Grackle Slides for accessible Google Slides
Grackle Slides is a Google extension that scans sheets for common accessibility issues and suggests fixes right in your Google Slides. Use Grackle to evaluate your slides and cross-check your accessibility practices.
Similar to other accessibility checkers, Grackle Workspace is an automated tool that will not catch all accessibility barriers and may suggest recommendations that are not applicable. Employ accessibility best practices for Google Slides first, and use Grackle as a secondary check.
How do I use Grackle Slides to improve the accessibility of my Google Sheets?
If you have not done so yet, first install Grackle Slides.
Avoid creating PDFs whenever possible
Please note that some Grackle-recommended remediations are focused on preparing your Google Workspace files for conversion to Portable Document Format (PDF). PSU strongly recommends against exporting to PDF, as the resulting file would require additional validation and remediation in a professional PDF editing software like Adobe Acrobat Pro or Foxit PDF Editor+ in order to be accessible.
Launch Grackle Slides to run an accessibility check
- Open the Google Slides you wish to check. Ensure you are signed into your PSU Google account.
- Select Extensions (1).
- Select Grackle Slides (2).
- Select Launch (3).
- This will begin running the automatic accessibility checker on your document.
- Once your document has been checked, the Grackle Sheets sidebar will appear and display Accessibility Check (4) and Slides Structure (5) tabs.
- For each category that has failures or warnings, correct each issue within that category.
- Select the Re-Check button (6) at the top of the Grackle panel to confirm that you have fixed the issues.
- Repeat these steps as needed until all checks have passed.
What do Grackle Slides error marks mean?
Grackle displays accessibility checks across a range of accessibility items organized into a number of categories. Review the checks to determine what issues need to be addressed to increase the accessibility of your file.
- Fail: A red X indicates the check found an accessibility error.
- Pass: A green check means the check found no accessibility issues.You should still toggle the item to review the content for accuracy.
- Warning: A green checkmark with a white exclamation point in a red circle means the check found something that isn’t a definite failure but might still be a problem. This result requires a manual review of the issue.
How do I fix accessibility errors Grackle Slides flags?
Grackle checks accessibility in several categories of items. Follow the prompts in the Grackle sidebar to review issues and correct errors.
Some Grackle-recommended remediations are focused on preparing your Google Workspace files for conversion to PDF. PSU strongly recommends against exporting to PDF. Learn more below about which Grackle checks need manual review and which recommended remediations are not applicable for accessible Google Slides.
This section checks the properties of the document. Items in this section need to be manually reviewed.
- Document has a descriptive title: Verify that the file name is descriptive, readable, and accurate.
- Document language is set: English is set by default; change the language if the document is not in English
Items in this section are related to how slides are titled and what content is included in them. Follow the prompts to correct any errors.
Only simple tables (one heading row and/or column) are appropriate for use in Slides. If your slides have tables, this section checks if they are tagged and described.
- Tables are tagged or marked as layout tables: Tagging tables and marking as layout tables are only applicable for PDF export, and is not an accessible practice for use within Google Slides. Instead, for accessible tables in Google Slides, ensure your slide title accurately describes the table and that your table is no more than about three rows.
This section includes checks related to graphics and list formatting. Even if you pass the Grackle check on this section, manually review the accuracy of your alternative text.
This section includes checks for a variety of formatting issues. Some items in this section need to be manually reviewed.
- High color contrast is used: Grackle sometimes incorrectly passes colors with insufficient contrast. Manually check any color used to ensure sufficient contrast.
Clone instead of Copy
To make a copy of your presentation, use Grackle’s Clone feature. Some Grackle features do not persist in subsequent copies if you use the Google Copy function. Cloning your presentation includes all accessibility tags and options are presented for preserving comments and auto-sharing with collaborators or others who have permission to view/edit the document. Select the hamburger menu (7) in the Grackle sidebar and then Clone Document (8) to clone your document.
How do I use the Slides Structure tab?
The Slides Structure tab displays the order of each element on your slides. Drag and drop to reorder elements on your slides, without changing the visual appearance of the elements.
This article was last updated .
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