Zotero Accessibility - Revision history

Dkrahmer: /* Workflow #12: Reading and Annotating PDFs */

2025-01-24T14:11:44Z

Workflow #12: Reading and Annotating PDFs

← Older revision		Revision as of 10:11, 24 January 2025
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	* The final annotation type, Draw, cannot be accessed via the keyboard.		* The final annotation type, Draw, cannot be accessed via the keyboard.

	===== ~~Long Version~~ =====		===== Text of the Annotation Tools =====

	*

			* Image description: The letter A inside of a box. Text reads, "Button. To annotate text via the keyboard, first use "Find in Document" to locate the phrase, and then press Control-Alt-1 to turn the search result into an annotation. Highlight Text."
			* Image description: The letter A underlined. Text reads, "Button. To annotate text via the keyboard, first use "Find in Document" to locate the phrase, and then press Control-Alt-2 to turn the search result into an annotation. Underline Text."
			* Image description: A square box with the lower left corner folded up. Text reads, "button. To add this annotation into the document, focus the document and press Control-Alt-3. Note Annotation."
			* Image description: The letter T. Text reads, "Button. To add this annotation into the document, focus the document and press Control-Alt-4. Add Text."
			* Image description: A small box within a larger box with a dotted line border. Text reads, "Button. To add this annotation into the document, focus the document and press Control-Alt-5. Select Area."
			* Image description: A small pencil with a curling line coming from the tip. Text reads, "Button. This annotation type cannot be created via the keyboard. Draw."
			* Image description: A blank box with a down carrot to the right. "button unavailable. Pick a Color."

Dkrahmer: /* Workflow #11: Attaching a PDF to an Item */

2025-01-15T15:43:23Z

Workflow #11: Attaching a PDF to an Item

← Older revision		Revision as of 11:43, 15 January 2025
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	=== Workflow #11: Attaching a PDF to an Item ===		=== Workflow #11: Attaching a PDF to an Item ===

	~~There~~ was no		This workflow was not tested previously with the browser version or Desktop App versions because it was impossible to access the PDF and read it prior to Zotero 7.

			==== Desktop App version 7.x ====

			* Navigate to the item you want attach a PDF to.
			* Tab over to the Information pane, tab twice to get out of the article title, then down arrow to the Attachment section.
			* Tab to the Add button, and activate it. Arrow to select the option you want to use: File, Linked File, and Web Link, and activate it.
			* File and Linked file will open a Select a File dialog box.
			* Web Link will open an "Attach link to URI" dialog box, where you can copy-paste a URL and then give it a title if you choose.

	=== Workflow #12: Reading and Annotating PDFs ===		=== Workflow #12: Reading and Annotating PDFs ===

Dkrahmer: /* Long Version */

2025-01-15T15:34:13Z

Long Version

← Older revision		Revision as of 11:34, 15 January 2025
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	===== Long Version =====		===== Long Version =====

			*

Dkrahmer: /* To Annotate a PDF with Zotero 7 Desktop App */

2025-01-15T15:31:52Z

To Annotate a PDF with Zotero 7 Desktop App

← Older revision		Revision as of 11:31, 15 January 2025
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	==== To Annotate a PDF with Zotero 7 Desktop App ====		==== To Annotate a PDF with Zotero 7 Desktop App ====

	The toolbar buttons contain the complete instructions on how to use the annotation tools with a screen reader. This is repeated for every button, every single time. Due to the complexity of the process, the visual basis of annotations may be of questionable use for Blind individuals. It was also difficult to try to navigate the document by annotations ~~only~~ in order to (for example) read what others have annotated in the document.		The toolbar buttons contain the complete instructions on how to use the annotation tools with a screen reader. This is repeated for every button, every single time. Due to the complexity of the process, the visual basis of annotations may be of questionable use for Blind individuals. Read aloud apps that create bookmarks in the audio for marking important areas of the text is a much more useful way to annotate text, but you may not be able to share this type of annotation with another user. It was also difficult to try to navigate the document by annotations in order to (for example) read what others have annotated in the document. Even using the A/shift-A keyboard shortcut was hit or miss on whether it could find annotation on multi-page documents.

