrl + Shift + C for commenting, can assist, but it still seems a little awkward. There are browser add-ons and third-party solutions that could help, but GitHub is still not very accessible for developers who are blind or have low vision. GitHub has made progress, but it's evident that more needs to be done to make PRs and code reviews completely open.