course guide

Course Guide

Listen to Episode 0: Welcome to Git Going with GitHub - a conversational audio overview of this chapter. Listen before reading to preview the concepts, or after to reinforce what you learned.

GitHub Learning Room - Your Complete Workshop Companion

Welcome. You are about to begin a two-day journey into open source collaboration using GitHub, VS Code, and GitHub Copilot - all designed for screen reader and keyboard-only navigation. This guide is your starting point and table of contents for everything in this workshop.

Note: Workshop content is being actively refined during the week of March 7, 2026. Students should expect updates to materials leading up to and during the course.

How This Course Works

This is a two-day workshop built around one idea: you will make real contributions to a real open source project. Not simulated. Not pretend. Real.

The Two Days

Day 1 - GitHub Foundations (Browser)

You learn GitHub's web interface using only your keyboard and screen reader. By the end of Day 1, you will have filed issues, opened pull requests, reviewed someone else's work, and resolved a merge conflict - all in the browser.

Day 2 - VS Code + Accessibility Agents (Desktop)

You move to Visual Studio Code, learn GitHub Copilot, and activate the Accessibility Agents ecosystem - 55 AI agents across 3 teams and 5 platforms that amplify every skill you built on Day 1. By the end of Day 2, your name is in the commit history of a real open source accessibility project.

The Journey Arc

Day 1 - Learn the skill in the browser
  Navigate → Issue → Pull Request → Review → Merge

     ↓  (bridge: press . on any GitHub repo - VS Code opens in your browser)

github.dev - VS Code on the web, no install needed
  Same keyboard shortcuts · Same screen reader mode · Edit files · Open PRs

     ↓  (you've earned the desktop - now it makes sense)

Day 2 - Deepen with VS Code + Accessibility Agents
  VS Code basics → Copilot inline → Copilot Chat
  @daily-briefing → @issue-tracker → @pr-review → @analytics → ship upstream

The key principle: Learn the manual skill first, then see how it is automated. The agents only make sense when you already understand what they are doing.

Before You Begin

Complete everything in Chapter 0: Pre-Workshop Setup before Day 1. This chapter walks you through:

• Creating a GitHub account
• Installing Git
• Setting up VS Code (optional for Day 1, required for Day 2)
• Configuring your screen reader for GitHub
• Verifying everything works

Time needed: About 30 minutes.

Companion Audio Series

Every chapter and appendix has a companion podcast episode - a conversational two-host overview that previews or reviews the key concepts. Listen before reading a chapter to know what to expect, or after to reinforce what you learned.

• Browse all 44 episodes with HTML5 audio players
• Subscribe via RSS in your preferred podcast app
• Episodes are 8-18 minutes each - perfect for commutes, walks, or screen reader breaks

Day 1: GitHub Foundations

These chapters are designed to be read and practiced in order. Each builds on the one before it.

#	Chapter	What You Will Learn	Time
00	Pre-Workshop Setup	Install and configure everything before Day 1	30 min
01	Understanding GitHub's Web Structure	How GitHub is organized - page types, headings, landmarks, screen reader orientation	1 hr
02	Navigating Repositories	Explore any repo using your screen reader - tabs, files, commits, branches	45 min
03	The Learning Room	Your shared practice environment - challenges, PR workflow, bot feedback, peer review	30 min
04	Working with Issues	File, search, filter, comment on, and manage issues	1 hr
05	Working with Pull Requests	Create, review, comment on, and merge pull requests	1 hr
06	Merge Conflicts	Understand why conflicts happen and how to resolve them	1 hr
07	Culture and Etiquette	Open source communication - tone, reviews, inclusive language	30 min
08	Labels, Milestones and Projects	Organize and cross-reference work	45 min
09	Notifications and Mentions	Manage your inbox, @mentions, and subscriptions	30 min

Day 1 Total: ~7.5 hours of structured time

Day 2: VS Code + Accessibility Agents

Day 2 moves you from the browser to the desktop. Every skill maps directly to what you learned on Day 1.

#	Chapter	What You Will Learn	Time
10	VS Code: Setup & Accessibility Basics	VS Code interface, github.dev, screen reader mode, keyboard navigation, Accessible Help and Diff	45 min
11	VS Code: Git & Source Control	Clone, branch, stage, commit, push, merge - all from VS Code	1 hr
12	VS Code: GitHub Pull Requests Extension	View, review, create, and merge PRs from inside VS Code	45 min
13	VS Code: GitHub Copilot	Inline suggestions, Copilot Chat, effective prompting, custom instructions	1 hr
14	Accessible Code Review	Navigate diffs and review PRs with a screen reader - the culminating skill before automation	1.5 hrs
15	Issue Templates	Create and customize GitHub issue templates with YAML	1.5 hrs
16	Accessibility Agents	55 agents across 3 teams, 54+ slash commands, contributing to the ecosystem	1.5 hrs

Day 2 Total: ~8 hours of structured time

Note on Chapters 14 and 15: These chapters do not have dedicated agenda blocks. Their content is woven into the Day 2 agenda: Chapter 14 (Accessible Code Review) skills are practiced in Blocks 2 and 5 when you review diffs and submit PRs. Chapter 15 (Issue Templates) is reference material you can consult when filing issues or building your own templates. Read them as needed rather than in sequence.

Appendices - Reference Material

Open these at any time during the workshop. They are not part of the chapter sequence - use them when you need them.

