[A11y bug] Permission prompts in desktop app are silent to VoiceOver

Resolved 💬 1 comment Opened May 12, 2026 by DCA11Y Closed Jun 11, 2026

Summary

The permission dialog in the Claude Code desktop app (the one asking to run a command, edit a file, or call a tool) is not announced by VoiceOver. There is no auditory cue, no focus change, nothing to tell a screen reader user that Claude is blocked waiting on a decision.

Impact

As a blind daily VoiceOver user, this is the single biggest blocker for me using Claude Code productively. If I step away from the keyboard or focus on another window, the session sits idle until I happen to check. The prompt is effectively invisible.

Reproduction

  1. Launch the Claude Code desktop app on macOS with VoiceOver enabled.
  2. Ask Claude to do anything that triggers a permission prompt (e.g. run a shell command).
  3. The dialog appears silently. VoiceOver does not announce it, focus does not move to it in a way that is audible.

Expected

  • Permission dialog fires a native accessibility notification on appearance.
  • Dialog is focusable and labeled so VoiceOver announces it.
  • The action/tool name and any relevant arguments are part of the announcement (e.g. "Permission required: run ping example.com").

Workaround

I built a hook-based workaround using PermissionRequest + say. Setup writeup with full scripts: shared in the Claude users community. Happy to share here on request. It works, but a blind user should not need to build this.

Context

I submitted the same feedback via the in-app /feedback channel and to support@anthropic.com so the team can dedupe.

I am Lead Accessibility Architect at Paramount Streaming. Happy to test fixes, share my hook config, or collaborate on a proper solution.

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