On the bbPress forum “Create New Topic” page, when the Visual editor tab is active, the TinyMCE toolbar controls (Bold, Italic, Lists, Link, Image, etc.) cannot be accessed using the Tab key.

Keyboard users are unable to navigate to or interact with the formatting toolbar, which prevents them from using editor formatting features without a mouse.

Steps to Reproduce

Navigate to a bbPress forum page.
Select Create New Topic.
Ensure the Visual editor tab is active.
Place focus in the editor area.
Press the Tab key to navigate through available controls.

Actual Result

Focus skips the TinyMCE toolbar controls.
Toolbar buttons cannot be reached or activated using keyboard navigation.
Users must use a mouse to access formatting options.

Expected Result

All toolbar controls should be reachable via keyboard navigation.
Focus order should move through each toolbar button in a logical sequence.
Users should be able to activate toolbar functions using keyboard controls (Enter/Space).

Accessibility Impact

Affects keyboard-only users.
Affects screen reader users who rely on keyboard navigation.
Prevents equal access to content authoring functionality.

WCAG Success Criteria

2.1.1 Keyboard (Level A)
2.1.2 No Keyboard Trap (Level A) (verify during testing)
2.4.3 Focus Order (Level A)
4.1.2 Name, Role, Value (Level A) (if toolbar controls lack proper accessibility attributes)

Environment

Platform: WordPress + bbPress
Component: TinyMCE Visual Editor (Create New Topic form)
Browser(s): Chrome, Edge
Assistive Technology: NVDA (if tested)

Screenshot Reference

https://prnt.sc/PJVhxYwNyVvf