PullToRefreshBox accessibility issues with TalkBack [391666239]

Fixed

Bug

Status Update

No update yet.

Description

al...@well.co

created issue #1

Jan 23, 2025 10:42AM

Jetpack Compose version: 2024.12.01 (BOM)

Material Library Version (M2, M3 or Both?): M3

Material Compose component used: PullToRefreshBox

Android Studio Build: LadyBug 2024.2.2

Kotlin version: 2.0.0

When using TalkBack with PullToRefreshBox, users can hear the indicator's progress content description even though it's visually invisible. This creates confusion as TalkBack announces an invisible UI element. Two issues need clarification:

Should the indicator be accessible to TalkBack when it's not visible?
If we disable accessibility with semantics modifier, users can't access the pull-to-refresh functionality with TalkBack at all.

Please guide us in the intended accessibility behavior for PullToRefreshBox and its indicator. Reproduction:

Enable TalkBack
Navigate to a screen with PullToRefreshBox
TalkBack announces the indicator even when not visible

This needs official clarification to ensure proper accessibility implementation across apps.

Comments

ma...@google.com <ma...@google.com> #2Jan 23, 2025 04:55PM

Reassigned to se...@google.com.

Jose, can you reach out to an a11y designer to clarify the expected behavior here?

se...@google.com <se...@google.com> Jan 24, 2025 08:50PM

Accepted by se...@google.com.

se...@google.com <se...@google.com> #3Feb 5, 2025 09:31PM

Marked as fixed.

To clarify: The indicator should not be accessible through talkback if it is not visible. The recommendation is to provide alternative, non-gesture-based functionality a user can trigger a refresh by, such as an icon-button. That behavior should be accessible through talkback or other A11y software.

ap...@google.com <ap...@google.com> #4Feb 5, 2025 09:36PM

Project: platform/frameworks/support
Branch: androidx-main
Author: Jose Figueroa <serniebanders@google.com>
Link: https://android-review.googlesource.com/3478570

[PullToRefresh] Conditionally add progress semantics when progress > 0f

Expand for full commit details

[PullToRefresh] Conditionally add progress semantics when progress > 0f 
 
At 0 progress, the component itself is not visible and should not provide semantics 
 
Test: Added unit tests 
Bug: 391666239 
Change-Id: I2403f87262611d6ca6da1df26407faebc0c965d3

Files:

M compose/material3/material3/src/androidInstrumentedTest/kotlin/androidx/compose/material3/pulltorefresh/PullToRefreshBoxTest.kt
M compose/material3/material3/src/commonMain/kotlin/androidx/compose/material3/pulltorefresh/PullToRefresh.kt

Hash: 7e616d2360658d7e38f2d4e8f7d0b9e901fb949c
Date: Wed Feb 05 11:49:25 2025

al...@well.co <al...@well.co> #5Feb 11, 2025 07:35AM

Thanks for the fix and clarification!

Can you update the documentation to reflect this? :

"The indicator should not be accessible through talkback if it is not visible. The recommendation is to provide alternative, non-gesture-based functionality a user can trigger a refresh by, such as an icon-button. That behavior should be accessible through talkback or other A11y software."

pr...@google.com <pr...@google.com> #6Feb 12, 2025 06:40PM

The following release(s) address this bug.It is possible this bug has only been partially addressed:

androidx.compose.material3:material3:1.4.0-alpha08
androidx.compose.material3:material3-android:1.4.0-alpha08
androidx.compose.material3:material3-jvmstubs:1.4.0-alpha08
androidx.compose.material3:material3-linuxx64stubs:1.4.0-alpha08

Issue 391666239