Summary

We have seen that there are major accessibility issues within this part of the interface. In the review, we have selected some overall criterium that we see are important to enable a deeper review of OnlyOffice.

The interface is highly focused on mouse interaction. Keyboard only users are able to start a word document, an excel spreadsheet, or a presentation but face real difficulties closing the applications. In effect a keyboard trap. The different applications are placed over the web interface and work as a modal window, but the keyboard focus doesn’t automatically move to the new interface. The interface can be used by keyboard-only users using shortcuts, but shortcuts are only presented visually on the screen, in effect not usable for screen reader users. The visual focus marker/indicator is not present so keyboard-only users are not able to see where they are in the different apps, except for the editing area. The editing area isn’t possible to use as a screen reader user since the content entered isn’t conveyed to speech or braille output. Buttons calling for action are button objects, but without a button name/value unless button text is displayed visually.

So, there’s a major challenge to making the OnlyOffice interface accessible. If it’s the Microsoft implementation, alternatives should be considered.

Even if this is outside the scope of this review you need to consider following Authoring Tool Accessibility Guidelines, ATAG 2.0, for the OnlyOffice implementation. The OnlyOffice interface resembles the desktop implementation of Microsoft Office. This implementation however needs to be accessible and produce accessible content.

1.1.1 Non-text content

Meaningful images/icon buttons are missing alternative texts. A name on the button will probably solve the issue of meaningful images as well, see 4.1.2.

2.1.1 Keyboard

The entire interface is not easy to navigate using only a keyboard.

A prerequisite is a visual focus indicator, see 2.4.7, but also that the user understands when the focus is in the editable area. In Excel, the user gets a default starting point in cell A1, but the user can not reach buttons or menus outside the spreadsheet.

In Word and PowerPoint the user reaches the Office interface after navigating through the web interface. After navigating through all office interface objects, the user reaches the editor. Screen reader users are given more information in the interface, but no feedback on what is typed in the text editor in word or PowerPoint.

To navigate the menus short cuts are used, and as a web interface, a comprehensive list is needed with all of the keyboard commands.

2.1.2 No Keyboard Trap

While the users are able to start the office programs by creating a document, spreadsheet, or presentation, but lack the opportunity to close the programs with the keyboards, it is considered a keyboard trap. How are users supposed to return to the web interface?

Theoretically, it’s possible to close Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and Forms with “Gå till document” in the “Arkiv” menu, which closes the embedded office application. It’s possible to close the office by moving the cursor to the browser address field (with a keyboard shortcut) and choosing the “Filer” app again. This is particularly cumbersome for keyboard-only users and screen reader users.

2.4.7 Focus Visible

There’s no visual indication of buttons, menus, or controllers in documents and presentations. Spreadsheets only have a built-in indicator in the editable area. Documents and presentations only have a blinking cursor in the editor area.

4.1.2 Name, Role, Value

The office interfaces consist of icon buttons, some with visible text. The text is presented to screen reader users. Without text, the buttons are not accessible. All buttons have the role of button or link. Without text buttons are displayed as “button”, “clickable” or “clickable button”.

The office apps are placed in an iframe without the title attribute. The title tells screen reader users the nature of the content inside the frame, giving them an option to skip the frame or not.