Office Application Accessibility Review: Google docs: Document | Accessible Digital Office Document (ADOD) Project

Version
Date of Current Version: 16 February 2011
Latest Version (HTML): http://inclusivedesign.ca/accessible-office-documents/googledocument-review

Contents
Usage Notes
Review Results
Screen Reader Test 1. Accessing an Existing Test Document
Screen Reader Test 2. Creating a New Document
Acknowledgments

Usage Notes

Overview

At the time of testing (February, 2011), Google docs: Document was found not to be very accessible using keyboard navigation. In addition, screen reader testing appeared to show important limitations.

Testing Details

Screen reader testing was performed on Firefox 3.6.13 using two popular screen readers for Windows 7, JAWS 11 and NVDA 2010.2.
Keyboard navigation testing was performed on Windows 7 using Opera 11.01.

Disclaimer

This document is provided for information purposes only and is neither a recommendation nor a guarantee of results.
If errors are found, please report them to: adod-comments@idrc.ocad.ca.

Review Results

This table summarizes the result of our reviews using the “ADOD Assessment Framework: Success criteria for assessing the accessibility of office application user interfaces”

ADOD Assessment Framework: Success criteria for assessing the accessibility of office application user interfaces	Result
[ADOD-Office-Applications-UI 7.1] Use all applicable operating system and accessibility standards and conventions that are important or essential to accessibility. The techniques for this checkpoint include references to checklists and guidelines for a number of platforms and to general guidelines for accessible applications. ADOD Note: The Checkpoint is very general, and includes: Supporting relevant accessibility API(s); Web-based tools conforming to WCAG; Keyboard access; Providing keyboard shortcuts where recommended for a platform; Respecting platform settings (such as “high contrast” modes); and Providing documentation.	No. Screen reader support is confirmed by testing (see below). Only select features are keyboard accessible. Does not respect platform settings including Windows “high contrast” mode.
[ADOD-Office-Applications-UI 7.2] Allow the author to change the presentation within editing views without affecting the [office document]. This allows the author to edit the document according to personal requirements, without changing the way the document is rendered when published.	No. Does not support Windows platform “high contrast” settings. No magnification or “Zoom” feature.
[ADOD-Office-Applications-UI 7.3] Allow the author to edit all properties of each element and object in an accessible fashion.	No. Main menu options are not accessible via keyboard shortcuts. Keyboard shortcuts do exist for some of the menu commands, but not for many others.
[ADOD-Office-Applications-UI 7.4] Ensure that the editing view allows navigation via the structure of the document in an accessible fashion.	No. No view available that allows navigation via document structure.
[ADOD-Office-Applications-UI 7.5] Enable editing of the structure of the document in an accessible fashion.	No. No view available that allows editing of the document structure, document structure can be edited by editing the document content itself.
[ADOD-Office-Applications-UI 7.6] Allow the author to search within editing views.	Yes. Via the “Find and Replace” feature.

Screen Reader Test 1. Accessing an Existing Test Document

In this test, the evaluator used a screen reader to explore a pre-existing test document that had been created by a sighted colleague, following the “Authoring Techniques for Accessible Office Documents: Google docs: Document”. The test document included the elements in the left-hand column (i.e., heading, table of contents, etc.).

Able to Access?	JAWS 11
Headings	No.
Table of contents	Yes. Links were not indicated.
Image with “alt” text	No.
Table	No. The table contents were available, but they were not in a table. Note: viewing the page with ARIA application mode disabled there was a table containing the same content.
Formatted text	Yes. Not all attributes were announced. For example, JAWS did not read the 2 in superscript.
Change tracking	No. The text was available, but no changes were announced.
Numbered pages	No. There did not appear to be a way to access the headers and footers for the document.
Search function	No. The Find and Replace dialog was accessible, but the document frame was not reliably accessible enough to assess if the search had been successful.

Screen Reader Test 2. Creating a New Document

In this test, the evaluator used a screen reader to create a new test document which was to include the elements in the left-hand column (i.e., two levels of heading, an image, etc.).

Able to accomplish?	JAWS 11
Create a new document	Yes. From File > New > Document.
Create two levels of headings	No.
Add and then edit paragraph text (e.g. do a select-cut-paste)	No. The editor frame was not reliably accessible enough to perform this task.
Insert an image	No. It was possible to access Insert > Image, but the Insert Image dialog was not accessible enough to complete the task of inserting the image. After selecting the button to browse for an image to be uploaded, and selecting the local file, the dialog disappeared.
Insert a 3-by-3 table and fill it with content	No. It was possible to select Table > Insert Table, but the Insert Table sub menu was not accessible.
Create a bullet list	No. The editor frame was not reliably accessible enough to complete this task. The Bullets button did appear to be accessible from the toolbar.
Use text formatting (bold, text colour)	No. The editor frame was not reliably accessible enough to complete this task. Both the Format menu and options on the toolbar appeared to be accessible.
Add page numbering	No. This did not appear to be accessible from the menus or toolbar.
Insert a table of contents	Yes. Although there were no headings in the document to populate the table of contents with content. When the document was downloaded and opened in Word 2003 the following text was in the document “Add Headings (Format > Paragraph styles) and they will appear in your table of contents.”
Save document	Yes. Using the “Save” button.
Other Comments by the Screen Reader Tester:	The documentation for using Document with a screen-reader states that when a document loads ARIA application mode will be enabled and you will be in the editor frame. You should be able to edit and read the document by using arrow keys and standard keyboard commands. This was very inconsistent. There were times that the document would read, other times that it would not, times that edits took effect, and times that they did not. When reading the reading was not consistent, lines were often read out of order, when using left or right arrows to read by character some characters would repeat or not be spoken at all. The documentation also states that pressing the escape key from the editor frame would activate the Document menu, this never worked. It was necessary to toggle ARIA application mode on and off (JAWS key + z) to move in and out of the editor frame to other controls on the page. The toggling of application mode rarely worked as it should. It was necessary to open a second Firefox window and to move to that window and then back to Document to escape application mode. See also Google Apps accessibility documentation at http://www.google.com/accessibility/resources.html

Acknowledgments

This document was produced as part of the Accessible Digital Office Document (ADOD) Project (http://inclusivedesign.ca/accessible-office-documents).
This project has been developed by the Inclusive Design Research Centre, OCAD University as part of an EnAbling Change Partnership project with the Government of Ontario and UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization).

Partner logos: UNESCO-United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, the Government of Ontario and the Inclusive Design Research Centre (OCAD University)

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