[
    {
        "role": "user",
        "content": "Is%20the%20new%20Windows%2011%20Speedtest%20feature%20useable%20with%20JAWS%20and%20the%20keyboard%3F"
    },
    {
        "role": "assistant",
        "content": "Here\u2019s a detailed look at what the new Windows 11 \u201cPerform Speed Test / Test Internet Speed\u201d feature is, how it works, and how usable it is for those relying on JAWS or keyboard-only navigation. If you want, I can follow this up with hands-on tips or common keyboard commands.\n\n---\n\n## What the new speed test feature *is*\n\n- Microsoft has added a \u201cPerform speed test\u201d (or \u201cTest internet speed\u201d) shortcut to Windows 11 that appears in the network icon\u2019s context menu (via right-click) and in the Wi-Fi quick-settings flyout. ([windowsforum.com](https://windowsforum.com/threads/windows-11-insider-taskbar-speed-test-shortcut-to-bing-speedtest.381036/?utm_source=openai))  \n- When used, this shortcut launches your **default web browser** and directs you to Bing\u2019s embedded speed-test widget (powered by Ookla), rather than running a native in-OS diagnostic tool. ([tomshardware.com](https://www.tomshardware.com/software/windows/microsofts-new-windows-11-speed-test-is-just-a-link-to-ooklas-speedtest-via-bing-button-housed-in-the-taskbar-in-latest-insider-preview-build?utm_source=openai))  \n\n---\n\n## What that means for accessibility\n\nSince the speed test runs as a web widget launched in your browser, its accessibility depends largely on the browser, the web page\u2019s design (especially how the widget is built), and how JAWS works with that setup. There are two main parts:\n\n### 1. **Getting to the shortcut in Windows UI, using keyboard + JAWS**\n\n- You should be able to navigate to the network icon in the system tray with the keyboard (using TAB, Windows + B, or Win + A depending on your setup).  \n- Once focused, you can open the network quick settings (usually by pressing Space or Enter) or context menu (often with the Menu key or Shift + F10, plus arrow keys).  \n- You can select the \u201cPerform speed test\u201d item from that menu. Because that menu is part of the Windows Shell, it should have support for accessible names for its menu items, so JAWS should read them out.  \n- Reports confirm the placement of this shortcut in those menus. ([windowsforum.com](https://windowsforum.com/threads/windows-11-insider-taskbar-speed-test-shortcut-to-bing-speedtest.381036/?utm_source=openai))  \n\nSo far, there\u2019s no indication that Microsoft disabled keyboard navigation or accessibility label support for this UI. It behaves like any other context menu item.\n\n### 2. **Navigating and using the speed test widget in the browser**\n\n- Once the browser window/tab opens with Bing\u2019s speed-test widget, the widget is a web element. The question is: Is it well-built for screen-reader users? Does it have proper ARIA roles, labels, focusable controls, etc.?\n\n- Bing\u2019s main web UI generally has features aimed at accessibility:\n  - Keyboard navigation: You can TAB through interactive elements, use Enter, etc. ([support.microsoft.com](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/accessibility-in-bing-de80d808-fa7c-46c7-ad53-02f8b1bc9df7?utm_source=openai))  \n  - Landmarks, headings, and other structure to help screen readers make sense of the page. ([support.microsoft.com](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/accessibility-in-bing-de80d808-fa7c-46c7-ad53-02f8b1bc9df7?utm_source=openai))  \n\n- The speed-test widget by Ookla (embedded in Bing) typically consists of:\n  1. A **Start** button\n  2. Status indicators like \u201cTesting\u2026\u201d or progress\n  3. Result readouts (latency, upload, download)\n  4. Possibly a **re-run** or **reset** button once finished\n\nAs long as those elements are implemented as standard HTML buttons, text, etc., JAWS should be able to:\n  - Focus each interactive control via TAB\n  - Read the text or labels for the result fields that have proper accessible names\n  - Update on status changes (e.g. \u201cLatency: X ms,\u201d \u201cDownload: Y Mbps\u201d) as focus moves, or via UI updates that screen readers can detect\n\n---\n\n## What we *don\u2019t* know yet\n\n- I found no sources confirming that *every* element of the widget is fully accessible with JAWS (for example, whether the dynamic status updates are announced automatically).  \n- Also unclear is whether the context menu items are always exposed to the accessibility tree with labels that JAWS can identify. Sometimes system UI bits are accessible, sometimes they\u2019re not properly exposed.\n\n---\n\n## Verdict: Usable with JAWS + keyboard? **Yes\u2014with caveats**\n\nOverall, the feature appears usable with JAWS and keyboard-only navigation, but success depends on a few conditions:\n\n**Likely to work:**\n- Getting to the taskbar\u2019s network icon (system tray) by keyboard and opening the context menu or quick settings. This is standard Windows UI and generally well-supported.  \n- Using the \u201cPerform speed test\u201d or \u201cTest internet speed\u201d option via keyboard selection.  \n- Once the browser tab opens, using TAB, Enter, etc., to start the test, read results, and re-run the test if necessary.\n\n**Potential obstacles:**\n- If the context menu or flyout isn\u2019t exposing the speed-test entry properly to screen readers (missing accessible name, focusable item), it might be invisible or unannounced.  \n- If the embedded widget has non-standard components (e.g. custom controls without good ARIA roles), dynamic status updates may not be announced for blind users unless manually browsed.  \n- Different browsers have different levels of compatibility with JAWS; Edge, Chrome, etc., may behave slightly differently.\n\n---\n\nIf you like, I can gather reports from blind users who've tried this feature (to see how they experienced it in real life), and share a list of keyboard commands specific to JAWS that help with speed-test widgets. Do you want me to do that?"
