The Grackle Workspace add-on provides accessibility checks and guided fixes in the Google Workspace environment, making Google Docs, Slides and Sheets accessible to people of all abilities.
How to Start Using Grackle Add-ons:
- You must be logged in to your binghamton.edu Google account.
- Open a Google Doc, Slides, or Sheet that you want to check for accessibility issues.
- From the top menu options, select Extensions.
- On the drop-down menu, scroll down to Grackle Docs (or Grackle Slides or Grackle Sheets) and click Launch.
- The first time you open it, each user will need to agree to allow access for the app to their account or data.
- The Grackle extension will open in a panel on the right-hand side.
- You must launch Grackle very time you open a Google Doc, Slides, or Sheet.
The Grackle Accessibility Scan
As soon as you launch it, Grackle will scan the entire document for accessibility. The results will be displayed in the sidebar. For Grackle Docs the results will be sorted into these 6 categories:
- Document
- Images
- Headings
- Tables
- Landmarks
- Contents
Each category contains sub-categories.
Grackle Slides and Grackle Sheets have different categories.
How to read scan results
For categories that have no errors, a checkmark in a green circle will appear on the category heading. For categories with errors or warnings, a count in a red or brown circle will appear.
For sub-categories:
- A green checkmark means there were no errors.
- A red "X" means that errors were found. All sub-categories with errors are automatically expanded so you can see the details. In most cases, you will be able to immediately fix the found errors.
- A green checkmark with a red exclamation point is a warning. A warning alerts you to a best practice that is not being followed, or some other issue below the level of an error.
Fixing Accessibility Issues that the Grackle Docs Scan Finds
This section details how to fix a Google Doc based on the Grackle Docs scan. The steps will be similar for Grackle scans of Google Slides and Sheets, but the specific categories will be different.
- Go through the scan results for every error and every warning.
- Update the issues by selecting and editing the sub-category elements on the right-hand side panel.
- Once you've updated your document, select the Re-Check button at the top of the Grackle Docs panel to see if there are any other document issues found.
- Continue the process until no issues remain.
- You may close the Grackle Docs panel by clicking the X in the top right corner.
Document title
By default, Google Docs does not tag a document with a title. Although you provide a name for your Google Doc, you must manually configure the document's title. Grackle will allow you to choose whether to use the name that you set for the Google Doc or allow you to add a new title. Click the Edit button to open the Document Properties window. Set the title and other information, then click the Update button to save your changes.
Alternative text for images
Grackle Docs checks that images and other graphics have alternative text. It will also flag images that appear to be using their file name as an alt-tag, because file names are often not descriptive enough to convey all the important information in an image.
Under the section that says "The following images have not been tagged:", select the Locate button to open the Tag Image or Graphics window. Set the alternative text for the image, or mark it as an artifact (e.g., a decorative image not important to understand the context of the page). Click the Update button to save your changes.
Page headings
Headings should follow a logical order. An H2 heading should follow H1, and should be followed by H3.
Grackle checks against two accessibility requirements related to headings.
- Headings are present in the document
- Headings are nested correctly
Grackle counts both the highest heading value reached and the number of paragraphs with heading styles.
Table column and row headers
Grackle visualizes the fields in each table to help you tag headers and columns. This helps screen reader users navigate through data tables one cell at a time, and be able to hear the column and row headers announced. If a table is used for layout, Grackle allows you to select this option to remove the tags that could confuse the screen reader user.
To update your table, click the Locate button to open the Tag Table window. You will have the option to choose row and column headers or to mark the table for layout only. Click the Update button to save your changes.
Page landmarks
Grackle checks for three features that help users better navigate a document.
- Lists are used where appropriate
- Footnotes have IDs and Alts.
- Headers and Footers are present and descriptive
Click the Locate button next to the flagged issue to find the area of the page that needs updating.
Color contrast
Grackle will flag your document if you're using a color combination that does not meet compliance standards. Click the Locate button next to the flagged issue to find the text on the page whose color contrast is not compliant.
Learn more about color contrast and how to check it.
Descriptive link text
Hyperlink text should be meaningful. When adding links to your document, avoid using URLs or generic phrases such as "Click here" or "Read more."
Click the Locate button next to the flagged issue to find the link on the page that should be updated.
Learn more about accessible links.
Export to PDF
Once your document has passed the accessibility check, you may export it to a PDF. Click the Export to PDF button on the right-hand side pane. A Progress Monitor window will open and allow you to select various options. Once you've selected your options, click the Start button. When your PDF has generated, you will have the option to select the View button to view the document in Google Drive, or select the Download button to download the PDF to your computer.