Always Open (Bookmark These)

Appendix	Document	What It Covers
A	Glossary	Every term, concept, and piece of jargon explained
B	Screen Reader Cheat Sheet	NVDA, JAWS, and VoiceOver navigation commands plus GitHub keyboard shortcuts

GitHub Features

Appendix	Document	What It Covers
C	Accessibility Standards Reference	WCAG 2.2, ARIA roles and patterns, PR accessibility checklist
D	Git Authentication	SSH keys, Personal Access Tokens, credential storage, commit signing
E	Markdown and GitHub Flavored Markdown	Complete guide from basics through GFM - paragraphs, headings, lists, links, tables, alert blocks, Mermaid, math, footnotes, accessible authoring
F	GitHub Gists	Code snippets, sharing, embedding, cloning
G	GitHub Discussions	Forum-style conversations, Q&A, polls, accessibility navigation
H	Releases, Tags, and Insights	Versioned releases, semver, pulse, contributors, traffic
I	GitHub Projects Deep Dive	Boards, tables, roadmaps, custom fields, cross-repo projects
J	Advanced Search	Complete query language reference for issues, PRs, code, and repos
K	Branch Protection and Rulesets	Required reviews, status checks, diagnosing blocked PRs
L	Security Features	Dependabot, secret scanning, code scanning, private advisories

VS Code and Copilot

Appendix	Document	What It Covers
M	VS Code Accessibility Reference	All accessibility settings, audio signals, diff viewer, screen reader configs
N	GitHub Codespaces	Cloud development environments, accessibility setup, screen reader usage
V	Accessibility Agents Reference	55 agents, 3 teams, 5 platforms, slash commands, workspace configuration
W	Copilot Reference	Copilot features, chat participants, slash commands, MCP servers
X	Copilot AI Models	Model comparison, strengths, plan availability, selection guidance

GitHub Ecosystem

Appendix	Document	What It Covers
O	GitHub Mobile	VoiceOver and TalkBack guide for iOS and Android
P	Publishing with GitHub Pages	Deploy a static site from your repository
Q	GitHub Actions and Workflows	Automation, CI/CD, agentic workflows
R	Profile, Sponsors, and Wikis	Profile README, GitHub Sponsors, GitHub Wikis
S	Organizations and Templates	Organizations, repo templates, visibility, archiving

Contributing and Community

Appendix	Document	What It Covers
T	Contributing to Open Source	Finding issues, scoping contributions, writing PRs, building a habit
U	Resources	Every link, tool, and reference from this event
Y	Accessing Workshop Materials	How to download, read offline, and keep updated
Z	GitHub Skills - Complete Course Catalog	All 36 modules in six learning paths with links and prerequisites

Exercises at a Glance

The workshop includes 24 structured exercises across the curriculum. Every exercise is designed to be completed in 1-5 minutes, is impossible to fail, and follows the same pattern: Try It → You're done when → What success feels like.

Chapter	Exercise	What You Do
Ch 1	60-Second Orientation	Press 1, D, 2, H on a repo page - prove you can navigate by ear
Ch 2	Five-Tab Tour	Visit Code, Issues, PRs, file finder, and README on a real repo
Ch 3	Individual Challenges	12 progressive challenges in the Learning Room
Ch 3	Group Challenges	7 collaborative exercises in the Learning Room
Ch 4	File Your First Issue	Create an introduction issue in the Learning Room
Ch 5	Read a Real PR	Navigate a PR's description, conversation, and diff
Ch 6	Read a Conflict	Read merge conflict markers and identify both versions
Ch 7	Rewrite One Comment	Transform a dismissive review comment into constructive feedback
Ch 8	Label and Link	Add a label to an issue and create a cross-reference
Ch 9	Tame Your Inbox	Mark a notification as done and configure watch settings
Ch 10	Try It Right Now	Open a repo in github.dev, enable screen reader mode, explore
Ch 11	Clone, Branch, Commit	Complete the full Git cycle: clone → branch → edit → stage → commit → push
Ch 12	Review a PR from VS Code	Open a diff, use Accessible Diff Viewer (F7), leave a comment
Ch 13	First Copilot Conversation	Ask Copilot Chat a question about your repo and read the response
Ch 14	Exercise A	Complete a web-based PR review using screen reader navigation
Ch 14	Exercise B	Use the VS Code Accessible Diff Viewer on the same PR
Ch 14	Exercise C	Compare web vs. VS Code review and document findings
Ch 15	Exercise A	Use an existing issue template in Accessibility Agents
Ch 15	Exercise B	Create an accessibility bug report template locally
Ch 15	Exercise C	Submit your template upstream via a real PR
Ch 15	Exercise D	Design a custom template for your own project
Ch 16	Exercise 1	Generate a template with the @template-builder agent
Ch 16	Exercise 2	Extend the @template-builder agent with new workflows
Ch 16	Exercise 3	Practice iterative refinement with agents

Getting Help

If you get stuck at any point during the workshop, these resources are always available:

Resource	What It Is	When to Use It
FAQ	Answers to common questions	When you have a question about the workshop, GitHub, or screen readers
Troubleshooting	Step-by-step solutions to common problems	When something is not working
Quick Reference	Condensed shortcuts and commands	When you need a keyboard shortcut or command fast
Glossary	Term definitions	When you encounter an unfamiliar word
Screen Reader Cheat Sheet	Navigation commands	When you need a screen reader shortcut
Resources	External links and documentation	When you want to learn more about a topic

Still stuck? Open an issue on this repository describing what you tried, what happened, and what you expected. Include your screen reader and operating system.

Workshop at a Glance

Aspect	Day 1	Day 2
Focus	GitHub web interface	VS Code + Accessibility Agents
Tools	Browser, screen reader	VS Code, Copilot, Accessibility Agents
Skills	Navigate, Issue, PR, Review, Merge	Git in VS Code, Copilot Chat, Agents, Ship
Outcome	You can use GitHub independently	Your name is in a real project's commit history
Time	~7.5 hours	~8 hours

Ready to begin? Start with Chapter 0: Pre-Workshop Setup.

Last updated: February 2026