Published on: July 25, 2024
ExpressVPN, the popular cybersecurity company best known for its VPN, released a broad array of new accessibility features for its home routers.
The company first released its two router models, Aircove and Aircove Go, in 2022 as the first routers to come with ExpressVPN built-in.
“As users of varying technical ability have begun using Aircove, it’s also driven us to think about inclusivity more broadly. Improving accessibility became a natural next step,” ExpressVPN said in a recent blog post.
The best feature for many consumers’ minute-to-minute use is the inclusion of a new dark mode for the router app. Many viewers suffer eye strain when looking at bright applications for too long, so ExpressVPN added a dark mode to help them. This may not be a strict improvement, but it’s a helpful addition for many.
Another accessibility feature that was recently added is the option to skip links using your keyboard.
“When a site is not designed with accessibility in mind, pressing keys to move through elements on the screen can be cumbersome. Starting from the top left, the user would often move through a long list of menu items and icons before arriving at their intended element in the main content of the page,” it explains.
The interface was also improved to remove unneeded error messages and make it more clear when an option succeeds. Many text and symbols were altered to make features easier to find and understand.
Finally, ExpressVPN changed the way its assistive technology works. Now, tools like screen readers will no longer read through unneeded decorative content. You won’t need to sit there and wait for your reader to go through multiple lines before getting to the point.
Even better, you can mark which content is decorative, so if you need finer control over the app, you can simply pick what the screen reader won’t cover.
While none of these are explicit improvements to the router’s security, the range of accessibility features will go a long way in helping new users with a broad range of disabilities and preferences.