Accessibility mode for PSReadLine

[SteveL-MSFT]

Related: #859

The re-draw that PSReadLine does is only one aspect that affects accessibility (specifically screen readers that scrape the screen buffer). I would be interested in what users would like to have in an "Accessibility mode" for PSReadLine beyond the buffer re-draw issue.

[daxian-dbw]

I think we need:

• Ask the users who are asking for this support: what features in PSReadLine they would like to have when working with a screen reader.
• Then we go through the asked features and figure out whether each of them makes sense from the user perspective, and whether it's feasible from the implementation perspective (without depending on erasing/re-rendering).

[christopherpross]

Hey guys,
I am a screenreader user (NVDA) and would be happy if there would be support for screenreaders.
It would be nice, if the Completition feature in menu style works and the history browsing.

[Lanie-Carmelo]

As a totally blind programmer learning PowerShell and coming from a BASH background, I believe making PSReadLine accessible would significantly enhance the command-line experience for screen reader users. Here are the key features I'd like to see made accessible:

1. Syntax error notifications: Audible or screen reader-friendly notifications of syntax errors as we type.

2. Customizable keybindings: Ability to set and use custom keyboard shortcuts that work well with screen readers.

3. BASH-style completion and history search: Accessible ways to navigate and select from completion options and search command history (e.g., CTRL-R functionality).

4. Undo/redo functionality: Accessible commands to undo and redo actions with clear feedback.

5. Automatic saving and cross-session history: Ability to access and navigate through command history from previous sessions.

6. Autocompletion and command autosuggestion: Screen reader-friendly presentation of autocomplete options and command suggestions.

7. Predictive IntelliSense: Accessible way to view and select from predictive suggestions.

8. Enhanced copy/cut/paste functionality: Improved clipboard operations with clear feedback for screen reader users.

9. Parameter and argument viewing: Accessible method to explore available parameters and arguments for commands.

10. Syntax highlighting: While visual, having an audible or tactile way to convey syntax information would be valuable.

Implementing these features in an accessible manner would greatly improve the PowerShell experience for visually impaired users, bringing it closer to the rich command-line environments we've experienced in other systems like Linux with BASH.

I'm happy to provide more detailed feedback on specific implementations or to test accessibility features as they're developed.

[Orinks]

My reason for ps_read_line accessibility is the ability to enable shell integration in VSCode using PowerShell. Right now, even if the checkbox is checked to enable it, shell integration is disabled due to ps_read_line. That, plus modern features like autocomplete suggestions and the like.