Quick Reference Guide

Essential Commands, Shortcuts, and File Locations

Screen Reader Commands for GitHub

NVDA (Windows)

Task Command
Jump to navigation D
Jump to search/main content D (cycle through landmarks)
Read next heading H
Navigate by heading level 1-6 (headings), T (table), B (button), L (list)
Open Focus Mode NVDA+Space (then navigate)
Announce current line NVDA+Up
Read all from cursor NVDA+Down
Stop reading Control
Go to link list NVDA+F7
Switch to Browse Mode NVDA+Space (in a page)

JAWS (Windows)

Task Command
Virtual cursor browse Spacebar
Navigate headings H or Numpad 5
Navigate by level 1-6
Open navigation bar Insert+F5
List links Insert+Ctrl+L
List headings Insert+F6
Toggle Focus Mode Enter (on a page)
Announce all text Insert+Down
Stop reading Control

VoiceOver (macOS)

Task Command
Navigate web rotor VO+U
Next/previous heading VO+Down, VO+Up
Next/previous link VO+Right, VO+Left (with Quick Nav)
Activate element VO+Space
Read from cursor VO+A
Stop reading Control
Headings rotor VO+U → H (then navigate)
Form controls rotor VO+U → F

GitHub Navigation Shortcuts (All Browsers)

Action Keyboard
Open command palette Cmd+. (macOS) / Ctrl+. (Windows)
Jump to Issues G then I
Jump to Pull Requests G then P
Jump to Projects G then B
Open issue/PR O then Enter
Navigate PR tabs (Conversation/Commits/Files) ← / → Arrow keys
Focus on search S or /
Go to code G then C

VS Code Keyboard Shortcuts

Action Windows/Linux macOS
Open Copilot Chat Ctrl+Shift+I Cmd+Shift+I
Open terminal Ctrl+ ` Ctrl+ `
Open file search Ctrl+P Cmd+P
Find in file Ctrl+F Cmd+F
Replace in file Ctrl+H Cmd+H
Open command palette Ctrl+Shift+P Cmd+Shift+P
Extensions Ctrl+Shift+X Cmd+Shift+X
Reload window (see command palette) (see command palette)
Accessible Diff Viewer F7 F7
Accessible View Alt+F2 Option+F2
Format document Shift+Alt+F Shift+Option+F

Git Commands (Terminal)

Repository Setup

git clone https://github.com/[USERNAME]/[REPO].git    # Clone your fork
cd [REPO]                                               # Enter folder
git remote -v                                           # View remotes
git remote add upstream https://github.com/[ORIGINAL]   # Add upstream

Branch Workflow

git checkout -b [branch-name]           # Create and switch to branch
git branch -a                            # List all branches
git branch -d [branch-name]              # Delete local branch
git push origin [branch-name]            # Push branch to GitHub

Staging and Committing

git status                               # See what changed
git add [file]                           # Stage specific file
git add .                                # Stage all changes
git commit -m "message"                  # Commit with message
git push origin [branch-name]            # Push commits

Pulling Updates

git pull origin main                     # Pull latest from your fork
git pull upstream main                   # Pull latest from upstream
git fetch upstream                       # Fetch without merging

File Locations Reference

Template & Agent Files

.github/
├── ISSUE_TEMPLATE/
│   ├── accessibility-bug.yml            ← Accessibility issue template
│   ├── bug-report-template.yml
│   └── feature-request.yml
├── agents/
│   ├── daily-briefing.agent.md
│   ├── issue-tracker.agent.md
│   ├── pr-review.agent.md
│   ├── analytics.agent.md
│   ├── insiders-a11y-tracker.agent.md
│   └── template-builder.agent.md        ← The agent for building templates
├── pull_request_template.md             ← Default PR template
├── workflows/
│   ├── learning-room-pr-bot.yml
│   ├── skills-progression.yml
│   └── student-grouping.yml
└── data/
    ├── challenge-progression.json
    └── student-roster.json

Documentation Files

docs/
├── 00-pre-workshop-setup.md             ← Start here
├── 01-understanding-github-web-structure.md
├── 04-working-with-issues.md            ← File issues
├── 06-working-with-pull-requests.md     ← Review PRs
├── 14-accessible-code-review.md         ← Day 2 manual skill
├── 15-issue-templates.md                ← Design templates (manual)
├── 16-accessibility-agents.md                    ← Automate with agents
└── appendix-a-glossary.md               ← Term definitions

YAML Template Structure (Quick Template)

name: Your Template Name
description: One line description
title: "[TAG] "
labels: ["label1", "label2"]

body:
  - type: markdown
    attributes:
      value: |
        ## Before you begin
        Please search for existing issues.

  - type: input
    id: version
    attributes:
      label: Version Number
      placeholder: "e.g., v2.4.1"
    validations:
      required: true

  - type: textarea
    id: description
    attributes:
      label: Description
      description: Explain what happened
      placeholder: "I was trying to... then..."
    validations:
      required: true

  - type: dropdown
    id: browser
    attributes:
      label: Browser
      options:
        - Chrome
        - Firefox
        - Safari
    validations:
      required: true

  - type: checkboxes
    id: checks
    attributes:
      label: Before Submitting
      options:
        - label: I searched for existing issues
          required: true

Accessibility Testing Checklist (Quick)

Common YAML Errors & Fixes

Error Cause Fix
Red squiggles on colons Missing colon after key Add : after field name
Indentation errors Mixed spaces/tabs Use spaces only (2 or 4)
Unmatched quotes Missing closing quote Check all " have closing pair
Field not showing Wrong type: or missing id: Verify field has all required properties
Dropdown no options Missing options: list Add options: with indented list

Where to Find Help

Topic File
Troubleshooting TROUBLESHOOTING.md
Resources & setup docs/appendix-u-resources.md
Glossary & terms docs/appendix-a-glossary.md
Screen reader guide docs/appendix-b-screen-reader-cheatsheet.md

Accessibility Hotkeys Summary

NVDA + JAWS (same): Browse web content with H (headings), T (tables), B (buttons), L (lists)
VoiceOver: Use VO+U to open rotor, then navigate by category (Headings, Links, Form Controls)
VS Code: F7 = Accessible Diff, Alt+F2 = Accessible View

Last updated: February 2026 | For latest, see README.md