Editor creating content, Photo/Illustration

We4Authors Cluster

Based on a EU-funded pilot project called We4Authors, Funka and its partners will make a joint effort to increase the level of accessibility by default in web authoring tools. By sharing knowledge and experience as well as demonstrating how accessibility features can be built into different kind of tools, we hope to inspire the whole market, focusing on tools used by public sector agencies in the European member states.

The aim is to support web authors, mainly in the public sector, in publishing more accessible from the start. This way, persons with disabilities are included – and the public sector agencies are complying to the Web Accessibility Directive.

The research is funded by the European Commission and the successful accessibility features will be made public in a repository for the benefit of the community.

Would you like to try out new accessibility features in authoring tools?

What if the content management system you are using could produce accessibility by default? Or give you advanced support in publishing accessible content?

This is your chance to contribute to innovative solutions for the next generation accessible authoring tool.

In the EU-funded research project WE4Authors Cluster, market leading web authoring tool providers are creating by default accessibility features to help web authors in their content creation. During the autumn, Funka, who is leading the project, are going to perform user tests with web authors to validate that the new features are solving relevant problems, easy to use and well working.

The testing will be performed online and you will have the opportunity to impact the results of the project at the same time as you will be inspired and learn more about accessible publishing.

The project results are going to be free for all to use and the aim is for all market players to implement the features in their tools. This means that you, in the near future, will hopefully be able to require better accessibility support in your content management system.

The user testing is planned for October and each test will take approximately one hour. You are welcome to contribute once or during the whole iteration and we are of course very keen to know your views on the features after the test.

Please contact Jakob Hasslöw if you would like to participate in the user testing and contribute to better accessibility support in authoring tools!

WE4Authors Cluster on AXSChat

AXSChat is an open online community dedicated to creating an inclusive world.

By mid-July, the AXSChat community invited We4Authors Cluster partners Susanna Laurin (Funka), Timo Stollenwerk (KitConcept) and Mike Gifford (Open Concept) to chat with the community about default accessibility in authoring tools.

The 40 minute video interview gives a good overview of the aim of the research project, while the chat afterwards covers important discussions with prominent accessibility experts as well as the broader community asking questions during the chat in this video.

We4Authors Cluster

Would you like to try out new accessibility features in authoring tools?

WE4Authors Cluster on AXSChat

Project Manager

Partner

Partner (Plone)

Senior Advisor OpenConcept (Drupal)

Senior Advisor

Third party

Subcontractor JandBeyond e.V. (Joomla!)

Subcontractor Sigma (Umbraco)

Funded by the European Commission