Remember the --screen-reader flag in configuration

[PEERSOFTdev]

Describe the feature or problem you'd like to solve

I would expect, as a visually impaired user, that the aid I am using for accessible computing will allow me to be used periodically.

Proposed solution

Upon using the --screen-reader flag, the tool should ask me whether I would like to leave it active for further sessions.

Example prompts or workflows

No response

Additional context

The rationale behind this request is that screen readers generally allow users to be launched at system startup as the user probably needs this mode due to his/her visual impairment, and this tool should reflect this trend.

[andyfeller]

First, let me say thank you for this feedback having worked to support users like you, @PEERSOFTdev! ❤️ I would love if you continue to provide this critical and unique feedback so we can deliver on our accessibility pledge.

Second, would you expect something like the following if copilot --screen-reader was invoked without screen_reader: true being in your config:

Copilot was started with screen reader optimizations flag.
Would you like to enable this for future sessions?
❯ 1. Yes, remember this for future sessions
  2. No (Esc)

[PEERSOFTdev]

Hi @andyfeller, many thanks for your effort, that suggestion sounds absolutely fantastic!

[tobiashochguertel]

I’m not using a screen reader but I would suggest that when you first time start the “copilot” it provides an interactive dialog to prepare the configuration for the user in its home directory.

• Then we can add a cli option to skip this initial setup behavior.
• Add a cli option to define an alternative location for a config file.
• Add a sub-command “config” which allows us to “show”, “option”, “get”, “set”, “locate”, “init” the configuration file. The options like “show”, … “init” should be sub-commands of “config”. The sub-command “option” should show for a given name (property) of an option the description out with the possible values and type (str, number, array, object) and with examples.
• all cli options should be configureable via the configuration file, and when the cli commandline defines the same option from the configuration again then the cli option wins and takes advantage before the value from the configuration file.

it might be also possible to detect screen reader devices and automatically suggest to configure it when we start “copilot” the first time or when we connect a screen reader device after we done the setup already and didn’t set a option like “detect_screen_readers” to “false”.

I miss that we can configure the cli via the config and that I have to add always the cli options and have to create aliases etc.

[andyfeller]

Hi @andyfeller, many thanks for your effort, that suggestion sounds absolutely fantastic!

@PEERSOFTdev : you should be able to check this out in 0.0.336-9 pre-release

[andyfeller]

I’m not using a screen reader but I would suggest that when you first time start the “copilot” it provides an interactive dialog to prepare the configuration for the user in its home directory.

Thank you, @tobiashochguertel, for taking the time and building on the suggestion here! 🫶 I recall seeing a similar conversation about an initial interactive setup experience.

I would like to pull this out into a wholly separate issue for follow up discussion and scoping. 🙇

UPDATE: created #243 for follow up discussion

[PEERSOFTdev]

Hi @andyfeller,
it looks as if nothing was changed in 0.036 as the --screen-reader flag does not result in any message regarding permanent flag setting in the configuration file. The result is the same whether the .copilot/config.json contains "screen_reader = false" or not. The whole session output is as follows
Welcome to GitHub Copilot CLI
Version 0.0.338 · Commit 877e86a
Copilot can write, test and debug code right from your terminal. Describe a task to get started or enter ? for help. Copilot uses AI, check for mistakes.
Info: Connected to GitHub MCP Server
Info: Logged in with gh as user: PEERSOFTdev
Error: Error: No supported model available
~/libqalculate [⎇ master*]

Enter @ to mention files or / for commands
Ctrl+c Exit · Ctrl+r Expand recent
‍
I am unable to see if the screen reader mode is active or not, even the session log does not show anything:
2025-10-10T12:12:56.932Z [INFO] Starting Copilot CLI: 0.0.338
Commit: 877e86a
2025-10-10T12:12:56.932Z [INFO] Node.js version: v22.20.0
2025-10-10T12:12:57.619Z [LOG] Using Copilot API endpoint: https://api.individual.githubcopilot.com/mcp/readonly
2025-10-10T12:12:57.621Z [LOG] Starting remote MCP client for github-mcp-server with url: https://api.individual.githubcopilot.com/mcp/readonly
2025-10-10T12:12:57.621Z [LOG] Creating MCP client for github-mcp-server...
2025-10-10T12:12:57.625Z [LOG] Connecting MCP client for github-mcp-server...
2025-10-10T12:12:58.060Z [LOG] MCP transport for github-mcp-server closed
2025-10-10T12:12:58.060Z [ERROR] Failed to start MCP client for remote server github-mcp-server: Error: Error POSTing to endpoint (HTTP 403): unauthorized: not authorized to use this Copilot feature

2025-10-10T12:12:58.060Z [LOG] GitHub MCP server configured after authentication
2025-10-10T12:12:58.415Z [ERROR] Failed to list models:
2025-10-10T12:12:58.433Z [ERROR] Unhandled Rejection: No supported model available
Error: No supported model available
at lYe (file:///usr/lib/node_modules/@github/copilot/index.js:1900:680)
at Q9 (file:///usr/lib/node_modules/@github/copilot/index.js:1900:1090)
at async file:///usr/lib/node_modules/@github/copilot/index.js:2301:1860