Better good news dialog is not screenreader accessible
The dialog box that opens when Better first launches is not screenreader accessible. This means the dialog cannot be dismissed by people who cannot see it, resulting in them being unable to fully launch Better or use the app’s functionality, including getting any blocking rule updates.
Without using a screenreader, it is still difficult to get keyboard focus on the dialog without the use of a pointer/mouse. This means the dialog can easily get lost underneath other windows, and it is near-impossible to focus on the dialog’s buttons in order to dismiss the dialog. Due to the nature of the dialog, this issue occurs every time the app is opened unless the user is able to navigate to the “Don’t show again” button.
The Better extension is unaffected.
I suspect the problem is the combination of the nature of the dialog box interface not being screenreader accessible, combined with the menu bar app not being able to receive focus in the same way as a conventional app.
To recreate:
- Quit the Better app
- Disable the Better Safari extension
- Delete the Better folder from Library > Containers
- Delete the 5Q42VF5GXA.better.fyi folder from Library > Group Containers
- Delete the better.fyi.mac and better.fyi.mac.blocker folders from Library > Application Scripts
- Empty bin/trash
- Relaunch the Better app
So far I’ve not been able to come up with a workaround using VoiceOver + keyboard navigation. Occasionally opening the app, then opening the app again will gain focus on the app. Then you can hit tab twice to navigate to the “Don’t show again” button. This is not a viable solution for people who are using a screenreader because they cannot see the screen. Visual confirmation of the dialog’s focus is required, as the screenreader does not recognise or speak any changes in state for the dialog.