Accessibility

JustGammon is designed to support mouse, touch, keyboard, and screen-reader play. The board exposes meaningful names and states instead of relying only on its visual appearance.

You can use the interaction method that best fits your device and assistive technology.

For an overview of how interaction differs between Web, installed Android and iOS applications, and console variants for Windows, macOS, and Linux, see Platforms and Interaction.

Blind and sighted players together

Blind and sighted players use the same JustGammon match and the same live board state. One player can use the graphical board with mouse or touch while the other uses a screen reader and keyboard or touch-screen-reader gestures. Moves made through either interaction method update the same points, checkers, dice, score, and game history for both players.

The accessible board is not a separate text-only or audio-only game. Its semantic controls represent the same board that is drawn visually:

• Every point exposes its checker occupancy and relevant state.
• The bars and bear-off trays are identifiable and operable.
• Dice expose their values and whether they have been used.
• Selected points and legal destinations are communicated without relying only on color.
• Visual, pointer, touch, keyboard, and screen-reader actions use the same game rules and move validation.

Many graphical board games are implemented primarily with images or canvas drawing. Unless the application also provides a semantic representation, a screen reader cannot discover the individual positions and pieces inside that drawing. JustGammon builds that representation into the board so players do not need a separate accessible edition or another person to describe the current position.

On a touch screen

With a mobile screen reader such as VoiceOver or TalkBack, explore the board by moving a finger across the screen.

The accessible layout follows the visual board closely. As you explore, the screen reader identifies:

• Board points and their checker occupancy
• White and Black checkers
• The upper and lower bar
• Bear-off trays
• Dice values and whether each die has been used
• Selected points and possible destinations

Activate an item with your screen reader’s standard gesture, usually a double-tap. Select a checker first and then activate a legal destination.

Note

JustGammon uses standard web buttons, accessible names, and screen-reader activation on touch devices. It does not replace your screen reader’s normal touch gestures.

Standard desktop navigation

In a desktop screen reader’s normal web-navigation mode, JustGammon behaves like a web page:

• Controls are labeled by purpose.
• Board points, bars, trays, and board edges are exposed as buttons.
• The screen reader announces occupancy and relevant states.
• You can move through controls using Tab, Shift+Tab, or your screen reader’s navigation commands.
• Activate the focused board location with Enter or Space.

This method is useful when you want to inspect the board element by element using familiar web-navigation commands.

Direct keyboard mode

Direct keyboard mode makes board navigation feel closer to a desktop game. JustGammon keeps keyboard focus on the board and moves its own virtual board cursor in two dimensions.

To begin:

1. If you use a screen reader, switch it to the mode that passes individual keys to the web application.
2. From the game screen, press Z to focus the board.
3. Use the Arrow keys to move JustGammon’s virtual cursor.
4. Press Enter, Space, or M to activate the current point.
5. Use the dedicated information and game-action shortcuts as needed.

The virtual cursor follows the two rows of the physical board. It announces the current point, checker occupancy, and relevant state after movement.

This is a JustGammon feature and is separate from a screen reader’s own virtual cursor or browse mode.

The first time each signed-in account reaches a playable board on a device, JustGammon announces a short introduction to fast keyboard play. The introduction is also added to the Game history channel so it can be read again during that game.

Board labels and point names

When a board location is spoken, JustGammon builds the label from several parts:

• the point name, if position names are enabled
• the number and color of checkers on that location
• the current state, such as selected or possible destination

For example, a point may be announced as 13 5 black, B11, 5 black, or B11, 5 black, selected, depending on your accessibility settings and the current board state.

Point names can use either numeric names (1–24) or A/B names (A1–A12, B1–B12). A/B names can be useful when navigating the two rows of the board, while numeric names match standard backgammon point numbers.

Some screen readers may run the point name and checker count together, especially on touch devices. If B11 5 black is spoken too much like one combined value, open More → Settings → Accessibility → Separator in board labels and choose a clearer separator such as comma, period, semicolon, or a custom one-character separator.

Passing keys to the game

Screen readers use different names for the mode that allows a web application to receive letter and Arrow keys:

Screen reader	Common command	Result
NVDA	NVDA+Space	Switch between Browse Mode and Focus Mode
JAWS	JAWS+Z	Turn the Virtual PC Cursor off or on
Orca	Orca+A	Switch between Browse Mode and Focus Mode
VoiceOver on macOS	Left Arrow + Right Arrow	Turn Quick Nav off or on

VoiceOver users need Quick Nav off when the Arrow keys should reach the game. Depending on the current VoiceOver position, you may first need to interact with the board using standard VoiceOver commands.

Commands can vary with screen-reader version, keyboard layout, and user configuration. When you finish direct board interaction, return to your normal navigation mode.

Spoken game information

Keyboard shortcuts can announce:

• Turn and timer information
• Dice and match score
• Players and cursor position
• Bar, home-board, and borne-off checkers
• Possible moves
• Pip counts, hits, vulnerable checkers, dice averages, and efficiency
• Game and chat history

See Keyboard Shortcuts for the complete reference.

Accessibility preferences

Open More → Settings → Accessibility to choose:

• Numeric point names (1–24) or A/B names (A1–A12, B1–B12)
• Whether position names are announced while navigating
• Whether empty points are announced
• Which separator is used inside spoken board labels

These options are part of the general Settings dialog.

Spectating

The same navigation and information commands can be used while spectating. The board is read-only, so JustGammon announces that moves are unavailable when an activation command is used.