PeopleTools 8.52 PeopleBook: PeopleSoft Accessibility Guide

Using PeopleSoft Accessibility Features

This chapter discusses how to:

Enable accessibility features to support assistive technology.
Navigate with the keyboard.

Note. Keyboard-only navigation features are available to all users and do not require users to enable accessibility features.

Enabling Accessibility Features to Support Assistive Technology

To enable accessibility features to support assistive technology for your user ID:

Select My Personalizations in the main menu.

The Personalizations page appears.
Click the Personalize General Options link.

The Option Category: General Options page appears.

Select one of the following options from the Accessibility Features drop-down list:

Accessibility features off

Select this option to disable accessibility features.

Use accessible layout mode

Select this option to enable all of the accessibility features that are available, including the feature that presents the page in a linear format.

See Accessibility in PeopleSoft Applications.

This option is designed for blind users who use assistive technology, such as screen readers.

Use standard layout mode

Select this option to enable accessibility features if you want support for visibility impairment (for example, if you use a screen magnifier), but do not rely solely on a screen reader.

This mode provides bold highlighting of page elements to indicate where you are on a page, but it does not alter the page layout or provide full accessibility features for screen readers. For example, this mode does not provide table summaries and column headings for every table column.

Click OK to save your changes.
Sign out of the system and sign in again to display the accessibility features on the page.

Navigating with the Keyboard

This section provides an overview of keyboard shortcuts and discusses how to:

Use hot keys.
Use access keys.
Navigate drop-down menus using keyboard shortcuts.
Set navigation personalizations.

Understanding Keyboard Shortcuts

Working in a browser-based environment can often be mouse intensive. However, PeopleSoft applications offer keyboard navigation alternatives to using a mouse. These shortcuts are classified into two categories: hot keys and access keys. Hot keys perform immediate actions. Access keys move your cursor to a particular location.

To view a printable list of all shortcuts while on a search or transaction page, press Ctrl+K.

Note. Certain browsers may treat access keys and hot keys differently.

See “Troubleshooting Browser Limitations” on My Oracle Support for specific information about browser differences.

Using Hot Keys

Hot keys perform immediate actions. When you press one, the designated action occurs. Note that several hot keys perform different functions, depending on the page that you are on, such as a transaction page or a search page.

Note. Certain PeopleSoft hot keys do not work as expected on alternate, non-U.S. keyboard layouts. For example, ALT+', ALT+\, and ALT+/ do not produce the expected results on the AZERTY keyboard. This occurs because some keys on non-U.S. keyboards produce different key codes than the same key on a U.S. keyboard (also known as a QWERTY keyboard).

You can find a solution to this problem in PeopleTools 8.52: Global Technology.

See PeopleTools 8.52: Global Technology, “Appendix: Troubleshooting,” PeopleSoft Hot Keys Do Not Function As Expected on a non-US. Keyboard.

Key or Key Combination	Result
ALT+1	Saves a page in a transaction. Moves to the Search or Add button on a search or lookup page. Moves to the OK button on a secondary page.
ALT+2	Returns to the search page from a transaction page.
ALT+3	Views the next row in the list when the button is active.
ALT+4	Views the previous row in the list when the button is active.
ALT+5	Accesses the Look Up page that lists the valid values for a field. Opens the calendar prompt.
ALT+6	Opens the pop-up window on a page.
ALT+7	Inserts a row in a grid or scroll area.
ALT+8	Deletes a row in a grid or scroll area.
ALT+0	In Expert Entry mode, activates the Refresh button, which validates the data that you enter on a page.
ALT+ .	Views the next set of rows in a grid or scroll area.
ALT+ ,	Views a previous set of rows in a grid or scroll area.
ALT+ /	Finds data in a grid or scroll area.
ALT+ ‘	Views all rows of data in a grid, scroll area, or search page results list.
ALT+ \	Toggles between the Add a New Value and Find an Existing Value fields on a search page.
CTRL+ J	Displays the system information page if it is configured by an administrator to appear.
CTRL+ K	On a search or transaction page, displays a list of keyboard navigation hot keys and access keys.
CTRL+ Y	Toggles the Main Menu drop-down menu between expand and collapse. Toggles the Menu pagelet between minimize and maximize.
CTRL+TAB	Moves the focus through the frame set.
ENTER	Activates the OK button, where appropriate. On a search page, activates the Search button. On a lookup page, activates the Lookup button.
ESC	Activates the Cancel button, where appropriate.

Using Access Keys

Access keys move your cursor to a particular place on a page (such as a button or link), to another page in a component, or to another tab in a grid.

Note. Some access keys have multiple actions assigned to them, and their usage depends on the currently active page.

To identify the access key that you use to move to another page tab in a component or to another tab in a grid, look for the underlined letter in the tab name. To access the page, press Alt plus the underlined letter, and then press Enter.

In addition, you can use the following general access keys:

Key or Key Combination	Result
ALT+9	Accesses page bar elements, such as Help.
ALT+ \	Toggles between Update/Display, Include History, and Correct History action modes on the toolbar on a transaction page.
CTRL+Z	Accesses the menu search field if it is enabled.

Menu Pagelet Access Keys

Navigate between menus by pressing Ctrl+Z, which moves the focus of your cursor to the menu pagelet. From the menu, press Tab (or Shift+Tab for reverse direction) to navigate through the menu.

Navigating Drop-Down Menus Using Keyboard Shortcuts

This table lists the key or key combinations that you use to navigate the drop-down menu structure and the results of using those keys:

Key or Key Combination	Result
Ctrl + Y	Expands the Main Menu.
Ctrl + Z	If the search field is configured to appear in the Main Menu, expands the Main Menu and moves the cursor to a search field.
Tab	If the search field is configured to appear in the Main Menu, press Tab to move past the search field and sort icons to access the menu items.
Up Arrow	Varies based on context: In an expanded menu, moves one item upward through a list of folders and content references. When moving through the navigation path, collapses a drop-down menu item.
Down Arrow	Varies based on context: In an expanded menu, moves one item downward through a list of folders and content references. When moving through the navigation path, expands a drop-down menu item.
Right Arrow Note. This functionality applies only to languages read from left to right.	Varies based on context: In an expanded menu, opens a folder to the right so that subfolders or content references appear. When moving through the navigation path, accesses the next menu item to the right.
Right Arrow Note. This functionality applies only to languages read from right to left.	Varies based on context: In an expanded menu, closes the current folder and sets the focus on its parent folder. When moving through the navigation path, accesses the next menu item to the right.
Left Arrow Note. This functionality applies only to languages read from left to right.	Varies based on context: In an expanded menu, closes the current folder and sets the focus on its parent folder. When moving through the navigation path, accesses the next menu item to the left.
Left Arrow Note. This functionality applies only to languages read from right to left.	Varies based on context: In an expanded menu, opens a folder to the right so that subfolders or content references appear. When moving through the navigation path, accesses the next menu item to the left.
Esc	Closes all open menu items. Collapses all expanded menus.

Important! Beginning in PeopleTools 8.51, the drop-down menu is the default navigation type in both Standard and Accessible Layout modes.

Setting Navigation Personalizations

If you use the tab key frequently to navigate, you can skip page elements that you know you will not need to access. For example, if you always type the date into a date field and then press Tab to move quickly to the next field rather than opening the calendar prompt, selecting the date, and then closing the prompt, then you can set your navigation personalizations to always tab over the calendar prompt. To do this:

Select My Personalizations in the main menu.

The Personalizations page appears.
Click the Personalize Navigation Personalizations link.
Select the options that you want to personalize, and click OK.