Accessibility features

Enable a screen reader for Windows

1. Download and enable your preferred screen reader. Check the following recommended screen readers:

   • NVDA: use the NVDA 2015 or later. If you are using a 32-bit version of NVDA, you must install 32-bit JRE on your machine, as this version of NVDA requires C:\Windows\SysWOW64\WindowsAccessBridge-32.DLL to work with MPS. If NVDA cannot locate this file, the NVDA Event Log window displays a message.

   • JAWS: download the version you need and restart your computer to enable the JAWS screen reader.

2. Ensure you have installed Java Access Bridge and the proper Java version for your screen reader, as follows:

   • To enable Java Access Bridge, open the command prompt and type [JRE_HOME]\bin\jabswitch -enable, where [JRE_HOME] is the directory of the JRE on your machine. For Java version 1.8, Java Access Bridge is part of JDK and you don't need to download it separately. Use control panel to enable the Java Access Bridge.

   • If your screen reader is 32-bit, install the 32-bit JRE version 1.7 or later. If your screen reader is 64-bit, install the 64-bit JRE version 1.7 or later.

   Your computer may have multiple versions of some important components of Java Access Bridge and they may not be compatible across versions. You need to verify that your Java Access Bridge configuration is correct.

   If your screen reader is 32-bit, ensure that C:\Windows\SysWOW64\WindowsAccessBridge-32.DLL is present and has a version number of 7.x.x.x or later. The file's description should read "Java(TM) Platform SE 7".

Install and set up MPS

1. Download and install MPS.

   note

   For Windows and macOS, when MPS detects a screen reader on the first launch, it displays a dialog where you can enable a screen reader for MPS.

2. To enable screen reader support before the initial launch of MPS, do the following:

   • Open the configuration directory that contains personal settings, such as, keymaps, color schemes, and so on.

     Syntax

     %APPDATA%\JetBrains\<product><version>

     Example

     C:\Users\JohnS\AppData\Roaming\JetBrains\MPS2021.1

   • Create a file called idea.properties.

   • Add the ide.support.screenreaders.enabled=true property to the file you have created.

3. Launch MPS. The Support screen readers option located in Settings / Preferences | Appearance & Behavior | Appearance will be enabled.

Adjust colors for red-green color vision deficiency

You can adjust colors if you have red-green color vision deficiency. In this case, code fragments such as errors that are usually highlighted in red or strings that are usually green, will change the color (red will change to orange, green will change to blue). The color of the progress bar in the test runner will also get adjusted so it can be easily recognized.

1. Press Ctrl+Alt+S to open IDE settings and select Appearance & Behavior | Appearance.

2. From the options on the right, select the Adjust colors for red-green vision deficiency (protanopia, deuteranopia) option and click OK to save your changes.

   Check the following example with the Before image that has String highlighted in green color and Errors highlighted in red and the After image where the colors are adjusted:

   Before

   After

   

Add the contrast color for scrollbars

You can make scrollbars in the editor more visible.

1. Press Ctrl+Alt+S to open IDE settings and select Appearance & Behavior | Appearance.

2. From the options on the right, under Accessibility section, select Use contrast scrollbars.

   note

   To configure the editor vertical scrollbar color and opacity, use the color scheme settings.

Resize tool windows

You can resize the actual tool windows vertically or horizontally using shortcuts.

1. To resize vertically up or down, press Ctrl+Shift+Up or Ctrl+Shift+Down.

2. To resize horizontally left or right, press Ctrl+Shift+Left or Ctrl+Shift+Right.

Adjust text size in the editor

You can change font and a size of the text in the editor.

1. Press Ctrl+Alt+S to open IDE settings and select Editor | General.

2. From the options on the right, select the Change font size (Zoom) with Ctrl+Mouse Wheel option to quickly change the text size (turning the mouse wheel) while you are working in the editor.

3. From the options on the right, specify the font, its size, line spacing, and other available options. Click OK to save changes.

Customize shortcuts

You can configure custom shortcuts to actions that you frequently use.

1. Press Ctrl+Alt+S to open IDE settings and select Keymap.

2. From the list of options on the right such as menus, actions, and tools, select the action you need.

3. Right-click the selected item and from the context menu, select an action you want to perform such as Add keyboard shortcut, Add mouse shortcut, or Add abbreviation.

4. In the dialog that opens, specify a shortcut. If you need, select the Second stroke option and specify an additional key for the shortcut. Click OK to save the changes.

   Click OK with the mouse. If you press Enter MPS will consider it a shortcut.

note

You can ignore a conflict and assign a shortcut to several actions. However, it is strongly recommended that you avoid binding two actions with the same shortcut, because the priority of these actions is not defined.

Customize code style

You can configure spaces, tabs and indents.

1. Press Ctrl+Alt+S to open IDE settings and select Editor | Code Style.

2. Use the text fields on the right to specify your preferred prefixes and suffixes for various kinds of variables.

3. Click OK to save the changes.

Read gutter icons and line numbers in the editor

You can configure a screen reader to read line numbers, VCS annotations, debugger, and other icons that are located in the left gutter of your editor.

note

Make sure that the Support screen readers (requires restart) option is selected in Settings/Preferences | Appearance   Behavior | Appearance.

1. Open your file in the editor.

2. Press Alt + Shift + 6 and F simultaneously to focus on the gutter. MPS starts reading from the line where your caret is currently located.

3. Use the Up and Down arrow keys to move between lines. If you need to move to the next or previous gutter element in the line, use the Right and Left arrow keys respectively.

   While the focus is in the gutter, the screen reader can read the gutter icon tooltip if it is available.

   To access a tooltip, press the double shortcut Alt+Shift+6, T. To browse through the tooltip's content (symbol by symbol), use the Right and Left arrow keys.

4. Press Escape to switch the focus back to the editor.

Set a high contrast color theme

You can set a high contrast interface theme to work in MPS. The interface theme defines the appearance of windows, dialogs, and controls.

1. Press Ctrl+Alt+S to open IDE settings and select Appearance & Behavior | Appearance.

2. In the UI Options area, from the Theme list, select High Contrast, and click OK to apply changes.