Improve icon labels for voice control users
As a voice control user (Dragon NaturallySpeaking), when I encounter a button that uses an icon and no text label, I have to guess what the aria-label is in order to click the button. For example, if I see a magnifying glass icon, I will try to click it by saying 'click search,' as most magnifying glass icons on the web are labelled 'Search' or 'Search plus some more text'.
In Gitter, the icon aria-labels are long and unguessable. For example, the magnifying glass button in the left sidebar has the aria-label 'Show panel for searching rooms, people, and messages in the current room.' The command 'click search' does not match this label. The same applies to other icons on the page. There are no visible text labels to help guide the voice control user.
There are two possible solutions here:
- add visible text labels under icons, negating the need for aria-labels at all. This is the better option to me.
- update aria-labels to include an intuitively guessable string, so that they can be clicked by voice control users (best placed at the start, as sometimes Dragon can pick up terms in the middle of a string, but not always).
Suggestions for new labels below, with the words I would use to click them with voice control at the start of the string. Not everyone may default to the same terms as me, so other suggestions welcome, especially from screen reader or voice control users.
Sidebar toggle: 'Menu' or 'Menu left'
Speech bubble: 'Messages' or 'Messages from all rooms'
Magnifying glass: 'Search' or 'Search rooms, people, and messages in the current room'
Person: 'People' or 'People with one-to-one messages'
Plus sign: 'Add' or 'Add communities and rooms' ('Create' instead of 'Add' is an acceptable option, unfortunately this is an ambiguous icon for labelling, this is why visible text labels are better)
Matrix logo: 'Matrix for room'
Globe: I wouldn't know what to say for this. It's not intuitive to me that this means 'more rooms.' This would be better as a text link.
Star: This one's fine
Settings: 'Settings for room'
GitHub avatar: 'Profile' or 'Profile menu'.