Configuring the environment for accessibility

Smart Reporting can be utilized to create charts which are visual rather than textual. The user can also direct the application to create textual content. This is all at the user's discretion.

Smart Reporting has a well-defined focus, but cannot always be tracked by Assistive Technologies.

Smart Reporting does not support this requirement.

Although the Web Client provides alternative text (alt text) for most of its images, a number of key images used to render image links do not provide appropriate alt text that conveys the meaning, state, or action that is conveyed visually. Also, a small number of static images do not contain appropriate alt text.

In a small number of cases, the textual equivalents are inappropriate or inadequate:

• For BMC Change Management, BMC Knowledge Management and BMC Service Desk, the primary example involves the Process Flow Status bar, in which the image links that render the several status names are described as buttons, rather than their visually rendered text. Along with other issues, this makes it difficult for screen reader users to use the Process Flow Status bar and its accelerator menu successfully. However, the applications offer other methods of identifying a record's status and moving it to the next stage.
• On the BMC Asset Management console home page, the image’s alt text for the menu used to select which asset type to create is unclear. Also, in the Upgrade License Certificate wizard of Software Asset Management, many of the textual equivalents are incorrect.
  
  Many text links provide additional information about their target, action, or state via title attributes. Users of the Freedom Scientific JAWS screen-reading program should ensure that their screen reader is configured to announce text links by their title attributes when using the Mid Tier.
• In BMC Knowledge Management:
  • The creation of a Decision Tree knowledge article is inaccessible to screen reader users. In this highly-visual component, the nodes of the tree do not provide any textual equivalents to indicate their type, level, or state. Other problems include severe keyboard accessibility problems that are discussed in section 1194.22, “Web-based Intranet and Internet Information and Applications,” of the Section 508 Software VPAT Report.
  • The pages exhibit many images that are functionally static but are rendered as active image links. This problem hinders page comprehension and navigation, since these image links appear in the tab order but do not function. It occurs throughout the application, particularly in the Knowledge Registration Wizard step indicator panel, the Counts panel of the Knowledge Management Console home page, and the page header.
• In Agent-to-Agent Chat, some textual equivalents are missing, inadequate, or confusing. This includes elements used to trigger or comprehend tree controls, menus, submenus, and dialog boxes; and to accept or reject a chat invitation.
• In the Service Request Designer console of BMC Service Request Management, the images that convey the completed, current, and upcoming steps have confusing alternative text. Also, the links that render page tabs in the Request Details dialog box do not indicate their role.
• Images and hidden text that are non-functional (but that are inappropriately rendered as active links) hinder page comprehension and use. 

Many text links provide additional information about their target, action, or state via title attributes. JAWS users should ensure that their screen reader is configured to announce text links by their title attributes when using the Web Client.

JAWS 11.0 users should also turn off the Filter Consecutive Duplicate Links option. While this feature can reduce the frequency of duplicate links in Web Client pages, it can also prevent some important image links from being read.

Smart Reporting does not support this requirement.

The Web Client requires style sheets. AR System supports changes to the visual appearance of any form through custom form views.

In isolated cases, the reading order or tab order of page content conflicts with its visual order and intended use.

The primary examples are:

• The stages within the Process Flow Status bar are not read in the correct order.
• In Change Management, within the Calendar application's Preferences and Manage Queries dialog boxes, the reading order of content, controls, and headings is out of sync with the visually-rendered order.
• The Software Asset Management's Upgrade License Certificate wizard and its Certificate Product Association page are read out of order.
• On the Knowledge Management Console homepage, the elements above the Knowledge Articles table field that allow the user to control what to show and filter are read out of order compared to their visual order and intended order of use.

Smart Reporting does not support this requirement.

Smart Reporting does not support this requirement.

Change Management identifies headers within most of its table fields. Within the Calendar application's EventList and Timeline views, the column headers for the main data tables do not appear within the same tables as the event data. This makes it difficult to comprehend the meaning of event data and to differentiate the start and end dates of the displayed events.

A small number of features are not offered in Screen Reader or No Vision accessibility mode. In some of these cases, the accessibility mode provides an alternate (though less direct) method of accessing the same information and controls.

In BMC Knowledge Management, the ability to create or edit knowledge articles in HTML markup or with Rich Text is not supported in No Vision mode. Users can save content as plain text only.

The Web Client uses scripting to display the majority of page content and update the user interface without a round-trip to the server, and to set focus among other uses.

This functionality has been tested extensively with Assistive Technologies to ensure that it can be controlled and rendered properly. It was tested with JAWS version 11.0 (the only version supported for use with AR System applications in Screen Reader or No Vision mode).

The Web Client uses dialog panels (simulated dialog boxes) to render a variety of content types.

Some of the accessibility requirements for simulated dialog boxes are not met:

• The dialog panels' contents are always rendered at the end of the page content. Web Client moves focus from the dialog panel-triggering link to the start of the dialog panel, allowing users to immediately begin reading its contents. The exception involves the display of a knowledge article from the BMC Service Request Management Request Entry console; focus is not successfully moved to the dialog panel in which articles are displayed, forcing the user to locate it by other methods.
• When the user closes or cancels some of these dialog panels, focus is shifted to the end of the page, rather than being returned to the triggering link.
• The dialog panels do not textually mark the boundary between their content and the rest of the page. With one exception, the links that trigger them do not indicate this special action.

