What Makes a Google Doc Accessible?

A document is accessible if it has been designed and structured to be used by people who use assisted technology.  Assistive technology devices and software allow people to interact with and access documents effectively if they are accessible.  These instructions focus on improving accessibility for people using screenreaders.

Document Headings

Sighted users often use bold or large fonts to create the visual appearance of headings in their documents. Users with no vision or low vision who use assistive technologies, like screen readers, have difficulty understanding these visual cues. Use heading styles from the Google Docs styles menu to identify these important sections or topics within your documents.

Assign headings based on the hierarchy of your document. The main title or description of the document should begin with a Heading 1; this should be the only Heading 1 element in your document. A Heading 2 can be used for the various main sections of the document, similar to chapter titles in a book.  Heading 3 elements can be used for sub-sections contained within a Heading 2 section. Continue adding this hierarchical heading structure to your documents with additional Heading elements (Heading 2,3,4,5, etc.) based on the organization of the document. Never skip heading levels. A Heading 3 element would follow a Heading 2 element, and a Heading 4 element would follow a Heading 3 element.  There is no limit to the number of Heading (levels 2,3,4,5, etc.) elements you can use in a document.

To Add Headings in Google Docs:

• Select the text that you want to assign as a heading.
• Choose the appropriate Heading style from the Styles menu located to the left of the font styles menu.

Alternative Text (Alt Text) for Images

Images used in documents like descriptive images, logos, and charts that are used to illustrate data, need an Alternative Text description so that individuals using a screen reader can detect the image and understand its purpose in the document. Alt Text descriptions should be concise and provides information contextual information about the image (example: who, what, when, where).

To Add Alt Text in Google Docs:

• Select the image, right-click and select the Alt Text option.
• Enter descriptive text in the Description box, not the Title box.

Descriptive Links

If fully formed links are used as display text, a user who relies on a screen reader or text to speech software can easily become confused as the hyperlink is read out one character at a time. A better option is to use natural language as display text instead of the full link. For example, instead of using the link https://www.crockerart.org/exhibitions/the-splendor-of-germany, use more descriptive display text like The Crocker Art Museum's Splendor of Germany exhibit. Both links will take the reader to the same web page, but the more descriptive link provides better context for all users.

To Add Descriptive Links in Google Docs:

• Enter the natural language link text into your document (The Crocker Art Museum's Splendor of Germany exhibit).
• Select the link text, right-click and choose Link.
• Confirm the descriptive text in the Text field.
• Enter the full link in the Link field (https://www.crockerart.org/exhibitions/the-splendor-of-germany).

Grackle Accessibility Checker for Google Docs and Slides

Unfortunately, Google Docs and Google Slides do not have a built-in accessibility checker.  We recommend using the Grackle add on as a final step.  When you use Grackle, it will scan your document for many types of accessibility barriers and provide suggestions to fix these problems. Grackle is free for 30 days. 

• Learn more about Grackle at their website.

This page was adapted from work by Daina Dickman (Scholarly Communication Librarian, Sacramento State University) and Hannah Pollard (Health Sciences Librarian, Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences).