1795360 - Thunderbird App Menu button is not keyboard-accessible, no shortcut

Status: RESOLVED WORKSFORME

(Thunderbird :: Toolbars and Tabs, defect, P3)

Description

[Thomas D. (:thomas8)]

+++ This bug was initially created as a clone of Bug #1138131 +++

For keyboard-dependent users (including the blind), the entire Thunderbird App Menu is not keyboard accessible because the app menu button itself is not. This looks like a notable accessibility and usability issue, more so with the recent efforts to completely redesign the app menu. It's also a pity because the entire app menu structure is perfectly keyboard navigable. Also on record for Firefox as bug 1259818, but we shouldn't wait for them.

This also affects Thunderbird documentation on SUMO. We prefer to present App menu sequences on instructions because they work cross-OS, thus avoiding the burden of per-OS markup code. However, due to this bug, app menu sequences are not fully keyboard accessible, so current documentation will fail keyboard-dependent users.

Alex, would it be feasible to just add a tab stop on the app menu button, similar to the Folder Pane Options button?

Comment 1

[Thomas D. (:thomas8)]

^^

Comment 2

[:Gijs (out for now; he/him)]

FWIW on Firefox this was fixed in bug 1418973 and its dependency tree.

Comment 3

[Thomas D. (:thomas8)]

Adding [Supernova] to Whiteboard. 20230406_1102

Comment 4

[Elizabeth Mitchell]

Attachment: Menu icon

Comment 5

[Elizabeth Mitchell]

Attachment: Open menu

Comment 6

[Elizabeth Mitchell]

(In reply to Thomas D. (:thomas8) from comment #0)

+++ This bug was initially created as a clone of Bug #1138131 +++

For keyboard-dependent users (including the blind), the entire Thunderbird App Menu is not keyboard accessible because the app menu button itself is not. This looks like a notable accessibility and usability issue, more so with the recent efforts to completely redesign the app menu. It's also a pity because the entire app menu structure is perfectly keyboard navigable. Also on record for Firefox as bug 1259818, but we shouldn't wait for them.

This also affects Thunderbird documentation on SUMO. We prefer to present App menu sequences on instructions because they work cross-OS, thus avoiding the burden of per-OS markup code. However, due to this bug, app menu sequences are not fully keyboard accessible, so current documentation will fail keyboard-dependent users.

Alex, would it be feasible to just add a tab stop on the app menu button, similar to the Folder Pane Options button?

Hi. I am not able to duplicate.

Are you referring to the menu icon represented as the hamburger menu? This item is keyboard accessible and the menu items are also keyboard accessible. You can tab to the menu and press Enter to open the menu.

See:

attachment 9333391 [details]
attachment 9333393 [details]

Comment 7

[Alessandro Castellani [:aleca]]

We don't need a keyboard shortcut for that menu and we just landed the toolbar pattern navigation for the unified toolbar.
Closing this.