Announcing FigJam screen reader support | Figma Blog
FigJam now supports screen readers and keyboard-only navigation, enabling users to read and create much of a file’s content. The release focuses on making canvas-based collaboration more inclusive while acknowledging that some features remain inaccessible. Figma’s approach relied heavily on user testing, careful iteration, and reusable accessibility patterns. ## What the Update Enables - Users can move focus around the FigJam canvas and through menus and screens. - Screen readers can interpret: - File structure and canvas hierarchy - Shapes containing text - Stickies and tables - Image alt text - Users can create, edit, and read content without relying on a mouse. ## Expanding Accessibility to Collaborative Work - FigJam was prioritized because it brings entire teams together for brainstorming, alignment, and decision-making. - Its relatively surface-level interface provided an opportunity to address accessibility before tackling Figma Design’s more complex menu and interaction structure. - The goal is to make collaboration inclusive for as many team members as possible. ## Designing Without Established Canvas Patterns - Unlike conventional websites and widgets, canvas-based tools have relatively few established ARIA patterns or accessibility best practices. - Figma first had to determine which capabilities were essential for effectively using FigJam with assistive technology. - The team worked with Fable and users of assistive technologies to test designs and gather feedback. - User journeys helped define a practical set of core features for the initial release. ## Learning Across Keyboard and Screen Reader Setups - Different screen readers, settings, and keyboard layouts create thousands of possible interaction combinations. - Beta interviews revealed new usage patterns and accessibility issues that informed the product. - Improvements also benefited Figma’s broader codebase, including reusable ARIA labels and tags for React components. - Remaining unsupported features include cursor chat, stamp adjustments, voting, the emote wheel, widgets, and editing freeform vector elements such as lines, highlights, washi tape, and marker drawings. Figma’s release is a meaningful foundation for accessible FigJam collaboration, but users should expect continued gaps as the team expands support to more interactive and multiplayer features.
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