Keyboard Shortcut Reference

GitHub Navigation with Assistive Technology

This reference lists keyboard shortcuts for navigating GitHub with a screen reader. It covers three screen readers: NVDA, JAWS, and VoiceOver.

NVDA (Windows)

NVDA is a free, open source screen reader for Windows. Download it from nvaccess.org.

Single-Key Navigation (Browse Mode)

Use these keys to jump to specific element types on any GitHub page.

Key Moves to
H Next heading
Shift+H Previous heading
1-6 Next heading of that level
K Next link
B Next button
F Next form field
T Next table
D Next landmark region
L Next list
I Next list item

Switching Modes

Key Action
Insert+Space Toggle between Browse Mode and Focus Mode
Insert+F7 Elements list (links, headings, form fields, buttons)

Reading Commands

Key Action
NVDA+↓ Start reading from cursor (Say All)
NVDA+↑ Read current line
Ctrl Stop reading

JAWS (Windows)

JAWS (Job Access With Speech) is a professional screen reader for Windows made by Freedom Scientific.

Single-Key Navigation (Virtual Cursor)

Key Moves to
H Next heading
Shift+H Previous heading
1-6 Next heading of that level
U Next unvisited link
K Next link
B Next button
F Next form field
T Next table
R Next landmark region

Switching Modes

Key Action
Enter Activate Focus Mode on a form field
Insert+Z Toggle Virtual PC Cursor
Num Pad Plus Open PC Cursor (exit forms mode)

Reading Commands

Key Action
Insert+↓ Start reading from cursor (Say All)
Insert+↑ Read current line
Ctrl Stop reading

VoiceOver (macOS)

VoiceOver is the built-in screen reader on macOS. Activate it with Command+F5.

The VoiceOver modifier key (VO key) is Control+Option.

Rotor Navigation

The Rotor is VoiceOver's navigation hub. Open it with VO+U, then use ←/→ to switch between element types, and ↑/↓ to navigate within a type.

Element types available in the Rotor: Headings, Links, Form Controls, Tables, Landmarks, Web Spots.

VO Commands for GitHub

Command Action
VO+U Open Rotor
VO+Right/Left Move forward/backward
VO+Up/Down Adjust setting in Rotor
VO+Space Activate current element
VO+Shift+Down Interact with current element
VO+Shift+Up Stop interacting
VO+A Start reading from cursor
Ctrl Stop reading

Screen-Reader-Neutral Shortcuts (All Screen Readers)

These shortcuts work in GitHub regardless of screen reader, because they are browser or operating system shortcuts.

GitHub Page Shortcuts

Key Action
? Show keyboard shortcut help for the current page
G then I Go to Issues tab
G then P Go to Pull Requests tab
G then C Go to Code tab

Form and Input

Key Action
Ctrl+Enter Submit a comment or form
Tab Move to next focusable element
Shift+Tab Move to previous focusable element
Enter Activate a focused button or link
Space Check/uncheck a checkbox; activate a button
Arrow keys Navigate within a radio group, tab bar, or menu

Common Issues and Workarounds

NVDA reads the GitHub page too slowly: In NVDA Settings → Browse Mode → increase Maximum number of characters on one line to 10000.

JAWS loses track of where I am on the Issues list: Press JAWS key + F5 to re-read the current page. If that does not help, refresh the page (F5) and navigate fresh.

VoiceOver does not read new content when filter results refresh: GitHub issue list filtering updates via JavaScript. If VoiceOver does not announce the updated count, navigate to the heading of the list (H key) and read from there.

The diff table in Files Changed is hard to read: The improved Files Changed experience has been broadly rolled out and is likely already active for your account. If you are experiencing issues with diff navigation or missing landmarks, verify using your screen reader: activate the User Menu button → "Feature preview" → look for "New Files Changed Experience". If it appears, the toggle announces "Pressed" when enabled - activate it if not. If it no longer appears in the Feature Preview list, it has graduated to the standard interface and is active automatically.

Authoritative Sources

Use these official references when you need the current source of truth for facts in this chapter.

Section-Level Source Map

Use this map to verify facts for each major section in this file.