Timtam · Oct 6, 2026 · Sep 25, 2026 · Oct 6, 2026 · Oct 6, 2026
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -66,6 +66,10 @@ from this file and posts it as the GitHub release body.
   requests an hour, which testers following OSARA pull request builds can
   run out of. With a personal access token set, the limit is 5,000. RABBIT
   already used the variable, but only CI knew about it.
+- On macOS, VoiceOver now hears what changes away from where the user is
+  standing: a dropdown appearing or going away below the **Packages** list
+  when a package is ticked, each package and configuration step as the
+  install reaches it, and the reason when the version check fails.
 
 ### Changed
 

diff --git a/crates/rabbit-ui-wxdragon/src/voiceover.rs b/crates/rabbit-ui-wxdragon/src/voiceover.rs
@@ -23,9 +23,26 @@ struct CfCallBacks {
 
 const CF_STRING_ENCODING_UTF8: u32 = 0x0800_0100;
 const CF_NUMBER_CF_INDEX_TYPE: isize = 14;
-/// `NSAccessibilityPriorityHigh`: interrupts whatever VoiceOver is saying,
-/// which is what a direct answer to a key press should do.
-const NS_ACCESSIBILITY_PRIORITY_HIGH: isize = 90;
+
+/// How an announcement treats whatever VoiceOver is already saying.
+#[derive(Clone, Copy)]
+pub(crate) enum Priority {
+    /// `NSAccessibilityPriorityHigh`: cut in. For the direct answer to a key
+    /// press, which is stale by the time a queue would reach it.
+    Interrupt,
+    /// `NSAccessibilityPriorityMedium`: wait for current speech. For news the
+    /// user didn't ask for, such as the next step of a running install.
+    Polite,
+}
+
+impl Priority {
+    fn value(self) -> isize {
+        match self {
+            Priority::Interrupt => 90,
+            Priority::Polite => 50,
+        }
+    }
+}
 
 // SAFETY: AppKit and CoreFoundation are system frameworks that wxWidgets
 // already links; these declarations match their public C headers.
@@ -61,10 +78,11 @@ unsafe extern "C" {
 
 /// Have VoiceOver speak `text` now. Does nothing when VoiceOver is off:
 /// macOS drops the notification.
-pub(crate) fn announce(text: &str) {
+pub(crate) fn announce(text: &str, priority: Priority) {
     let Ok(text) = CString::new(text) else {
         return;
     };
+    let priority_value = priority.value();
     // SAFETY: every object created here is released before returning, and
     // the dictionary retains what it holds. NSApp is set by wxWidgets before
     // any window exists, so it is valid wherever a key event can arrive.
@@ -77,7 +95,7 @@ pub(crate) fn announce(text: &str) {
         let priority = CFNumberCreate(
             std::ptr::null(),
             CF_NUMBER_CF_INDEX_TYPE,
-            (&NS_ACCESSIBILITY_PRIORITY_HIGH as *const isize).cast(),
+            (&priority_value as *const isize).cast(),
         );
         if message.is_null() || priority.is_null() {
             for object in [message, priority] {

diff --git a/crates/rabbit-ui-wxdragon/src/wx_app/globals.rs b/crates/rabbit-ui-wxdragon/src/wx_app/globals.rs
@@ -49,6 +49,27 @@ pub(crate) fn with_ui_localizer<F: FnOnce(&Localizer)>(f: F) {
     });
 }
 
+/// Have the screen reader speak `text`. VoiceOver reads a control's new
+/// label or state only when the user moved there, so a change made from
+/// code (a status line, a row ticked through the model, a dropdown shown)
+/// goes unheard without this. macOS only for now: elsewhere it does nothing.
+#[cfg(target_os = "macos")]
+pub(crate) use crate::voiceover::Priority as AnnouncePriority;
+
+#[cfg(not(target_os = "macos"))]
+#[derive(Clone, Copy)]
+pub(crate) enum AnnouncePriority {
+    Interrupt,
+    Polite,
+}
+
+pub(crate) fn announce(text: &str, priority: AnnouncePriority) {
+    #[cfg(target_os = "macos")]
+    crate::voiceover::announce(text, priority);
+    #[cfg(not(target_os = "macos"))]
+    let _ = (text, priority);
+}
+
 pub(crate) fn install_ui_frame(frame: Frame) {
     UI_FRAME.with(|cell| {
         *cell.borrow_mut() = Some(frame);

diff --git a/crates/rabbit-ui-wxdragon/src/wx_app/packages_page/dataview.rs b/crates/rabbit-ui-wxdragon/src/wx_app/packages_page/dataview.rs
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ use wxdragon::prelude::*;
 
 use super::{PackagesStateCell, PackagesView, WXK_SPACE};
 
