Visual Studio Code’s team, with insights from engineer Megan Rogge, shares practical approaches to accessibility—covering screen reader support, accessible interfaces, and culture-driven design decisions.

Accessibility in Visual Studio Code: Insights from Megan Rogge

Overview

In this episode, Megan Rogge, a Software Engineer on the Visual Studio Code team, joins James to discuss how accessibility is an essential aspect of VS Code’s technical and design priorities. They explore features and cultural practices that make VS Code inclusive for all developers.

Key Topics Covered

  • Screen Reader Support: Implementation details and ongoing improvements that ensure core editing and navigation experiences work for visually impaired users.
  • Community Feedback & Testing: The VS Code team actively engages with users and incorporates accessibility feedback, running real-world testing to refine new features.
  • Terminal Output in Chat: Making command outputs and terminal information accessible in conversational interfaces.
  • Discoverability & Accessible Views: Ensuring navigation, code insights, and peripheral views are accessible by keyboard and screen readers.
  • Color Contrast & Themes: Providing high-contrast and custom theme options to improve readability for users with low vision or colorblindness.
  • Sound Signals & Input Feedback: Leveraging audio cues in addition to visuals to support users who need alternative modes of information.
  • Accessibility in Generated Code: Maintaining accessible output even in automatically generated content, ensuring downstream tools and workflows stay inclusive.

Further Resources

How to Get Involved

The episode concludes with guidance on engaging with the VS Code team, reporting issues, and contributing feedback to improve accessibility for all users.

Accessibility in developer tools like Visual Studio Code is an ongoing effort, shaped by community contribution and engineering commitment. Insights from Megan Rogge reveal both the practical and cultural steps Microsoft takes to ensure its editor works for everyone.