Uncovering the Accessibility Checker in Google Slides

Google Slides has become an essential tool for creating presentations, thanks to its intuitive interface and seamless integration with other Google Workspace apps. However, accessibility is often overlooked when designing slides for diverse audiences, including those with visual, auditory, or cognitive impairments. Google Slides offers a powerful tool—the Accessibility Checker—to help ensure your presentations are accessible to everyone. In this guide, we will walk you through how to use this feature, highlight its benefits, and provide troubleshooting tips to help you make your presentations as inclusive as possible.

What is the Accessibility Checker in Google Slides?

The Accessibility Checker in Google Slides is a built-in tool designed to assess the accessibility of your presentation. This tool scans your slides for issues that could make it difficult for individuals with disabilities to interact with or understand your content. These issues might include insufficient contrast, missing alternative text for images, or unstructured headings. By using the Accessibility Checker, you can ensure your presentations meet accessibility standards, making them more inclusive and usable for a wider audience.

Why Accessibility Matters in Google Slides

Making presentations accessible is essential for several reasons:

Legal Compliance: Many organizations must adhere to accessibility laws, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), to avoid discrimination claims.
Inclusivity: Accessible presentations ensure everyone, regardless of their abilities, has the opportunity to understand and engage with your content.
Improved User Experience: Accessibility enhancements, such as clearer text and well-structured slides, often improve the overall presentation for all viewers, not just those with disabilities.
Wider Audience Reach: By making your slides accessible, you cater to a broader audience, increasing the impact of your message.

Now that we understand the importance of accessibility, let’s explore how you can leverage the Google Slides Accessibility Checker to improve your presentations.

How to Use the Accessibility Checker in Google Slides

Follow these simple steps to access and use the Google Slides Accessibility Checker:

Step 1: Open Your Presentation

First, open your Google Slides presentation. If you haven’t created one yet, simply go to Google Slides and start a new presentation or open an existing file.

Step 2: Navigate to the “Tools” Menu

Once your presentation is open, click on the “Tools” menu in the top navigation bar.

Step 3: Select “Accessibility Settings”

In the dropdown menu, select “Accessibility Settings.” This will open a new window with options related to improving accessibility for your slides.

Step 4: Click on “Check Accessibility”

Next, click on the “Check Accessibility” option. The Accessibility Checker will scan your entire presentation for potential issues. The tool provides an easy-to-read report with actionable recommendations for improving your presentation’s accessibility.

Step 5: Review the Report

Once the tool has completed its scan, it will display a list of identified issues. These may include:

Low Contrast: Text or elements that don’t meet the recommended contrast ratio for readability.
Missing Alt Text: Images or other media elements that lack descriptive alt text, making it difficult for screen readers to convey the content.
Unstructured Headings: Headings that are not used in a logical sequence, which can confuse screen reader users.
Missing Slide Titles: Slides that lack titles or appropriate headings.

Each issue will include a brief explanation and suggestions on how to resolve it, which we will discuss in the next section.

Fixing Accessibility Issues in Google Slides

Now that you have your report, let’s go over how to fix the most common accessibility issues in Google Slides.

1. Improve Text Contrast

Ensuring sufficient contrast between text and its background is crucial for readability, especially for individuals with visual impairments. Google Slides will flag any text or elements that don’t meet the contrast ratio guidelines.

Solution: Adjust the text color or background color to increase the contrast. For example, use dark text on a light background or light text on a dark background.

2. Add Alt Text to Images

Alternative text (alt text) is essential for screen readers, as it describes the content of images, charts, or graphs to users who cannot see them.

Solution: Right-click on an image, select “Alt text”, and provide a detailed description of the image’s content. This description should be concise yet informative, explaining the image’s purpose in the context of your presentation.

3. Organize Headings Properly

Headings help screen readers understand the structure of your presentation. Google Slides will check if the headings are used correctly to maintain a logical flow of content.

Solution: Use the appropriate heading levels (Heading 1, Heading 2, etc.) to create a clear hierarchy. Avoid skipping heading levels (e.g., jumping from Heading 1 directly to Heading 3), as it can confuse users with screen readers.

4. Ensure Each Slide Has a Title

Google Slides recommends that every slide have a title to aid navigation, especially for screen reader users who rely on titles to jump between slides.

Solution: Make sure every slide has a title in the title text box. This is an important element for both accessibility and organization.

Common Accessibility Issues and Troubleshooting Tips

Despite your best efforts, you may still encounter some issues when using the Accessibility Checker. Here are some common problems and how to resolve them:

1. Issues with Text Contrast

If the Accessibility Checker flags text contrast issues, it may be because the background and text colors are too similar. Some slides may have images as backgrounds, making it difficult for text to stand out.

Solution: Try using transparent backgrounds or adjusting the opacity of background images. Alternatively, you can place text in a solid-colored shape or box for better contrast.

2. Alt Text Missing or Incorrect

Another common issue is missing or insufficient alt text for images, which can make the content inaccessible for visually impaired users.

Solution: Make it a habit to add descriptive alt text to all visual elements. If you’re unsure what to write, ask yourself what information a person who cannot see the image needs to understand the content.

3. Headings Not Structured Correctly

Sometimes, users mistakenly format headings manually without using the built-in heading styles. This can confuse screen readers, which rely on specific heading styles to understand the structure.

Solution: Always use the “Heading” styles in the toolbar. Avoid manually formatting text to look like headings—use the proper structure in the “Format” menu.

Conclusion

Google Slides’ Accessibility Checker is a powerful tool that helps make your presentations more inclusive and accessible. By following the steps outlined in this guide and using the recommendations provided by the tool, you can ensure that your slides meet accessibility standards and are usable by everyone. Remember, accessibility is not just about meeting legal requirements—it’s about creating content that can be accessed and understood by a diverse audience.

Start using the Accessibility Checker today to enhance your presentations and reach a wider audience. For more resources on improving accessibility, check out the Google Slides Help Center.

This article is in the category Guides & Tutorials and created by SlidesGuide Team