+use crate::wx_app::globals::{AnnouncePriority, announce, with_ui_localizer};
 use crate::wx_app::pages::{WizardPage, add_heading, add_label};
 use crate::wx_app::widgets::{
     REAPER_LANGUAGE_LABEL_NAME, SPANISH_VARIANT_LABEL_NAME, WizardWidgets, package_details,
@@ -522,25 +523,28 @@ pub(crate) fn build_packages_page(
                 &data.configuration_rows.borrow(),
                 node.kind,
             );
-            if !toggle(data, node, !checked) {
+            let Some(choice_notes) = toggle(data, node, !checked) else {
                 return;
-            }
+            };
             // The row VoiceOver is on was rebuilt behind it, so it says
             // nothing on its own. Read back the state the row ended up in:
             // a group can stay unticked when some of its rows are disabled.
-            #[cfg(target_os = "macos")]
-            {
-                let now_checked = packages_tree_toggle_state(
-                    &data.rows.borrow(),
-                    &data.configuration_rows.borrow(),
-                    node.kind,
-                );
-                crate::voiceover::announce(if now_checked {
-                    &model_text.text.packages_row_checked
-                } else {
-                    &model_text.text.packages_row_unchecked
-                });
-            }
+            // One announcement, not two: a second would cut the first off.
+            let now_checked = packages_tree_toggle_state(
+                &data.rows.borrow(),
+                &data.configuration_rows.borrow(),
+                node.kind,
+            );
+            let state = if now_checked {
+                &model_text.text.packages_row_checked
+            } else {
+                &model_text.text.packages_row_unchecked
+            };
+            let message = std::iter::once(state.as_str())
+                .chain(choice_notes.iter().map(String::as_str))
+                .collect::<Vec<_>>()
+                .join(". ");
+            announce(&message, AnnouncePriority::Interrupt);
         });
     }
 
@@ -574,8 +578,10 @@ pub(crate) struct PackagesSideWidgets {
 pub(crate) type PackagesSideWidgetsCell = Rc<RefCell<Option<PackagesSideWidgets>>>;
 
 /// Non-Windows: tick or untick one node of the packages tree, with every
-/// side effect, and report whether anything changed.
-type PackagesTreeToggle = Rc<dyn Fn(&PackageTreeData, &Node, bool) -> bool>;
+/// side effect. `None` when nothing changed; otherwise one line for each
+/// dropdown below the list that the toggle showed or hid, for the caller
+/// to announce.
+type PackagesTreeToggle = Rc<dyn Fn(&PackageTreeData, &Node, bool) -> Option<Vec<String>>>;
 
 /// Non-Windows: whether a node's checkbox reads as ticked. A group reads
 /// ticked only when every row it can change is selected: the toggle
@@ -612,6 +618,21 @@ fn packages_tree_toggle_state(
     changeable.peek().is_some() && changeable.all(|r| r.selected)
 }
 
+/// What to tell a screen reader when a dropdown below the packages list comes
+/// or goes: it happens off to the side of the row the user just ticked.
+fn choice_shown_note(label: &str, shown: bool) -> String {
+    let key = if shown {
+        "wizard-packages-choice-shown"
+    } else {
+        "wizard-packages-choice-hidden"
+    };
+    let mut note = String::new();
+    with_ui_localizer(|localizer| {
+        note = localizer.format(key, &[("choice", label)]).value;
+    });
+    note
+}
+
 /// Non-Windows: build the `CustomDataViewTreeModel` that backs the packages
 /// tree. The closures capture clones of `package_rows`, `package_items`
 /// (the self-referential model handle cell), `can_install`, and the wizard
@@ -644,7 +665,8 @@ pub(crate) fn build_packages_tree_model(
     // (a click, or VO+Space while interacting with the list) and the Space
     // key handler, which wx never routes through `set_value` on macOS.
     let toggle: PackagesTreeToggle = Rc::new(
-        move |data: &PackageTreeData, node: &Node, new_state: bool| -> bool {
+        move |data: &PackageTreeData, node: &Node, new_state: bool| -> Option<Vec<String>> {
+            let mut choice_notes = Vec::new();
             match node.kind {
                 NodeKind::PackagesGroup
                 | NodeKind::AdditionalSoftwareGroup
@@ -670,11 +692,9 @@ pub(crate) fn build_packages_tree_model(
                 }
                 NodeKind::Package(idx) => {
                     let mut rows = rows_for_set_value.borrow_mut();
-                    let Some(row) = rows.get_mut(idx) else {
-                        return false;
-                    };
+                    let row = rows.get_mut(idx)?;
                     if !row.available_for_target {
-                        return false;
+                        return None;
                     }
                     let _ = apply_checkbox_state_to_package_row(&wizard_model, row, new_state);
                 }
@@ -688,11 +708,9 @@ pub(crate) fn build_packages_tree_model(
                 }
                 NodeKind::Configuration(idx) => {
                     let mut cfg_rows = configuration_rows_for_set_value.borrow_mut();
-                    let Some(row) = cfg_rows.get_mut(idx) else {
-                        return false;
-                    };
+                    let row = cfg_rows.get_mut(idx)?;
                     if !row.available_for_target || row.already_applied {
-                        return false;
+                        return None;
                     }
                     row.selected = new_state;
                 }
@@ -741,6 +759,10 @@ pub(crate) fn build_packages_tree_model(
                 // never fires.
                 if let Some(widgets) = *side_widgets_for_set_value.borrow() {
                     let rows = rows_for_set_value.borrow();
+                    let shown_before = [
+                        widgets.language_choice.is_shown(),
+                        widgets.spanish_choice.is_shown(),
+                    ];
                     sync_osara_keymap_widgets(
                         &wizard_model_for_recompute,
                         &rows,
@@ -749,6 +771,21 @@ pub(crate) fn build_packages_tree_model(
                     );
                     sync_spanish_variant_widget(&rows, &widgets.spanish_choice);
                     sync_reaper_language_widget(&rows, &widgets.language_choice);
+                    let labels = [
+                        &wizard_model_for_recompute
+                            .text
+                            .packages_reaper_language_label,
+                        &wizard_model_for_recompute
+                            .text
+                            .packages_spanish_variant_label,
+                    ];
+                    let choices = [widgets.language_choice, widgets.spanish_choice];
+                    for ((choice, was_shown), label) in choices.iter().zip(shown_before).zip(labels)
+                    {
+                        if choice.is_shown() != was_shown {
+                            choice_notes.push(choice_shown_note(label, choice.is_shown()));
+                        }
+                    }
                 }
             }
 
@@ -827,7 +864,7 @@ pub(crate) fn build_packages_tree_model(
                 }
             }
 
-            true
+            Some(choice_notes)
         },
     );
     let toggle_for_model = Rc::clone(&toggle);
@@ -963,7 +1000,18 @@ pub(crate) fn build_packages_tree_model(
                 let Some(node) = item else {
                     return false;
                 };
-                toggle_for_model(data, node, var.get_bool().unwrap_or(false))
+                let Some(choice_notes) =
+                    toggle_for_model(data, node, var.get_bool().unwrap_or(false))
+                else {
+                    return false;
+                };
+                // A click, or VO+Space: VoiceOver reads the checkbox itself,
+                // so only the dropdowns that came or went are left to say,
+                // after it.
+                if !choice_notes.is_empty() {
+                    announce(&choice_notes.join(". "), AnnouncePriority::Polite);
+                }
+                true
             },
         ),
         // is_enabled — gray out the checkbox + label of unavailable rows.

diff --git a/crates/rabbit-ui-wxdragon/src/wx_app/progress_ui.rs b/crates/rabbit-ui-wxdragon/src/wx_app/progress_ui.rs
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ use std::sync::{Arc, Mutex};
 use rabbit_core::localization::Localizer;
 use rabbit_core::progress::ProgressEvent;
 
-use crate::wx_app::globals::with_ui_localizer;
+use crate::wx_app::globals::{AnnouncePriority, announce, with_ui_localizer};
 use crate::wx_app::widgets::WizardWidgets;
 
 /// State carried across [`ProgressEvent`] notifications during a wizard
@@ -322,10 +322,20 @@ pub(crate) fn apply_progress_event_to_ui(
     });
 
     widgets.progress_gauge.set_value(state.percentage());
+    // Only the start of each install or configuration step is spoken, and
+    // politely: download lines change several times a second and would bury
+    // everything else.
+    let spoken = matches!(
+        event,
+        ProgressEvent::InstallStarted { .. } | ProgressEvent::ConfigurationStarted { .. }
+    );
     if let Some(line) = status_line
         && !status_frozen
     {
         widgets.progress_status.set_label(&line);
+        if spoken {
+            announce(&line, AnnouncePriority::Polite);
+        }
     }
     // Hold the lock no longer than necessary — the TextCtrl call below
     // re-enters the wxWidgets event pump, which can run other queued

