Google Docs - Faculty Portal
Creating Accessible Google Docs
Google docs are mostly accessible with a variety of screen readers, but this functionality must be activated. To learn more about using a screen reader with your google docs,visit the help article, "Get started in Google Docs with a screen reader". For your google docs to be accessible, you must follow all of the accessibility guidelines mentioned on the other pages of this guide, such as providing a document structure and formatting with styles, as well as providing text alternatives and using color appropriately.
Heading Styles
Heading styles should be used to label each section of your document. Use the various levels of headings in the Styles gallery to affix these labels and style your document.
1. Select the heading of a section.
2. Choose the appropriate heading style from the Styles gallery.
Alt Text
Alternative text, or alt text, provides a text equivalent of visual materials. Use alt text on pictures, shapes, drawings, charts, and graphs.
1. Click on an object to select it. You will see selection handles and a border surrounding the image as shown in the image below.
2. Click the Format menu and select Alt text.
3. Type a brief description in the Description field of the Alt Text dialog box.
A Word of Caution about PDFs
DO NOT attempt to save your google doc as a pdf or print as a pdf. Both of these options will strip away the tags that are essential to screen readers to understanding document structure and formatting.
