Docs

Within Google Docs there are certain features you can employ to make your document more accessible to those with disabilities or special needs. Setting up your documents and resources so they are easier navigate with assistive technologies like screen readers will greatly improve the accessibility of your resources.

The principles of design listed here apply across all digital resources.

Six core skills:

• Headings and document structure
• Hyperlinks
• Video captions
• Bullets and numbered lists
• Color and contrast
• Image alt-text

It is common practice to use larger font size or bold fonts to give the appearance of a heading in your document. Within modern word processing software/apps are font styles for headings, titles, subtitles, etc. that enable screen readers to properly read the text as intended. There should only be one (1) Heading 1 in the document, this may be a repeat of your Title. All others should be lower in the hierarchy.

Many of us were taught early in our career to use tables as a way of organizing and controlling the layout and alignment of information on our website. Tables should only be used to present information.

Column and row headers are necessary in tables to allow screen readers to properly navigate through the information. If set up correctly the user can simply tab through the table while the screen reader reads the data aloud.

Try to avoid using split cells/merged cells in tables. It creates problems for screen readers.

Use the list tools within the main ribbon in Google Docs. Do not create your list by indenting rows and adding dashes or numbers. The screen reader only recognizes lists created using the tool because of the coding generated by the tool. Use the numbered list if order matters and the bulleted list when it doesn't.

Don't use the tab key or space bar to create multiple columns. They will not appear the same on different platforms (desktop, tablet or phone) and if the user increases or decreases the zoom on the browser the spacing adjusts with that.

If you need multiple columns, use the built in tools for creating those columns. This helps the data to stay together when shifting between platforms and when zooming in/out. It also is easier for the screen reader to navigate, otherwise the information would come across jumbled to someone utilizing a screen reader.

High contrast ratio with a minimum of 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text. The recommended ratio is 7:1

Colour Contrast Analyser

WebAIM Color Contrast Checker This site requires you to know the hexadecimal format of the foreground (text) and background colors or a color picker.

Colorzilla can be used to find the color value for a page element.

WAVE can analyze contrast ratios for all page text elements at once. It will also analyze other accessibility features. It even gives a detailed explanation for the error/flag.

We often use color to provide information on websites and documents. We may group terms using color, but that is not something that is picked up on by screen readers. To make sure the information is conveyed correctly through a screen reader, you need to rely on other methods to convey the information. That could be as simple as adding an asterisk next to the colored items or some other symbol.

Headings are a great tool for navigating through your document. The best use of headings would have only one item formatted as Heading 1 and all others lower in the hierarchy.

Table of contents can be used to quickly navigate through your document.

When you add a table of contents in Google Docs, it automatically converts your "Headings" into entries in your table of contents.

Landmarks include headers, footers and lists. Accessibility checkers will scan for these and make sure they have the proper information (footnotes and id's). Landmarks are not only beneficial to those using a screen reader, but they can also help others navigate through your resources.

Grackle Docs-Accessibility checker for Docs. Scans the document for 22 different features and gives recommendations to improve accessibility. The free features allow you to scan your documents. The paid features also allow you to jump straight to each section and make your corrections. The paid version is quite pricey, but can cover an entire domain.

For Student Use:

If you use these add-ons with students it will eliminate some of the distractions that may cause issues for students. These allow the student to stay within the current app instead of opening a new tab or app.

Easybib: Allows students to generate a bibliography/citation list without leaving the document. It also switches between multiple styles.

Docutube: More information on this add-on can be found at the Docutube developers website There was a recent update to the add-on causing a problem with the Google Sign-on process for it. Hopefully the developer is able to take care of this issue. This is also an add-on that can be pushed out across the entire domain.