diff --git a/crates/rabbit-ui-wxdragon/src/wx_app/version_check.rs b/crates/rabbit-ui-wxdragon/src/wx_app/version_check.rs
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ use wxdragon::widgets::SimpleBook;
 use wxdragon::prelude::*;
 
 use crate::wx_app::expert_mode::RUN_AVAILABLE;
-use crate::wx_app::globals::VERSION_CHECK_GENERATION;
+use crate::wx_app::globals::{AnnouncePriority, VERSION_CHECK_GENERATION, announce};
 
 use crate::wx_app::PACKAGES_STEP;
 use crate::wx_app::globals::{
@@ -267,6 +267,9 @@ pub(crate) fn render_version_check_errors(ui: &VersionCheckUi, errors: &[(String
             )
             .value;
         ui.widgets.version_check_status.set_label(&status);
+        // Focus stays on the gauge, so nothing else tells a screen reader
+        // that the check stopped and the page now waits for Back or Close.
+        announce(&status, AnnouncePriority::Interrupt);
     });
 }
 

diff --git a/locales/de-DE/rabbit.ftl b/locales/de-DE/rabbit.ftl
@@ -114,6 +114,8 @@ wizard-packages-heading = Pakete auswählen
 wizard-packages-list-label = Zu installierende oder zu aktualisierende Pakete
 wizard-packages-row-checked = Ausgewählt
 wizard-packages-row-unchecked = Nicht ausgewählt
+wizard-packages-choice-shown = Neue Auswahl unter der Liste: { $choice }.
+wizard-packages-choice-hidden = Auswahl entfernt: { $choice }.
 wizard-packages-tree-group-label = Pakete
 wizard-additional-software-tree-group-label = Zusätzliche Software
 wizard-language-tree-group-label = Sprachpakete

diff --git a/locales/en-US/rabbit.ftl b/locales/en-US/rabbit.ftl
@@ -114,6 +114,8 @@ wizard-packages-heading = Choose packages
 wizard-packages-list-label = Packages to install or update
 wizard-packages-row-checked = Checked
 wizard-packages-row-unchecked = Unchecked
+wizard-packages-choice-shown = New choice below the list: { $choice }.
+wizard-packages-choice-hidden = Choice removed: { $choice }.
 wizard-packages-tree-group-label = Packages
 wizard-additional-software-tree-group-label = Additional software
 wizard-language-tree-group-label = Language packs

diff --git a/locales/es-ES/rabbit.ftl b/locales/es-ES/rabbit.ftl
@@ -114,6 +114,8 @@ wizard-packages-heading = Selecciona los paquetes
 wizard-packages-list-label = Paquetes para instalar o actualizar
 wizard-packages-row-checked = Marcado
 wizard-packages-row-unchecked = No marcado
+wizard-packages-choice-shown = Nueva opción debajo de la lista: { $choice }.
+wizard-packages-choice-hidden = Opción retirada: { $choice }.
 wizard-packages-tree-group-label = Paquetes
 wizard-additional-software-tree-group-label = Software adicional
 wizard-language-tree-group-label = Paquetes de idioma

diff --git a/locales/fr-FR/rabbit.ftl b/locales/fr-FR/rabbit.ftl
@@ -114,6 +114,8 @@ wizard-packages-heading = Choisissez les paquets
 wizard-packages-list-label = Paquets à installer ou à mettre à jour
 wizard-packages-row-checked = Coché
 wizard-packages-row-unchecked = Non coché
+wizard-packages-choice-shown = Nouveau choix sous la liste : { $choice }.
+wizard-packages-choice-hidden = Choix retiré : { $choice }.
 wizard-packages-tree-group-label = Paquets
 wizard-additional-software-tree-group-label = Logiciels supplémentaires
 wizard-language-tree-group-label = Packs de langue

diff --git a/locales/it-IT/rabbit.ftl b/locales/it-IT/rabbit.ftl
@@ -114,6 +114,8 @@ wizard-packages-heading = Scegli i pacchetti
 wizard-packages-list-label = Pacchetti da installare o aggiornare
 wizard-packages-row-checked = Selezionato
 wizard-packages-row-unchecked = Non selezionato
+wizard-packages-choice-shown = Nuova scelta sotto l'elenco: { $choice }.
+wizard-packages-choice-hidden = Scelta rimossa: { $choice }.
 wizard-packages-tree-group-label = Pacchetti
 wizard-additional-software-tree-group-label = Software aggiuntivo
 wizard-language-tree-group-label = Pacchetti lingua