Accessibility

A PowerShell module that enhances terminal accessibility for users with colorblindness, dyslexia, screen reader needs, and other assistive tech requirements.

Overview

The Accessibility module provides a collection of PowerShell commands designed to make the terminal more usable for people with a range of accessibility needs:

• Colorblindness support – Apply scientifically-validated, peer-reviewed Okabe-Ito color palettes tuned for Deuteranopia, Protanopia, Tritanopia, Achromatopsia, or a general accessible default.
• Dyslexia / ADHD support – Convert text to Bionic reading format, which emphasizes the first letters of each word to reduce cognitive load.
• Screen reader support – Toggle a module-wide screen reader mode that strips ANSI escape codes and produces plain, descriptive output compatible with assistive technology.
• Profile management – Export and import accessibility settings as JSON files so you can share configurations across machines or with teammates.
• WCAG compliance checking – Validate that foreground/background color combinations meet WCAG 2.1 AA or AAA contrast requirements.

Installation

Install the module from the PowerShell Gallery:

Install-Module -Name Accessibility

Or import it directly from a local clone:

Import-Module ./Accessibility/Accessibility.psd1 -Force

Available Commands

Command	Description
ConvertTo-Bionic	Converts text to Bionic reading format (bold fixation on first letters).
ConvertTo-PlainText	Strips ANSI/VT100 color and style escape codes from a string.
Enable-ScreenReaderMode	Switches all module output to plain text optimized for screen readers.
Disable-ScreenReaderMode	Restores normal ANSI-formatted output.
Get-AccessibilityProfile	Returns all currently active accessibility settings.
Set-ColorBlindProfile	Applies an accessible color palette to the current terminal session.
Reset-ColorProfile	Restores terminal colors to PowerShell's built-in defaults.
Get-ColorBlindProfile	Returns the active color blind profile and its color table.
Get-ColorBlindPalette	Returns the color table for a named color blindness profile.
Export-AccessibilityProfile	Exports current accessibility settings to a JSON file.
Import-AccessibilityProfile	Loads and applies accessibility settings from a JSON file.
Test-ColorContrast	Calculates WCAG contrast ratio between two colors and checks compliance.

Examples

Apply a color blind-friendly palette

# Apply a Deuteranopia-friendly color scheme
Set-ColorBlindProfile -ProfileType Deuteranopia

# Persist the profile so it loads automatically in every new session
Set-ColorBlindProfile -ProfileType AccessibleDefault -Persist

# Preview what would change without actually applying it
Set-ColorBlindProfile -ProfileType Achromatopsia -WhatIf

Available profile types: Deuteranopia, Protanopia, Tritanopia, Achromatopsia, AccessibleDefault.

Convert text to Bionic reading format

# Convert a string directly
ConvertTo-Bionic "The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog."

# Pipe file content through Bionic conversion
Get-Content .\README.md -Raw | ConvertTo-Bionic

# Convert a file and control fixation length
ConvertTo-Bionic -InputFilePath "C:\path\to\document.txt" -FixationLength 4

Enable screen reader mode

# Switch to plain-text output compatible with assistive technology
Enable-ScreenReaderMode

ConvertTo-Bionic "Example sentence."

# Restore normal ANSI-formatted output
Disable-ScreenReaderMode

Export and share your accessibility settings

# Save current settings to a file
Set-ColorBlindProfile -ProfileType Deuteranopia
Export-AccessibilityProfile -Path "$HOME\my-accessibility.json"

# Load settings on another machine or in another session
Import-AccessibilityProfile -Path "$HOME\my-accessibility.json"

Check WCAG color contrast compliance

# Perfect black-on-white (21:1 ratio)
Test-ColorContrast -Foreground 0,0,0 -Background 255,255,255

# Orange text on white – check if it passes WCAG AA
Test-ColorContrast -Foreground 213,94,0 -Background 255,255,255

View or reset the current accessibility state

# See all active settings at once
Get-AccessibilityProfile

# Check just the screen reader mode flag
(Get-AccessibilityProfile).ScreenReaderMode

# Restore default terminal colors
Reset-ColorProfile