Accessibility Support

• Nov 21, 2025
• 6 minutes to read

Many DevExpress WinForms controls comply with WCAG 2.2 (Level AA), Section 508, and EN 301 549 standards. Refer to the DevExpress Accessibility Conformance Report (ACR) for more information on how WinForms controls satisfy these requirements.

Download: DevExpress WinForms ACR v24.1(based on VPAT®)

Limitations

The following table lists known GridControl limitations according to the WCAG 2.x standard:

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WCAG 2.x Criterion

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Exception Description

| | --- | --- | |

1.3.1

Info and Relationships

(Level A)

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• In Master-Detail mode, a detail tab does not provide assistive technologies with accessible information about other tabs.
• Exported documents do not preserve information about the table structure.
• Dialog Edit Form: editors do not provide assistive technologies with accessible information about their labels.
• Kanban View does not provide assistive technologies with accessible information about labels in the focused column.

| |

1.3.2

Meaningful Sequence

(Level A)

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Content of the GridControl is presented in a meaningful sequence except for the following elements (when Scan Mode is activated in the screen reader):

• Column headers
• Elements in Layout View cards

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2.1.1

Keyboard

(Level A)

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Control functionality is generally accessible through a keyboard interface except for the following:

• Open an item/cell/row’s context menu.

• Navigate through Data Navigator elements.

• The Column Filter Popup is not focused automatically when you open it.

• Add a node in the Filter Editor.

• WinExplorer View

  • Expand/collapse a group row.

• Navigate to the second part of the view in Split Presentation mode.

• TileView:

  • Focus the Add New Item button.
  • Scroll the view when you focus an item outside of the visible area on the right side.

| |

2.1.2

No Keyboard Trap

(Level A)

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Users need to press the Ctrl+Tab or Ctrl+Shift+Tab shortcut to move focus away from the GridControl.

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4.1.2

Name, Role, Value

(Level A)

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The list below contains the GridControl‘s accessible information that is not provided for assistive technologies:

• Group row

  • Expanded/collapsed state changes.
  • Checkbox states.

• AutoFilterRow criterion.

• Group row value when a user navigates from a master row to a detail grid’s group row.

• Grid values that are changed in code.

• Values within the NewItemRow/AutoFilterRow.

• Card View and Layout View: card fields if a user navigates through them without editing.

• WinExplorer View: focused group row.

• The find panel‘s search result.

• After a cell value is changed, GridControl remains in edit mode. In this mode, Narrator can only access the cell value. Press Esc to exit the edit mode.

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2.5.7

Dragging Movements

(Level AA 2.2 only)

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DevExpress GridControl meets the specified criterion with the following exceptions:

• Column resize
• Column reorder
• Row drag & drop (when enabled)

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2.5.8

Target Size (Minimum)

(Level AA 2.2 only)

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GridColumn resizing splitters and filter buttons may contain smaller pointer input areas than 24x24 pixels depending on the applied theme.

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4.1.3

Status Messages

(Level AA 2.1 only)

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The DevExpress WinForms GridControl does not inform assistive technologies when a value changes in the GridControl’s find panel.

|

Note

Accessibility features of your application depend on implementation (your use of GridControl API). Your application may not require or enable user actions listed above. The limitation list may also be incomplete. Test all required user functionality to ensure accessibility compliance.

Keyboard Navigation

A user can use the following keys or shortcuts to interact with the GridControl component:

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Key

|

Action

| | --- | --- | |

← → ↑ ↓

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• Navigates between cells.
• Navigates between column headers/bands if a column header/band is focused.[1]
• Navigates between grouped columns if the group panel is focused.[1]
• ↑ focuses a band if a column header is focused.[1]
• ↑ focuses the group panel if an item directly below the group panel is focused.[1]
• ↓ focuses the top row if a column header is focused.[1]

| |

Tab

|

• Moves focus one element forward.
• Focuses the first element in the next row if the last element in the current row is focused.
• Moves focus to the top row if the last column header is focused.[1]

| |

Shift + Tab

|

• Moves focus one element back.
• Focuses the last element in the previous row if the last element in the current row is focused.
• Focuses a column header if the top left cell is focused.[1]
• Focuses a band if the top left column header is focused.[1]
• Focuses the group panel if the top left item below the group panel is focused.[1]

| |

Ctrl + Shift + Tab

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Focuses a column header.[1]

| |

Ctrl + Tab

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Moves focus to the previously selected row if a column header is focused.[1]

| |

PageUp / PageDown

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Navigates to the previous/next page.

| |

Enter

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• Activates a cell editor.[2]
• Saves changes made in a cell or row and deactivates all editors.[2]
• Opens the search editor if a column header is focused.[3]

| |

Enter / Space

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Sorts data by the column if a column header or a column in the group panel is focused.[1]

| |

Shift

Shift + Space

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Adds the column to multi-column sorting if a column header or a column in the group panel is focused.[1]

| |

Ctrl

|

Removes the column from multi-column sorting if a column header or a column in the group panel is focused.[1]

| |

Ctrl + Space

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• Toggles the selected state of the focused row/cell if multiple selection is active.
• Removes the column from multi-column sorting if a column header is focused.[1]

| |

F2

|

Activates a cell editor.[2]

| |

Ctrl + ← / →

|

• Moves the cursor in the active cell editor.
• Reorders the column/band if a column header/band is focused.

| |

Ctrl / Shift + ↑ / ↓

|

Increases/decreases the value in the active cell editor (depends on the editor type).

| |

Alt + ↓ / F4

|

• Opens the active editor’s drop-down window (a select box, a calendar, etc.).
• Opens the column’s filter popup if a column header or a column in the group panel is focused.

| |

Shift + ←/→

|

Increases or decreases column/band width if a column header/band is focused.

| |

Shift + F10

Context Menu ≣

|

Opens the context menu if a column header/band or a column in the group panel is focused.

| |

Home / End

|

Focuses the first/last cell in a row.

| |

Ctrl + Home

Ctrl + End

|

Focuses the first/last cell.

| |

Esc

Ctrl + Z

|

Cancels changes made in a cell or row.

| |

Ctrl + C

|

Copies data from selected / focused cells to the clipboard.

| |

Ctrl + V

|

Pastes clipboard content.[4]

| |

Ctrl + F

|

Focuses the find panel.

| |

Ctrl + Shift + F

|

Opens the find panel.

| |

F3

Shift + F3

|

Navigates to the next/previous search result.[5]

| |

Ctrl + Click on a column header

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Clears the column’s sort settings.

| |

Shift + Click on a column header

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Sorts data against this column. Keeps the previously applied sort order.

| |

Ctrl + +

|

Expands the focused master-detail row.

| |

Ctrl + -

|

Collapses the focused master-detail row.

| |

Ctrl + ←/→/↑/↓

|

• If a cell/row is selected, navigates to a cell/row and preserves the selection.
• Reorders the band if a band is focused.

| |

Ctrl + A

|

Selects all visible data items.

| |

F5

|

Reloads data from the data source.

|

Information on Screen Reader Support and Contrast Skin Availability

Refer to the following topic for more information on accessibility support in DevExpress WinForms Controls: Accessibility Support.

Footnotes

1. If AllowHeaderNavigation is DefaultBoolean.True.

2. If Editable is true.

3. If InHeaderSearchMode is active.

4. If PasteMode is Append or Update.

5. If ColumnViewOptionsFind.Behavior is Search.