Tawk Chatbot - Accessibility Issues

Hello,

The chatbot interface appears to be inaccessible to screen reader and keyboard-only users.

Issue Summary:
Users cannot enter, navigate, interact with, or exit the chatbot interface using a keyboard and screen reader. This creates a significant barrier for people who rely on assistive technologies.

Observed Behavior:

  • Keyboard focus does not move into the chatbot interface.
  • Screen readers do not clearly announce the chatbot region, controls, or available actions.
  • Users cannot consistently navigate between messages, input fields, buttons, and other interactive elements using standard keyboard commands.
  • Some are not reachable via keyboard navigation or may not have accessible labels.
  • Once inside the chatbot interface, users may have difficulty exiting the chat area and returning to the rest of the page.

Expected Behavior:

  • All chatbot functionality should be fully operable using only a keyboard.
  • Interactive elements should receive keyboard focus in a logical order.
  • All controls should have descriptive accessible names and roles that are announced correctly by screen readers.
  • New chatbot messages should be announced automatically through appropriate live region support.
  • Users should be able to enter and exit the chatbot interface without becoming trapped in the component.
  • The chatbot should be compatible with common screen readers such as NVDA, JAWS, VoiceOver, and TalkBack.

Thanks!

Hi @hhilson ,

Thank you for taking the time to provide such detailed feedback regarding the accessibility of the chatbot interface. We appreciate you highlighting these concerns and outlining the expected behavior for keyboard and screen reader users.

To help our team better understand the current experience and investigate the issue more effectively, would you be able to provide a screen recording demonstrating the behavior when using a screen reader and keyboard navigation? If possible, please include the screen reader being used (e.g., NVDA, JAWS, VoiceOver, or TalkBack) and the browser/device environment. This additional information would be very helpful for our assessment.

Thank you again for bringing this to our attention. We look forward to your response.

Hi,

I am not able to attach any links here.

Hi @hhilson,

Thank you for reaching out.

Please feel free to send the recording links directly to me at your convenience. Once received, I’ll review them and assist you further.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Hi, here’s the link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1z55aAot06_EysFuMr8cAxoDLqn0FfDHO/view?usp=drive_link

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Thank you @hhilson , I’ll forward this to our team.