Maven 3.6.0: Should the default color output be disabled for accessibility?

Maven 3.6.0 and ANSI Color

Starting with Maven 3.6.0 the system property -Dmaven.color controls whether ANSI color escape sequences are emitted in console output. By default, Maven emits colored text, which can aid sighted users in distinguishing build phases, errors, and warnings.

Accessibility Concern

Screen readers and plain‑text terminals often misinterpret or ignore raw ANSI codes, potentially obscuring important information for users relying on assistive technologies. Setting -Dmaven.color=false removes these sequences, yielding plain text that is more readily consumed by such tools.

Unresolved Decision

While the community recognizes the accessibility benefit of disabling color by default, there is no consensus on whether future releases should shift the default behavior. The change would affect backward compatibility for plugins that embed ANSI formatting and could alter the visual experience for many developers.

Specific Questions

• Should Maven’s default in future releases be -Dmaven.color=false to improve out‑of‑the‑box accessibility?
• What strategies can be employed to preserve visual cues for sighted developers while still supporting screen readers?
• How can plugin developers adapt to a potential default change without breaking existing build scripts?