Joel Zimba, Access Technology Coordinator at MDTAP provided this review of the new accessibility features in Google docs.
On September 14, Google announced enhanced accessibility to their Docs, Sites and Calendar. In the past, Google products, particularly the “cloud” applications like Docs had been nearly impossible to navigate using a screen reader. Now it’s possible to create, edit and perhaps most importantly, collaborate, using Google Docs AND a screen reader.
In an effort to review these new accessibility features, I attempted to write this article using Internet Explorer 9, the public beta of JAWS for Windows 13 and Google Docs. After reading the tutorials and keystroke lists I found at: www.google.com/accessibility, I was able to move between the editing area of the document and the menus and toolbars at will. However, my biggest problem was not being able to review the previously written material. While I could read the document using the Virtual PC Cursor, doing in-place edits proved elusive. After switching to Firefox, which the documentation specifically recommends, my experience improved. Selected menu items were not always being read in Internet Explorer. This problem is all but fixed with Firefox. I eventually failed in accomplishing my task. While accessible, figuring out the quirks of Web applications will take some practice on my part.
That said, the accessibility team has made tremendous progress in this area, and I look forward to further developments. Google Calendar works very smoothly under the Agenda view. I was able to create entries, add entries from other calendars, etc. I still connect to Google Calendar via iPhone Calendar and Outlook, but the Web interface is nearly good enough to be my fulltime calendaring system.
Proper accessibility in Apps was one of the last hurtles facing Google in their push to provide services to the higher education
sector. Now, it’s possible that blind students matriculating in 2012 will be able to use these same productivity tools as their sighted counterparts.