	Short version:		===== Short version =====

	To annotate with a screen reader or keyboard, '''you must first search for the exact text you want to annotate using Ctrl-F.''' The text must be exactly as it was written in the PDF, down to the capitals and punctuation. There is no way to highlight text without using a mouse, so if you're screen reader dependent, you will have to memorize the entire sentence or section, then type it exactly into the Ctrl-F box. The Zotero Reader will then highlight that text (as long as it is exact). Then you can use the keyboard shortcuts to create different annotation types.		To annotate with a screen reader or keyboard, '''you must first search for the exact text you want to annotate using Ctrl-F.''' The text must be exactly as it was written in the PDF, down to the capitals and punctuation. There is no way to highlight text without using a mouse, so if you're screen reader dependent, you will have to memorize the entire sentence or section, then type it exactly into the Ctrl-F box. The Zotero Reader will then highlight that text (as long as it is exact). Then you can use the keyboard shortcuts to create different annotation types.
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	* We were unable to get the Select Area shortcut to function during our test (keyboard shortcut Ctrl-Alt-5).		* We were unable to get the Select Area shortcut to function during our test (keyboard shortcut Ctrl-Alt-5).
	* The final annotation type, Draw, cannot be accessed via the keyboard.		* The final annotation type, Draw, cannot be accessed via the keyboard.

			===== Long Version =====

Dkrahmer: /* Workflow #12: Reading and Annotating PDFs */

2025-01-15T15:28:51Z

Workflow #12: Reading and Annotating PDFs

← Older revision		Revision as of 11:28, 15 January 2025
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	* To create a highlight annotation, press Ctrl-Alt-1. This highlights the text in yellow by default.		* To create a highlight annotation, press Ctrl-Alt-1. This highlights the text in yellow by default.
	* To underline text, press Ctrl-Alt-2.		* To underline text, press Ctrl-Alt-2.
	*		* To add a note, make sure the focus is in the document and press Ctrl-Alt-3. You will hear "Add Comment" when the note appears, and then you can begin typing your note. Notes will appear on the first page of the PDF, regardless of where you were at while reading. You cannot move the note without using a mouse. Adding the note will take you to the first page of the document, so you will need to navigate back to where you were reading.
			* To add text to the document, make sure focus is in the document and press Ctrl-Alt-4. This will create a text box somewhere on the page of the document you are reading. You can start typing immediately to enter text; however, the placement of the textbox is arbitrary, and may be over the document text. In our texting, the text was also yellow by default, which made it too low contrast to be read.
			* We were unable to get the Select Area shortcut to function during our test (keyboard shortcut Ctrl-Alt-5).
			* The final annotation type, Draw, cannot be accessed via the keyboard.

Dkrahmer: /* Workflow #12: Reading and Annotating PDFs */

2025-01-15T15:12:42Z

Workflow #12: Reading and Annotating PDFs

← Older revision		Revision as of 11:12, 15 January 2025
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	This workflow is heavily used by sighted users of Zotero, but was completely inaccessible to those using a screen reader and/or keyboard prior to Zotero 7, so we had not reviewed it previously.		This workflow is heavily used by sighted users of Zotero, but was completely inaccessible to those using a screen reader and/or keyboard prior to Zotero 7, so we had not reviewed it previously.

	==== Zotero Desktop App ~~version~~ 7.x ====		==== To Read a PDF with Zotero 7 Desktop App ====

			* If an item has a PDF attached to it, you can open it by pressing enter on that item. Zotero will open a new window in the software that will say the name of the article then "Zotero Reader Document."
			* Arrow down to find the PDF. The toolbar is especially verbose for screen readers, so we suggest skipping over them completely if you just want to read the document.
			* In our testing of several PDF documents, the Zotero Reader only reads one line at a time (not even a full sentence, just a single line on the page). This can be annoying for screen reader users. We suggest to use whatever your preferred PDF reader to using the Zotero Reader.

			==== To Annotate a PDF with Zotero 7 Desktop App ====

			The toolbar buttons contain the complete instructions on how to use the annotation tools with a screen reader. This is repeated for every button, every single time. Due to the complexity of the process, the visual basis of annotations may be of questionable use for Blind individuals. It was also difficult to try to navigate the document by annotations only in order to (for example) read what others have annotated in the document.

			Short version:

			To annotate with a screen reader or keyboard, '''you must first search for the exact text you want to annotate using Ctrl-F.''' The text must be exactly as it was written in the PDF, down to the capitals and punctuation. There is no way to highlight text without using a mouse, so if you're screen reader dependent, you will have to memorize the entire sentence or section, then type it exactly into the Ctrl-F box. The Zotero Reader will then highlight that text (as long as it is exact). Then you can use the keyboard shortcuts to create different annotation types.
			* To create a highlight annotation, press Ctrl-Alt-1. This highlights the text in yellow by default.
			* To underline text, press Ctrl-Alt-2.
			*


	If the PDF attached to an item is accessible, then you should be able to use the screen reader and keyboard to read the article. The interface doesn't bring any further accessibility barriers expect those created by the PDF itself. The toolbar is especially verbose for screen reader users, as it contains the full instructions on how to use annotations with a screen reader and repeats them every time for every button.

