Keyboard Navigation and Accessibility Features in My Tasks Application

My Tasks is designed to be fully usable without a mouse. All primary workflows — reviewing and acting on tasks, working through certifications, searching and filtering, adding comments, and managing expiration dates — are reachable and operable using the keyboard alone. The application also supports screen readers and other assistive technologies through semantic markup, labeled controls, and announced state changes throughout the interface.

This article describes the keyboard interactions available in each area of My Tasks and documents known limitations in the current release.

Visual Accessibility

My Tasks includes the following visual accessibility improvements across the interface:

Color contrast — The default blue and gray values used throughout the application have been updated to improve contrast, targeting a minimum ratio of 3:1 against adjacent surfaces and 4.5:1 for text. This applies to labels, table headers, search fields, and form controls.
Focus indicators — Interactive controls display a visible focus outline when they receive keyboard focus. Where focus was not previously visible, it has been added.

Global Keyboard Conventions

The following keys apply across My Tasks regardless of which area you are working in.

Key	Behavior

Key	Behavior
Tab	Moves focus forward through interactive controls.
Shift+Tab	Moves focus backward through interactive controls.
Enter	Activates buttons and most interactive controls.
Space	Activates many of the same controls as Enter. Enter is the more reliably supported key — prefer it when Space does not produce the expected result.
Arrow keys	Navigate within composite controls: tab strips, dropdown menus, and trees.
Escape	Closes some menus and overlays. See area-specific notes for controls where Escape does not apply.

After navigating to a new page or changing a filter value, keyboard focus returns to the top of the page. Tab forward from the beginning to reach the area you want to work in. This is standard browser behavior.

Screen Reader Support

My Tasks exposes semantic information to screen readers throughout the interface:

Announced state changes — Controls that expand or collapse announce their updated state. The filter panel toggle announces whether filters are shown or hidden.
Live regions — Asynchronous content updates, such as list content loading after a filter change, are announced without interrupting the user's current position.
Labeled controls — Icon-only controls carry descriptive labels. Disabled controls are marked as inactive so they are not announced as operable.
Page title updates — When navigating between pages within the application, the document title updates to reflect the current view, helping screen reader users confirm where they are.

Navigation and Application Chrome

Control	Keyboard behavior

Control	Keyboard behavior
Language menu	Tab to the language control and press Enter to open; use Arrow keys to switch language; Tab closes the menu.
User (account) menu	Tab to the profile control and press Enter to open; use Arrow keys to navigate items; Tab closes the menu.
Main navigation menu	Reachable by Tab; use Arrow keys to move between items; Enter activates the selected item.
Card / list view toggle	Reachable by Tab; Enter switches between card and list view.

Filters

Control	Keyboard behavior

Control	Keyboard behavior
Show / Hide filters toggle	Reachable by Tab; Enter or Space shows or hides the filter panel.
Filter dropdowns	Reachable by Tab; open automatically when focused. Use Arrow keys to select a value.
Search field	Reachable by Tab; type to enter search text.
Search button	Reachable by Tab; Enter runs the search.
Date range fields	Reachable by Tab; Enter opens the date picker. Use the keyboard to change date and time values.
Sorting controls	Reachable by Tab; Enter opens the sort options.

Task and Certification Items

Control	Keyboard behavior

Control	Keyboard behavior
List items	Reachable by Tab; Enter opens the item.
Show Details / Hide Details	Reachable by Tab; Enter expands or collapses the detail panel.
Show Info	Reachable by Tab; Enter activates.
Tabs within a record	Tab into the tab strip; use Arrow keys to move between tabs; Enter activates the selected tab.
Tab pagination controls	Reachable by Tab; Enter navigates pages.
View Resource / View Item	Reachable by Tab; Enter opens the linked resource or item.

Comments

Control	Keyboard behavior

Control	Keyboard behavior
Comment field	Reachable by Tab; type to enter a comment.
Send button	Reachable by Tab; Enter submits the comment.

Process Steps

Control	Keyboard behavior

Control	Keyboard behavior
Delegate	Reachable by Tab; Enter activates.
Show Provers	Reachable by Tab; Enter opens the provers panel.
Search within Process Steps	Reachable by Tab; type to search.
Pagination controls	Reachable by Tab; Enter navigates pages.

Expiration Date

Control	Keyboard behavior

Control	Keyboard behavior
Extend Expiration Date	Reachable by Tab; Enter opens the date and time picker. Use the keyboard to navigate and change values. Escape exits the picker.

Modals and Overlays

Dialogs in My Tasks are labeled with a title that screen readers announce when the dialog opens. Close controls within dialogs are labeled for assistive technologies. Escape closes most overlays.

Known Limitations

The following limitations are documented in the current release:

iFrame content — The Make a Decision panel runs inside an iFrame. Keyboard accessibility within this panel, including checkbox focus, is outside EmpowerID's direct control and may not be fully supported.
Focus indicator consistency — Focus outlines are visible across most controls but may not be visually uniform in all areas. Consistency is an ongoing improvement.
Inconsistent Enter / Space support — Not every control responds to both Enter and Space. Prefer Enter when Space does not produce the expected result.
Page navigation reset — After changing a page or filter, keyboard focus returns to the top of the page. Tab forward to return to your previous position.