Accessibility of Text Editors

Many of the sites that allow users to contribute text, images and other multimedia also provide an editor that allows users to change the look and feel of their text as they would in a wordprocesser application. The problem is that not all editors are accessible when using a keyboard or screen reader. TinyMCE appears to be the best option at present. If a user cannot reach the editor with the use of the keyboard then a plain text form should be offered. (W3C WCAG 2.0 2.1, W3C WCAG 2.0 2.4, W3C WCAG 2.0 1.1, W3C WCAG 2.0 3.2 and W3C WCAG 2.0 4.1).

Testing Techniques

These techniques may be used to perform the test.

Method

Quick Overview: Manual tabbing. WebAim WAVE Errors,Features and Alerts, WebbIE and Thunder or NVDA screen reader to check if text can be submitted.

Criteria for this Test

Poor Keyboard and screen reader inaccessible.
Fair Tab into the editor and out again but no access to toolbar.
Good Partial accessibility with access to some tools.
Excellent Fully accessible and usable.

Results for this Test

Score Product
Excellent21Classes
ExcellentATutor
Excellentb2evolution
ExcellentBlogdigger
ExcellentBlogTalkRadio
ExcellentCampusbug
ExcellentChartle.net
ExcellentConnotea
Excellentdelicious
Excellentdiigo
ExcellentDiigo WebSlides
ExcellentDisabled United Website
ExcellentDropbox
ExcellentEpernicus
ExcellentFastladder
ExcellentFlickr
ExcellentflickrSLiDR
ExcellentFriendFeed
ExcellentGoogle Reader
ExcellentHot Potatoes
ExcellentIMDb
ExcellentLast.fm
ExcellentLinkedIn
ExcellentmynoteIT
ExcellentNetcipia
ExcellentNotefish
ExcellentPhotobucket
ExcellentPicBoard
ExcellentPlurk
Excellentpopurls
ExcellentRemember The Milk
ExcellentShelfari
ExcellentStumbleUpon
ExcellentTeambox
ExcellentTiddlywiki
Excellenttumblr
ExcellentTwitter
ExcellentType with Me
ExcellentVuvox
ExcellentWindows Live SkyDrive
GoodAccessible Twitter
GoodAnswers.com
Goodbabycenter.com
GoodBlogger
GoodCafemom
GoodCloudWorks
GoodDoodle
GoodDrupal
GoodFacebook
GoodFlickr Tell a Story in 5 Frames
GoodFlicktion
GoodGoogle Calendar
GoodGoogle Maps
GoodiSurvey
GoodLiveJournal
GoodMobile Facebook
GoodMyPodcast.com
GoodOur Wishing Well
GoodScribd
GoodVeoTag
GoodVideoJug
GoodWayfaring
GoodWikipedia / Mediawiki
FairAnobii
Fairblinklist
FairBubbleShare
FairCiteULike
FairDisability Community Website
FairEdublogs
FairFriends Reunited
FairGoogle Docs (Office suite)
FairGoogle Presenter
FairGoogle Wave
FairGrazr
FairInstructables
FairmyExperiment
FairNing
FairObsidian Portal
FairSclipo
FairTechnorati
FairViewbook
FairVox
FairWetpaint Wiki
FairWordPress
FairxFRUITS
FairXtimeline
FairYahoo Answers
FairYouTube
FairYoYo Games
Poor30Boxes
PoorAnimoto
PoorBlabberize
PoorBookr
Poorbubble.us
PoorBubblePLY
PoorBubblr
PoorCLEAR RIA
PoorComiqs
PoorCommunityWalk
PoorCoverItLive
PoorDimdim
PooreHow
PoorEmpressr
PoorESLvideo
PoorFlektor
PoorFotopages
Poorfrappr
PoorGliffy
PoorGlogster
PoorGoogle Sites
PoorJayCut
PoorJooce
PoorLinoit
PoorMapwing
PoorMindmeister
PoorMindomo
PoorMotionbox
PoorMyPlick
PoorNotecentric
PoorOverstream
PoorParenting
PoorPBworks (PBwiki)
PoorPrezi
PoorScreencast.com
PoorShowbeyond
PoorSlideShare
PoorTalkr
PoorTeacherTube
PoorTokbox
PoorVoiceThread
PoorWiZiQ
PoorWriteboard
PoorZentation
PoorZoho Show