Global Protect Accessibility and Usability Information

Username and Password fields are labeled incorrectly (Windows only)

When signing in on a Windows PC, the Username field is announced as “password” and the Password field is announced without a label. These incorrect labels may cause extreme confusion and frustration for screen reader users.

Expected behavior: For each input field, the label that is announced by screen readers should match the field’s visual label.

This barrier primarily relates to the following accessibility guidelines:

• Understandable: Labels are provided when content requires user input. (WCAG 3.3.2)
• Operable: Labels accurately describe content topic or purpose. (WCAG 2.4.6)

Typical navigation patterns do not work

When using GlobalProtect, keyboard and screen reader users must rely on unexpected navigation patterns in order to access some content, while other content is not accessible by keyboard or screen reader at all in some instances.

On a Windows PC, throughout the GlobalProtect experience, screen reader users must use the tab key to navigate through text and hear non-interactive content announced. Typically, users would expect to use the arrow keys for navigating through non-interactive content. NVDA users may be accustomed to switching between interactive forms mode and browse/reading mode, but the NVDA keyboard shortcut for switching between modes does not work in GlobalProtect.

On a Mac, keyboard users may find it difficult or impossible to even connect to a VPN because only the input fields (e.g., Portal, Username, Password) receive focus consistently. Buttons like “Connect” and the hamburger menu for more options can only be accessed if the user adjusts their Mac settings to select “Use keyboard to move focus between controls.” Once connected to VPN, for example in the Settings dialog, many text regions can only be reached via the tab key and some interactive elements within those regions cannot be activated via the Enter key.

Expected behavior: Keyboard users should be able to tab to all interactive elements and should not need a mouse to complete tasks. Screen reader users should be able to use typical navigation patterns (tab to interactive elements, use arrow keys to read non-interactive content).

This barrier primarily relates to the following accessibility guidelines:

• Understandable: Web content appears and operates in predictable ways. (WCAG 3.2)

In Settings, using Enter key closes dialog instead of activating elements

For most interactive elements in the Settings dialog, the only way to successfully activate them is to use the space bar — if a user selects the Enter key instead, the Settings dialog closes. While using the space bar is typical for selecting form elements like checkboxes, it is frustrating and unexpected behavior for buttons and links. 

For example, if a user presses Enter when trying to Sign Out, the Settings dialog simply closes and leaves the user signed in. Users may be confused by this, especially screen reader users since there is no auditory indication that the Settings dialog has closed. 

Expected behavior: Users should be able to use either the space bar or the Enter key to activate interactive elements. 

This barrier primarily relates to the following accessibility guidelines:

• Understandable: Web content appears and operates in predictable ways. (WCAG 3.2)

In Settings, link to view welcome page cannot be opened by keyboard

In Settings > Preferences, the “View welcome page” link (on a Windows PC, it is just labeled “Click Here”) can only be selected when clicked by a mouse. 

Expected behavior: Users should be able to use the Enter key to activate links.

This barrier primarily relates to the following accessibility guidelines:

• Operable: Elements are selectable and interactive by keyboard. (WCAG 2.1.1)

In Settings, “Click Here” link text is not descriptive (Windows only)

In Settings > Preferences, the link to view the VPN connection welcome page is labeled only “Click Here” on a Windows PC, which is vague and especially confusing for screen reader users since the prior text is not announced (only the focusable interactive elements are announced).

Expected behavior: Links should have unique, descriptive text that informs the user of the link destination. 

This barrier primarily relates to the following accessibility guidelines:

• Operable: The purpose of each link can be determined from the link text alone. (WCAG 2.4.4)

In Settings, layout tables are used to structure content (Mac only)

In the Settings dialog on a Mac, a layout table is used to structure the list of navigation tabs on the left. Within the Notifications tab, a layout table is also used to display notifications.

Non-tabular content that is wrapped within a table tag is confusing and difficult to navigate via screen reader.

Expected behavior: Tables should only be used to display tabular data, not for visual layout.

This barrier primarily relates to the following accessibility guidelines:

• Perceivable: Content structure is effectively communicated via screen reader. (WCAG 1.3.1)

User cannot enter notification dialog via keyboard alone

Users cannot enter a notification dialog via keyboard alone. If a user is navigating by keyboard alone, they may not be able to scroll through the dialog content or interact with any links in the content. 

Expected behavior: Keyboard and screen reader users should be able to enter the dialog, scroll through the dialog content, and tab to any interactive element within the dialog. 

This barrier primarily relates to the following accessibility guidelines:

• Operable: Elements are selectable and interactive by keyboard. (WCAG 2.1.1)

Notification dialog is announced without a clear title or context

When a notification dialog pops up, it is announced by the screen reader as “more notifications” on a Windows PC or “system has new window” on a Mac, without additional context. Neither of these announcements are clear or descriptive of the actual dialog content. 

Expected behavior: When the dialog appears, there should be a screen reader announcement that there is a notification, ideally with a descriptive title that reflects the content of the notification. 

This barrier primarily relates to the following accessibility guidelines:

• Operable: Descriptive headings and labels help users orient themselves. (WCAG 2.4.6)

Content of notification is not announced by screen reader unless user deliberately enters dialog

On a Windows PC, screen reader users cannot access the content in a notification dialog unless they have access to a mouse and can use it to click within the dialog. On a Mac, users can enter the notification dialog via keyboard, but only if they know it is there. Neither OS promptly announces the content of the notification dialog when it appears.

Expected behavior: When the dialog appears, screen reader users should hear the dialog title and content announced promptly. 

This barrier primarily relates to the following accessibility guidelines:

• Operable: Elements are selectable and interactive by keyboard. (WCAG 2.1.1)
• Robust: Users are made aware of important changes in content. (WCAG 4.1.3)

User cannot review notifications in Settings (Windows only)

Whether one or multiple notifications are triggered upon signing into GlobalProtect, a Windows user cannot find and review these notifications in Settings > Notifications. 

Expected behavior: The Windows version of GlobalProtect should enable users to review notifications in Settings > Notifications.

This barrier primarily relates to the following accessibility guidelines:

• Operable: Users can get to content in multiple ways. (WCAG 2.4.5)

In Settings, notifications are displayed with large spacing gaps that make scrolling and viewing difficult (Mac only)

In Settings > Notifications on a Mac, notifications are displayed in a layout table with large gaps of white space between each notification. These large spacing gaps make it difficult to read and scroll through the content, especially when navigating via keyboard.

Expected behavior: Notifications should be displayed in a way that is easy to view and scroll through, whether navigating via mouse, keyboard, or screen reader.

This is primarily a usability recommendation.