Dkrahmer: /* Workflow #9: Deduplicating */

2025-01-15T14:46:46Z

Workflow #9: Deduplicating

← Older revision		Revision as of 10:46, 15 January 2025
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	* Navigate to the Duplicate Items folder for My Library, Group Library, or any other Major Libraries (Level 1) you've created in Zotero.		* Navigate to the Duplicate Items folder for My Library, Group Library, or any other Major Libraries (Level 1) you've created in Zotero.
	* Tab over to the Item pane. Because the folder groups duplicates (they are highlighted at the same time), the numbering is off for the entire folder. It does not tell you how many duplicates there are of an item until you tab over to the Information pane. NOTE: If you have several items of the same title, but they are categorized as different types of items (example: three items are categorized as documents but one item is categorized as a book, but they are all the same item with the same title), you will not be able to merge the items or edit them. You will need to find the mis-categorized item and correct it. This may require a sighted assistant.		* Tab over to the Item pane. Because the folder groups duplicates (they are highlighted at the same time), the numbering is off for the entire folder. It does not tell you how many duplicates there are of an item until you tab over to the Information pane. NOTE: If you have several items of the same title, but they are categorized as different types of items (example: three items are categorized as documents but one item is categorized as a book, but they are all the same item with the same title), you will not be able to merge the items or edit them. The text stating "Merged items must all be of the same type" is not accessible to a screen reader. You will need to find the mis-categorized item and correct it, but there is nothing saying which folder each item is in. This may require a sighted assistant.
	*		* Select the item you want to merge. Tab to the Information pane. You will be taken to a button that says "Merge x items." You can select this button to automatically merge them, or you can choose to read more about the item. NOTE: There is no auditory cue that the items are merged once you select the merge x items button. You must shift-tab to return to the Item pane to select the next articles to merge.
			* Arrow down to hear when each item was created. Which ever is actively highlight will become the "Master Item", while the other item will be a copy of that item. There is no discernable difference between a "Master Item" and a copy. NOTE: There is some language to describe this function, but it is not accessible by screen reader (NVDA) in our testing.
			* Tab to go through the INFO section for the to-be-merged items. You can change any of these options for both items prior to merging.

	=== Workflow #10: Unfiled items ===		=== Workflow #10: Unfiled items ===

Dkrahmer: /* Desktop App 7.x */

2025-01-15T14:31:49Z

Desktop App 7.x

← Older revision		Revision as of 10:31, 15 January 2025
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	It’s a little more difficult to add a note with the desktop app, as it opens a new sidebar menu without a close button (at least it’s not available to the screen reader/keyboard). You have to switch modes to type, and then switch again to get out of the note and back to the item information.		It’s a little more difficult to add a note with the desktop app, as it opens a new sidebar menu without a close button (at least it’s not available to the screen reader/keyboard). You have to switch modes to type, and then switch again to get out of the note and back to the item information.

	==== Desktop App 7.x ====		==== Desktop App version 7.x ====

	There are two ways to add a new note to an article. Make sure the correct item is highlight, then:		There are two ways to add a new note to an article. Make sure the correct item is highlight, then:

Dkrahmer: /* Desktop App 5.x or 6.x */

2025-01-15T14:31:36Z

Desktop App 5.x or 6.x

← Older revision		Revision as of 10:31, 15 January 2025
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	You can add notes in the browser version. Tab down to the Info section of the article, then arrow over to Notes. Arrow down to get to Add Notes. It’ll jump you immediately into the Rich Text editing area for adding the note, but you have to switch modes to start typing in Chrome (this doesn’t seem to happen with Firefox). Once done, tab out of it, and it’ll automatically save.		You can add notes in the browser version. Tab down to the Info section of the article, then arrow over to Notes. Arrow down to get to Add Notes. It’ll jump you immediately into the Rich Text editing area for adding the note, but you have to switch modes to start typing in Chrome (this doesn’t seem to happen with Firefox). Once done, tab out of it, and it’ll automatically save.

	==== Desktop App 5.x or 6.x ====		==== Desktop App version 5.x or 6.x ====

	It’s a little more difficult to add a note with the desktop app, as it opens a new sidebar menu without a close button (at least it’s not available to the screen reader/keyboard). You have to switch modes to type, and then switch again to get out of the note and back to the item information.		It’s a little more difficult to add a note with the desktop app, as it opens a new sidebar menu without a close button (at least it’s not available to the screen reader/keyboard). You have to switch modes to type, and then switch again to get out of the note and back to the item information.

Dkrahmer: /* Workflow #9: Deduplicating */

2025-01-15T14:31:06Z

Workflow #9: Deduplicating

@@ Line 154: / Line 154: @@
 === Workflow #9: Deduplicating ===
 There is no Duplicates folder in the browser version of Zotero. You need to manually identify the items and delete them. Bear in mind that there is no audio alert when items are deleted.
 === Workflow #10: Unfiled items ===