Home Assistant offers the ability to reorder items in the left sidebar, which is great. But… WTH, why is this feature completely inaccessible for users relying on keyboards or screen readers?
Currently, the only way to change the order of items in the sidebar is by dragging them with a mouse. This is a huge barrier for users who cannot use a mouse or who rely on assistive technologies. For example, here’s how a screen reader (NVDA) reads the sidebar in edit mode:
GOTOWE
Przegląd
Ukryj panel
Centrum Streamingu
Ukryj panel
Music Assistant
Ukryj panel
Listy zadań
Ukryj panel
Kalendarz
Ukryj panel
Mapa
Ukryj panel
Energia
Ukryj panel
Media
Ukryj panel
Dziennik
Ukryj panel
Historia
Ukryj panel
This lack of accessibility is frustrating for several reasons:
- No keyboard navigation. There’s no way to reorder items using the keyboard, such as with “Move Up” and “Move Down” buttons.
- No input for manual positioning. There’s no option to assign a specific position number to an item.
- Inconsistent with other features. In earlier dashboard versions (without sections), it was possible to rearrange cards using keyboard-accessible controls. Why not offer the same here?
Suggested solutions:
- Add “Move Up” and “Move Down” buttons for each item in the sidebar settings, accessible via keyboard and screen readers.
- Allow users to manually assign a position number to items for precise control.
- Ensure the feature integrates well with assistive technologies, providing clear announcements for changes (e.g., “Moved Music Assistant to position 3”).
This would make the sidebar much more accessible and inclusive for all users.
Is anyone else facing this challenge? Or am I the only one wondering why such a simple feature is inaccessible? 