Archived Zotero Accessibility

This page collects the accessibility information for outdated versions of Zotero. We're retaining this information online for any users who must utilize older versions due to complications with their software. This page is not static and might be removed without warning.

Zotero Desktop App 5.x or 6.x

The Zotero desktop app versions 5.x and 6.x is not accessible. There are several unlabeled buttons, a general lack of headers, and it's impossible to reach the toolbar using just a keyboard. There are several operations that are only available to mouse users, and do not have a corresponding keyboard shortcut. However, the Zotero desktop app is required to use any web plug-ins/Zotero Connectors. Once the Zotero app is installed and set up, screen reader users and keyboard-only users can simply leave the software running in the background without interacting with it again. The deduplication folder, unfiled folder, and pulling metadata from a PDF are only available through the desktop app.

Workflow #1: Use the browser plug-ins/Zotero Connectors to import items into your Zotero library with Desktop app 5.x or 6.x

Make sure you've create the collection folder first, before trying to use the plug-in to save an item to Zotero. There is no way to make it on the fly while using the plug-in with your browser. There are also no audio notifications that an item has been successfully saved to Zotero. You MUST have the Zotero desktop app installed, configured, and running in order to use the plug-ins (see the Quick Start Guide for more information about the desktop app). We do not suggest using the option to "Enable Saving to Online Library" as this caused many errors in our testing with a screen reader. Zotero and the Plug-in had to be uninstalled to remove the errors. We were unable to get the saving to Online Library to work on any browser, or with any operating system. If you activate the plug-in but don't immediately use it, it will eventually disappear without any audio notification. There were some reports of problems using the Zotero connector/plug-in with Firefox. Not all testers had the same issues.

• Use Ctrl-Shift-S to activate the plug-in. This only works if you don't have Ctrl-shift-S mapped to another action or application.
• By default, it'll bring up whatever folder you last saved materials in. Just hit enter to save to the default folder.
• Tab to the extend button for the Folders in order to select a different collection folder. Arrow through to find the correct folder, then tab to the Done button.

Workflow #2: Move items from a folder or My Library into collections with Desktop app 5.x or 6.x

There is no way to use a screen reader and mouse to move an item from one collection to another while using the desktop app.

Workflow #3: Adding tags to articles

Select the item you want to edit, and then Tab to INFO, and then Arrow over to TAGS. You can then tab to the list of tags (if they already exist) and delete or edit with the keyboard. To add tags, navigate to the Add Tag button.

Workflow #4: Editing item information/Metadata with Desktop app 5.x or 6.x

This workflow is the same for the browser version as well as the desktop app. Both options allow you to use a screen reader and keyboard.

Select the item you want to edit, and then Tab to Info. Info is easily navigated using Tab to go to different elements of the metadata. If you upload a file to your collection folder without first creating a blank new item manually, you will not have the option to pull the metadata from the PDF or edit the INFO box in the browser.

Workflow #5: Creating Bibliography with Desktop app 5.x or 6.x

As you can't access the toolbar with just the keyboard, you must use the Ctrl-shift-C keyboard shortcut. Items need to be adjacent in order to select multiple items.

• Highlight the items you want to put into the bibliography using shift-arrow to select them, and then use Ctrl-Shift-C to copy them to the clipboard in order to paste into a Word document.
• The bibliography will be in whatever your default citation style is. There is no option to change the citation style using Ctrl-Shift-C.
• You can use ctrl-A to select all items in a folder, then Ctrl-shift-C to copy into clipboard.

Workflow #6: Creating a group library with Desktop app 5.x or 6.x

This must be done in the browser version of Zotero.

Workflow #7: Adding notes with Desktop app 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.

Workflow #8: Manually adding a new item to your library with Desktop app 5.x or 6.x

With the desktop app, you can use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl-Shift-N to add a new item manually.

Workflow #9: Deduplicating with Desktop app 5.x or 6.x

There is no way to use the duplicates folder in the older versions of the desktop app.

Workflow #10: Unfiled items with Desktop app 5.x or 6.x

This workflow was not tested on Zotero Desktop App 5.x nor 6.x.

Workflow #11: Attaching a PDF to an Item with Desktop app 5.x or 6.x

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.

Workflow #12: Reading and Annotating PDFs with Desktop app 5.x or 6.x

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.