[libreoffice-accessibility] Component: UI / Localization / OS Integration / Accessibility Environment: Windows 10 & 11 / Greek Localized UI / High DPI Displays

*Component:* UI / Localization / OS Integration / Accessibility
*Environment:* Windows 10 & 11 / Greek Localized UI / High DPI Displays

*Dear LibreOffice Development Team,*
As a daily user of assistive technologies with concurrent visual and motor
impairments (limb spasticity), I would like to formally submit a
comprehensive technical report and enhancement request to drastically
improve the software's accessibility and user experience.

Testing under daily production environments has revealed major technical
issues regarding UI scaling, localization mapping, and disruptive default
configurations that constantly force disabled users to act as technical
troubleshooters to restore their workspace.

Below are the interconnected UX proposals and bug reports derived from
extensive, hands-on testing:

*1. Selective Icon Style Customization (Instead of Forced Global Dark Mode)*

Global Dark Mode can be highly disorienting and aesthetically unappealing
for many low-vision users. We need a feature that allows granular control:
enabling users to selectively choose which high-frequency icons (e.g., Cut,
Copy, Paste) to change to a high-contrast style or vibrant color scheme,
without darkening the entire application window.

*2. Missing High-Contrast Icon Packs (Without Universal Darkness) & Greek
UI Translation Bug*

   -

   *The Enhancement:* Currently, the built-in alternative icon packs lack a
   middle-ground solution. There is no theme that provides high visual
   contrast (such as reusing the distinct color palettes found in text
   formatting icons) while maintaining standard, bright interface lighting.
   -

   *The Greek Localization Bug:* In the English UI, under "Tools -> Options
   -> View", users can select "Small", "Large", and "Extra Large" icons. In
   the Greek localized version, this "Extra Large" (Πολύ Μεγάλο)
   high-resolution preset is missing, broken, or incorrectly mapped, creating
   a severe barrier for Greek-speaking low-vision users.

*3. Stationary Core Toolbars vs. The Pitfalls of Floating Toolbars*

Low-vision users rely heavily on structural muscle memory and a locked,
predictable layout.

   -

   *Visual Impairments:* Floating toolbars disrupt consistency and cause
   confusion.
   -

   *Motor Impairments:* Floating elements require immense mouse precision.
   For users dealing with limb spasticity, interacting with an unanchored
   floating toolbar is physically impossible. True accessibility requires a
   native, stationary "add/remove buttons" feature within a fixed core
   toolbar, rather than forcing users into deep configuration menus (Tools ->
   Customization) that demand high visual acuity.

*4. UI Layout Distortion Under Windows DPI Scaling (150%+)*

When applying a native Windows display scaling factor of 150% or higher,
LibreOffice's internal interface layout breaks. Top menus become distorted,
text overlaps, and structural alignment is ruined. Forcing a system-wide OS
scaling factor creates visual chaos across other apps. LibreOffice requires
a robust, internal, percentage-based UI scaling factor (independent of the
OS) that scales cleanly.

*5. Native Integration of the Greek-English Spellcheck Dictionary*

The updated Greek-English spellcheck dictionary should be natively
integrated as a core component of the software installation, rather than
requiring users to manually locate, download, and install extensions. These
language packs must update seamlessly and automatically within the standard
application update process to eliminate unnecessary technical barriers for
disabled users.

*6. Disruptive Default Settings and Post-Update Resets*

To protect the established workflow and muscle memory of disabled users, we
request the following behaviors to be optimized, or *disabled by default*:

   -

   *Configuration Resets After Updates:* Software updates frequently reset
   user preferences. The alert warning users about saving in Microsoft Word
   (.docx) formats instead of ODF reappears, and native Windows save dialogs
   switch back to LibreOffice dialogs (which occasionally appear completely
   blank/empty). Updates must strictly preserve all user environment and
   accessibility settings.
   -

   *Auto-Save & Duplicate File Disorientation:* The default background save
   function (every 10 seconds) creates temporary, duplicate-looking files on
   the screen. For a low-vision user, this causes immediate visual
   disorientation. This feature should be turned off by default.
   -

   *Non-Intuitive Default File Naming:* When triggering a "Save As"
   operation, LibreOffice fails to automatically suggest the first line of
   text as the filename, offering instead generic numbers. *Example:*
   During a recent manual "Save As" attempt on a new document, LibreOffice
   automatically suggested the generic number "1" as the filename instead of
   pulling text from the first line. Proposing the first line of text should
   be a built-in accessibility default.

*7. High-Visibility Desktop Launcher*

Finding the LibreOffice launcher on a crowded desktop is a challenge for
low-vision users. The installation wizard should offer an alternative
choice for the main desktop icon, specifically a high-visibility variant
with a warm, solid, and vibrant red/terracotta color scheme.
------------------------------

*Conclusion & The Open-Source Advantage:*
By adopting these changes, LibreOffice has a unique opportunity to break
free from the rigid design bottlenecks and rigidities seen in proprietary
software like Microsoft Word. Overcoming these limitations will
triumphantly demonstrate the true comparative advantage of Free and Open
Source Software (FOSS)—proving that community-driven development can
deliver a genuinely inclusive, flexible, and superior workspace for all
users.

Best regards,
Evangelos Vagias

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