In isolated cases, focus problems occur when focus is not moved to reflect dynamic content changes, or when focus is inappropriately moved. This is applicable in several cases within the Request Entry console of BMC Service Request Management.

Some table fields, including those in the Overview Console and in the dialog panels for Recent Entries and Global Search Results, do not offer a row action link that allows keyboard users to trigger the same navigation to an entry that double-clicking with a mouse performs. Keyboard users must navigate to pages by other, less-direct methods.

If the user tabs past the last active element in the dialog panels, the browser moves focus to the address bar (which is a normal behavior). However, the web page rejects the action when a user presses Shift+Tab to try to return to the dialog panel., The tab order remains stuck in the browser's controls. (A verified workaround is to switch to a different browser tab and then switch back to the tab with the page.) 

In the Calendar application of Change Management, users can use only a mouse to activate critical-path elements. Using the keyboard is not supported. For example, users cannot use the keyboard to:

• Select an event, row, or ID before they can view its data in the Details panel in the views for Calendar, EventList, and Timeline.
• Trigger the context menu that allows them to edit an event or open the related request or service context.
• Trigger the elements that control the Predefined Queries tree or that show dependent tasks; these are only “clickable images.”
• Use the column-sorting menu in the EventList view.
• Control other active elements such as  the Settings menu.

In Change Management, when uses of ARIA are incorrect, invalid, or out of sync with the keyboard-related scripting, screen reader users encounter major barriers. Most severely, the application role locks the JAWS screen reader into its Forms mode, making it difficult to navigate through Calendar content. The pop-up calendar control is also inaccessible due to invalid uses of ARIA.

In isolated cases in BMC Service Request Management, active elements are not in the tab order, but can still be selected if the user navigates to them by methods other than tabbing. The only significant case involves the links to knowledge articles that are offered after performing a search from the Request Entry console.

In Knowledge Management, screen reader users cannot use the keyboard to access “Decision Tree” knowledge articles. Some of the keyboard commands conflict with commands that screen readers and browsers use. Also, a keyboard accessibility paradox occurs—users cannot activate move, insert, and create links from the keyboard because keyboard focus must remain on the node so that the links can act on them.

In the Agent-to-Agent Chat feature, some accessibility issues occur related to key Chat feature controls used prior to an active Chat. Scripting and the corresponding implementations of ARIA within Chat controls do not provide full and intuitive keyboard support. This includes controls such as the user Status submenu and the Start Conversation dialog box's tree control that identifies users to chat with.

Scripting is used to exert control over the tab order within complex pages and components. When tabbing forward or backward, users may experience some low-severity issues, usually associated with individual tab stops.

For general use and several mid-tier features and control types, screen reader users must use specific configuration options, cursor modes, keyboard commands, and so on.

Most dialog boxes and pages of the Web Client do not require a skip link because they have no repetitive navigation links.

For the console home pages (Work Order, Change and Release console, Incident and Problem console, Knowledge Management console) and other complex pages that have a large number of global and contextual navigation links, no skip link is provided. Users must manually navigate to reach the main content area. In many of these pages, initial focus is set at the start of the main content area, such as in the first form field.

The Web Client supports visually impaired users in Screen Reader or No Vision mode of AR System. For screen reader enhancements to render properly within the Web Client, and for the elements to work effectively within Assistive Technologies, the mode must be set for individual users.

For both general use and the use of a variety of Mid Tier features and control types, screen reader users are required to use specific configuration options, cursor modes, keyboard commands, and so on. For more information see, .

The Web Client version 8.1 was extensively tested using JAWS 11.0, which is the only version currently supported for use with AR System applications.

Heading elements in console home pages, modify and search pages, and components such as the new dialog panels are not structured. This significantly reduces how much screen reader users can comprehend and navigate.

With the exception of screens that open in separate pop-up windows, the Web Client consoles and view, modify, and search pages use the same generic page title, which does not reflect the current console or mode. For example, In BMC Service Management, the action and target of links are usually recognized within context, through the provision of customized link title attributes, or both. In isolated cases, the action or target of a link is not indicated. For instance, one pair of links uses the symbols >> and << to visually imply their show/hide behavior, while another pair uses > and < to visually imply their add/remove behavior.

For certain visual components, such as the new set of navigation and breadcrumb links, the links in tree controls, and the set of links for each entry in cell-based tables users will encounter a few inactive elements in the tab order. Only some of the elements indicate that they are disabled.

In BMC Service Request Management, the Request Entry's Provide Information form includes simulated controls to select a date and time. These simulated controls are not accessible to screen reader users. However, their use is optional, as the data can also be entered directly into the associated fields.

Table fields in Change Management and the Work Order console of BMC Service Request Management allow users to customize the display of data by adding or removing columns. However, screen readers detect and announce every possible column, regardless of whether it has been added or removed. This can double or triple the data through which visually impaired users must navigate, greatly reducing the ability to navigate and comprehend the overall data set.

In a small number of cases involving cell-based tables in Knowledge Management, sets of links have identical text, no title attributes are provided, and the target and action of these links are not recognizable within context.

 Web Client provides support for screen magnification software and for low vision users in the Screen Magnifier or Low Vision mode of AR System.

In Low Vision mode, the color contrast of some static header content is poor in a few cases, most prominently in the page header.