    },
    {
        "role": "user",
        "content": "Yes%20although%20I%27ll%20bet%20you%20won%27t%20find%20many%20as%20the%20feature%20is%20still%20new."
    },
    {
        "role": "assistant",
        "content": "You're right\u2014it is still a very recent feature, and I couldn\u2019t find any concrete reports (as of March 2026) from blind users specifically detailing their experience using *the Windows 11 internet speed test* with JAWS. Here\u2019s a summary of what I **did** find, along with what the absence of user reports suggests, and what to watch out for as the feature becomes more usable.\n\n---\n\n## What\u2019s Known So Far\n\n1. **What the feature actually is:**\n   - When you use \u201cInternet Speed Test\u201d from the network icon or quick settings, Windows launches your default browser and loads Bing\u2019s web-based speed test widget. ([windowscentral.com](https://www.windowscentral.com/microsoft/windows-11/windows-11-taskbar-network-speed-test-feature?utm_source=openai))  \n   - It is *not* a fully native, integrated Windows panel at this stage. ([tech.yahoo.com](https://tech.yahoo.com/computing/articles/windows-11s-long-awaited-taskbar-170029967.html?utm_source=openai))\n\n2. **What users are saying (in general):**\n   - Many appreciate having a faster, easier way to start a speed test without having to manually go to a site like Speedtest.net. ([windowscentral.com](https://www.windowscentral.com/microsoft/windows-11/windows-11-taskbar-network-speed-test-feature?utm_source=openai))  \n   - Others are critical that it\u2019s just a shortcut to a web widget rather than a built-in tool with more control, diagnostics, or integration. ([tech.yahoo.com](https://tech.yahoo.com/computing/articles/audacity-shipping-feature-thats-literally-123157335.html?utm_source=openai))\n\n3. **What\u2019s *not* found:**\n   - No published details from *screen-reader users* (JAWS or NVDA) describing whether all parts of the test (Start button, progress updates, final results) are accessible (properly labelled, focusable, announcements of updates).\n   - No reports describing challenges (or successes) the way this widget works with keyboard navigation or whether focus moves predictably once the webpage loads.\n\n---\n\n## What the Absence of Reports Likely Means\n\n- Since the feature is still rolling out to Windows Insiders or newer builds (as of late 2025 / early 2026), not many users have had stable access long enough to fully test with assistive technologies. ([windowscentral.com](https://www.windowscentral.com/microsoft/windows-11/windows-11-taskbar-network-speed-test-feature?utm_source=openai))  \n- Blind/low-vision users often need more time or experimental builds before providing feedback; sometimes accessibility report channels (Feedback Hub, forums) lag behind feature availability.\n- It may also indicate that some users hit accessibility barriers (or have silent failures), which they either haven\u2019t published or haven\u2019t yet figured out/how to workaround.\n\n---\n\n## What to Look Out For as You Try It (or Others Try It)\n\nIf you (or others) test the feature with JAWS and keyboard, here are good checkpoints. If you want, I can help you build a checklist to test with, so you can report accessibility bugs.\n\n| Feature / Component | What to test | Why It matters |\n|---------------------|---------------|----------------|\n| **Shortcut discovery** | Can you reach the \u201cInternet Speed Test\u201d context menu item using keyboard: via taskbar icon (Win +B or taskbar focus), menu key / Shift+F10, arrow keys? | If the menu item is not focusable or labelled, screen reader won\u2019t announce it. |\n| **Launch behavior** | When you select the item, does it open the browser in a new tab vs new window? Is focus moved there automatically? | If focus doesn\u2019t follow, the screen reader may stay on old window and not \u201csee\u201d the speed test. |\n| **Widget controls** | Once web page loads, can you tab to the \u201cStart\u201d button? Are status updates (testing, in progress, measuring latency, upload/download) announced correctly? | If the widget uses non-standard elements or lacks proper ARIA, JAWS may not recognize changes. |\n| **Result display** | After the test, are the results (download, upload, latency) readable via screen reader? Do they update dynamically? Is there a \u201cRun again\u201d option accessible? | Sometimes dynamic changes aren\u2019t via focus or aren\u2019t announced automatically. |\n| **Keyboard only use** | Can you run full test purely by keyboard: opening the menu, launching browser, running test, reading results, closing tab or navigating away? | If any step requires a mouse or unlabelled visual cues, accessibility is hampered. |\n\n---\n\n## My Best Guess at How It Works Right Now\n\nBased on how Bing and Ookla\u2019s speed-test widget works elsewhere, and Microsoft\u2019s usual practices:\n\n- It\u2019s likely that the **Start button** is focusable and labelled, so screen readers will read it.\n- Result fields are probably text boxes or static text fields \u2014 likely readable, though not necessarily live-region updates.\n- Updating progress might use animations or SVGs; announcements may not occur unless focus moves or ARIA live region is used.\n\nSo, some parts will work smoothly, others may require manual investigate (using JAWS cursor, or exploring the web element by element) to verify they\u2019re usable.\n\n---\n\nIf you like, I can try to dig up internal Microsoft accessibility feedback (from the Feedback Hub, from their accessibility team) or early user reports since rollout among Windows Insiders, to see if anyone has recorded specific issues. Do you want me to try gathering those?"
    }
]