[Trainer-talk] Google Offers Improved Accessibility to Docs, Sheets, etc.

[David Goldfield]

I'm not a user of Google's apps so I can't offer any further comments or 
additional support beyond what is in this article.  From theNextWeb ...

Google updates Drive and Docs with improved screen reader, Braille 
display, and accessibility phone support
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Emil Protalinski
EMIL PROTALINSKI
11 September '14, 07:17pm

Google today announced a major accessibility update to Google Drive as 
well as Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, Drawings, and Forms. Specifically 
designed with blind and low-vision users in mind, the improvements 
include an improved screen reader and Braille display, as well as phone 
support.
First up, the updated screen reader support includes better 
text-to-voice verbalization and improvements to keyboard navigation. You 
should also notice:
• Support for alt text on images in Docs, so you can tell a screen 
reader what they should say to describe an image.
• Better support for using a keyboard to edit charts and pivot tables in 
Sheets.
• Additional screen reader improvements specifically for Docs, Sheets 
and Slides, including support for spelling suggestions, comments and 
revision history.
• The ability to quickly search the menus and perform actions in Docs, 
Slides and Drawings (and soon Sheets and Forms)—even if you don’t know 
the action’s key sequence.
omnibox Google updates Drive and Docs with improved screen reader, 
Braille display, and accessibility phone support
Screen readers will now also announce when people enter or leave the 
document, and you’ll hear when others are editing alongside you. 
Everyone should now be able to determine when they are collaborating in 
real time.
Next up, refreshable Braille display support has been added: not only 
can you read and enter text in Docs, Slides and Drawings with the 
device, but your screen reader’s settings for character echoing are 
automatically followed. Braille also cuts down on the lag between when 
you press a key and when it’s announced by your screen reader, plus it 
improves the announcements of punctuation and whitespace.
Speaking of screen readers and Braille displays, Google now offers 
step-by-step guides for each of its apps: Drive, Docs, Sheets, Slides, 
Forms and Drawings. If you need in-product advice, just access the 
“Help” menu at any time or use the updated shortcut help dialog to 
easily search through keyboard shortcuts.
keyboard 730x491 Google updates Drive and Docs with improved screen 
reader, Braille display, and accessibility phone support
Last but certainly not least, Google is now offering phone support for 
Google Drive accessibility questions. Just visit 
support.google.com/drive to request a call from the team.
See also – Google Docs now lets you crop, rotate, and add borders to 
images and Google launches add-on stores for Google Docs and Sheets

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      David Goldfield,
Assistive Technology specialist
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