[Accessibility] NVDA announces elapsed time and token usage metadata, creating unnecessary verbosity
Issue Title
[Accessibility] NVDA announces elapsed time and token usage metadata, creating unnecessary verbosity
Description
When using Claude Code with the NVDA screen reader, the CLI announces elapsed time and token usage after each tool call or response. This metadata is useful visually but creates unnecessary verbosity for screen reader users.
Steps to Reproduce
- Use Claude Code CLI with NVDA screen reader enabled
- Execute any command or request that triggers tool usage
- Observe that NVDA announces elapsed seconds and token usage information
Expected Behavior
Screen reader users should have the option to suppress or reduce metadata announcements (elapsed time, token usage) that are secondary to the primary response content.
Actual Behavior
NVDA reads out timing and token usage information after responses, adding extra verbosity that interrupts the flow of information.
Impact
This creates a less efficient experience for blind and low-vision users who rely on screen readers, as they must listen to metadata they may not need on every interaction.
Suggested Solutions
- Add a setting to suppress metadata output for accessibility
- Use ARIA attributes or other techniques to mark metadata as non-essential for screen readers
- Provide a "quiet mode" option that reduces secondary output
Environment
- OS: Windows
- Screen Reader: NVDA
- Claude Code version: [latest as of 2025-12-02]
Additional Context
I tested the progress bar setting (true/false) hoping it would reduce verbosity, but it had no effect on NVDA's announcements of metadata. The terminal appears to display metadata visually (cannot confirm due to blindness), but NVDA announces this information verbally, which interrupts the flow of the main content.
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