Tree Navigation

The process of moving through and exploring hierarchical data structures (trees) such as file systems, program structures, organizational charts, or menu systems. In accessible computing, tree navigation is a significant challenge because screen readers typically present tree views based on visual screen position rather than logical hierarchical relationships, making it difficult for blind users to understand parent-child and sibling relationships. Accessible tree navigation strategies use consistent keyboard mappings (such as left for parent, right for children, up/down for siblings) along with speech and sound output to convey the hierarchical structure non-visually.