Safe Navigation Back to an Accessible Area After Access Denial
The no-access screen must always present at least one safe navigation action that takes the user back to a route they are permitted to access. Per the accessibility requirements documented across all three workshop organizations, a persistent back button is preferred over gesture-based navigation (no swipe-to-dismiss). The screen should offer both a back navigation button (returning to the previous screen if it was accessible) and a prominent 'Go to Home' button that routes the user to the role-based home screen. The role-based home screen is the safe landing page for all authenticated roles. Navigation state must be preserved correctly when using StatefulShellRoute so returning to the home tab does not reset other tab states.
User Story
Acceptance Criteria
- Given a peer mentor is on the no-access screen, when they tap the back button, then they are navigated to the previous accessible screen without app state loss
- Given a peer mentor is on the no-access screen and there is no safe previous route, when they tap 'Go to Home', then they are navigated to the role-based home screen
- Given the no-access screen is displayed, when the peer mentor inspects the UI, then a persistent back button is visible in the header rather than relying on swipe-to-dismiss gestures
- Given a peer mentor returns to the home screen from the no-access screen, when the bottom navigation is evaluated, then other tab states are preserved and not reset
- Given the no-access screen is displayed, when a screen-reader user navigates to the action buttons, then both the back action and home action are announced with descriptive labels
Business Value
Users who encounter a dead end with no obvious exit path are likely to abandon the app entirely. Providing a persistent, accessible navigation action from the no-access screen ensures continuity of the user journey, directly supporting the low-cognitive-load design principle emphasized by all three workshop organizations. This is especially important for users with motor or cognitive impairments who cannot rely on back gestures.