Accessibility Features¶

Use the dashboard with keyboard navigation, screen readers, and other assistive technologies.

Home Security Intelligence is designed to be accessible to everyone. This guide covers the accessibility features available to help you navigate and use the dashboard effectively.

Keyboard Navigation¶

The entire dashboard can be operated without a mouse. This benefits users who:

• Cannot use a mouse due to mobility impairments
• Prefer keyboard for speed and efficiency
• Use screen readers or other assistive technologies

Getting Started with Keyboard¶

1. Tab - Move forward through interactive elements
2. Shift + Tab - Move backward through interactive elements
3. Enter or Space - Activate buttons and links
4. Escape - Close modals and cancel actions
5. Arrow keys - Navigate within components

Skip to Main Content¶

When you first Tab into the page, a "Skip to main content" link appears. Press Enter to bypass the navigation and jump directly to the main content area.

This saves time by avoiding tabbing through the entire sidebar navigation on every page.

Command Palette¶

The fastest way to navigate is the command palette:

1. Press Cmd + K (Mac) or Ctrl + K (Windows/Linux)
2. Type what you are looking for (e.g., "timeline", "settings")
3. Use Arrow Up/Down to select
4. Press Enter to navigate

The command palette searches both page names and related keywords, so typing "stats" will find "Analytics" and typing "home" will find "Dashboard".

Quick Navigation Shortcuts¶

Press g followed by a letter to jump directly to any page:

List Navigation¶

When viewing event lists, activity feeds, or search results:

These Vim-style shortcuts (j/k) keep your hands on the home row for faster navigation.

Modal and Dialog Navigation¶

When a modal or dialog opens:

• Focus automatically moves into the modal
• Tab cycles through interactive elements inside the modal
• Press Escape to close without saving
• Focus returns to the element that opened the modal when it closes

Help Shortcut¶

Press ? anywhere in the application to open the keyboard shortcuts reference. This shows all available shortcuts organized by category.

Screen Reader Compatibility¶

The dashboard is compatible with major screen readers:

What Screen Readers Will Announce¶

Page Navigation:

• Page title changes when you navigate
• Main content regions are identified
• Navigation landmarks are labeled

Interactive Elements:

• Button names and purposes
• Link destinations
• Form field labels
• Current state (checked, expanded, selected)

Dynamic Updates:

• New security alerts are announced immediately
• Loading states are announced
• Error messages are announced

Tips for Screen Reader Users¶

1. Use landmarks - Jump between regions using your screen reader's landmark navigation

2. VoiceOver: VO + U then select Landmarks

3. NVDA: D for next landmark, Shift + D for previous

4. Headings navigation - Pages use heading levels consistently

5. H / Shift + H to move between headings

6. Tables - Event tables have proper headers

7. Use table navigation commands to move between cells

8. Forms - All form fields have associated labels

9. Tab through form fields to hear their labels and current values

Visual Accessibility¶

Color Contrast¶

All text and interactive elements meet WCAG 2.1 AA contrast requirements:

• Normal text: 4.5:1 contrast ratio minimum
• Large text: 3:1 contrast ratio minimum
• UI components: 3:1 contrast ratio minimum

Risk levels use both color AND labels:

• Low (Green) - Risk score 0-29, displayed with "Low" label
• Medium (Yellow) - Risk score 30-59, displayed with "Medium" label
• High (Orange) - Risk score 60-84, displayed with "High" label
• Critical (Red) - Risk score 85-100, displayed with "Critical" label

Color is never the only way information is conveyed.

Focus Indicators¶

When navigating with keyboard, a visible green focus ring shows which element is currently focused. This makes it easy to track your position on the page.

Text Sizing¶

The dashboard responds well to browser zoom:

• Content is readable at 200% zoom
• Layout adjusts at smaller viewport sizes
• Text does not get cut off when enlarged

To increase text size:

1. Press Cmd + + (Mac) or Ctrl + + (Windows/Linux) to zoom in
2. Press Cmd + - or Ctrl + - to zoom out
3. Press Cmd + 0 or Ctrl + 0 to reset

Reduced Motion¶

If you have prefers-reduced-motion enabled in your operating system, animations are minimized:

• Page transitions are instant
• Loading spinners are simplified
• Attention-grabbing animations are disabled

To enable reduced motion:

• macOS: System Preferences > Accessibility > Display > Reduce motion
• Windows: Settings > Ease of Access > Display > Show animations in Windows
• Linux: Varies by desktop environment

Browser Settings for Accessibility¶

Recommended Browser Extensions¶

Browser Accessibility Settings¶

Chrome:

• Settings > Accessibility > Live Caption, High contrast, etc.
• chrome://flags > Enable experimental accessibility features

Firefox:

• Settings > General > Language and Appearance > Fonts and Colors > Override
• about:preferences#accessibility

Safari:

• Safari > Preferences > Advanced > Accessibility

Mobile Accessibility¶

The mobile web app supports:

Touch Accessibility¶

• Large touch targets (minimum 44x44 pixels)
• Adequate spacing between interactive elements
• Swipe gestures work with accessibility services enabled

iOS VoiceOver¶

• All elements are properly labeled
• Swipe to navigate between elements
• Double-tap to activate

Android TalkBack¶

• All elements are properly labeled
• Swipe to navigate between elements
• Double-tap to activate

Getting Help¶

If You Encounter Accessibility Issues¶

If you find something that does not work with your assistive technology:

1. Note which page and feature has the issue
2. Note which assistive technology you are using (e.g., "NVDA on Chrome")
3. Describe what you expected to happen vs. what actually happened
4. Contact your system administrator with these details

Request Accommodations¶

If you need specific accessibility accommodations not covered here, contact your system administrator. We continuously improve accessibility based on user feedback.

Accessibility Quick Reference¶

Essential Shortcuts¶

Navigation Chords (press g then letter)¶

g d - Dashboard    g a - Alerts
g t - Timeline     g e - Entities
g n - Analytics    g o - Logs
g y - System       g s - Settings

List Navigation¶

j / Down  - Next item
k / Up    - Previous item
Home      - First item
End       - Last item
Enter     - Select

Related Documentation¶

• Keyboard Shortcuts - Complete shortcut reference
• Getting Started - System overview
• Dashboard - Understanding the interface

If something is not accessible to you, it is not accessible. Please report accessibility issues so we can fix them.