We want Trace to be usable by everyone, including people who rely on screen readers, keyboard navigation, screen magnification, or reduced-motion settings. This page summarizes the accessibility support built into Trace and how to get help.
For our formal commitment and conformance status, see the Accessibility Statement.
Our commitment
We strive to conform to WCAG 2.1 Level AA across our web properties (the marketing site, dashboard, and the component / symbol / footprint libraries, status page, and these docs) and to provide reasonable accessibility in the desktop application. Accessibility is an ongoing effort — some areas are still being improved, and we describe our status honestly as partially conformant.
Accessibility features
Screen readers
- The AI chat announces streamed responses and status updates (e.g. "Working…", "Reading file…") through live regions, so screen-reader users hear the assistant's replies as they arrive.
- Interactive controls are labeled, and decorative icons are hidden from assistive technologies.
- Schematic and footprint previews on the web libraries expose a text alternative, and pin / pad data is provided in real data tables you can navigate by row and column.
Keyboard navigation
- Use Tab and Shift + Tab to move between supported controls, and Enter or Space to activate them.
- Supported menus and dialogs provide keyboard controls and focus handling. Behavior can differ between the native desktop, the companion's host tools and embedded pages; report a control that cannot be reached or dismissed.
- See Keyboard Shortcuts for the full list of editor shortcuts.
Low vision
- Color contrast targets WCAG AA, and we avoid using color as the only way to convey meaning.
- Pages support browser zoom — we do not disable pinch-to-zoom.
- The desktop app follows your operating-system light/dark and high-contrast settings where supported.
Reduced motion
Enable "Reduce motion" in your operating system or browser where available. Support varies by page and embedded control; report animations that remain distracting. This guide does not claim that every native canvas or host application implements the same motion controls.
Known accessibility limitations
We're transparent about what isn't fully accessible yet (see also Known Limitations):
- AI-generated outputs and graphical canvases. The interactive schematic and PCB layout canvases are highly visual and can be difficult to represent fully to assistive technologies. Where practical we provide text-based alternatives such as pin and pad tables; full canvas accessibility is in progress.
- Desktop components inherited from KiCad. The desktop app is built on the open-source KiCad framework and inherits some interface components whose accessibility we do not fully control.
- Some embedded third-party content (for example, certain embedded media or externally hosted pages) may not fully conform.
- Host applications and new workbench controls. A companion connection does not change the accessibility of Altium or KiCad. A labeled control or automated documentation test is not an accessibility certification.
We prioritize fixes based on user impact.
Reporting a barrier or requesting help
If you hit an accessibility barrier, need information in an alternative format, or want to request a reasonable accommodation, email hello@buildwithtrace.com with "Accessibility" in the subject line. Please include:
- The page or feature involved
- What you were trying to do
- The assistive technology, browser, and operating system you're using
We aim to acknowledge accessibility requests within five business days and to provide the information or functionality through an accessible means while we work on a permanent fix.