1 of 17

Training: Accessible Google Slides

OIT Technology Accessibility Program (TAP)

Updated: August 6, 2025

2 of 17

Google Slides and Accessibility

Design Google Slides with users in mind
Understand the importance of proper presentation structure including slide order
Ensure document details like headings and alt text are accessible.

2

3 of 17

Google Slides

Agenda:

Fundamentals
Final thoughts
Resources
Questions

3

4 of 17

Google Slides and Accessibility

Google Slides are commonly used in our work environment to present and convey information, but they can pose accessibility barriers to some users.

All State of Colorado presentations, both public- and internal-facing, are required to comply with OIT’s accessibility standards per HB21-1110.
For state employees, the Grackle Slides extension can help you identify and fix accessibility issues. It's an automated tool, but a manual review is still needed for all accessibility issues. For more detailed instructions on using Grackle, please refer to How to Use Grackle Slides (Google Slides).
State employees can learn how to get a license through OIT’s TAP team.

4

5 of 17

Slide Templates

Templates are your best friend.
Using a strong template will save you time, since most already include items like title fields, clean layouts, and good formatting.
Templates won’t always save you. Make sure you are still applying accessibility best practices and checking your work.

5

Some assistive technology users may have difficulty navigating and interacting with the Google Docs interface, so it is generally better to create content within Google Docs and then export to Microsoft Word if you will be sharing the content with someone using assistive technology or sharing your content publicly.

Additionally, while Google Docs is tremendously helpful for virtual collaboration, users of assistive technology may not be able to fully access these features. This particularly impacts screen reader users. While Google Docs is somewhat compatible with a screen reader, there are settings that must be adjusted and new shortcuts that must be learned in order for users to have an accessible experience.

In particular, interacting with comments and tracked changes (“suggestions”) can be particularly burdensome. If you are using comments, it is helpful to indicate in your comment which section of the document you are referring to. Due to these potential barriers, if you are collaborating with someone who uses assistive technology, it is best to ask what platform they feel most comfortable in for document collaboration.

6 of 17

Using Plain Language

As with any presentation, make it easy for the audience to follow along. Using plain language allows a user to understand what you are conveying the first time they see or read the information.

Summarize your main point first
Be brief
Use headings and create lists
Use the active voice

6

7 of 17

Titles and Reading Order

Be sure to use a title for each slide

Choose the appropriate layout for your slide, to include a Title field

Reading order is crucial for the flow of your presentation

To check the reading order, simply click on your slide, and use the Tab key to verify the flow.

7

Some assistive technology users may have difficulty navigating and interacting with the Google Docs interface, so it is generally better to create content within Google Docs and then export to Microsoft Word if you will be sharing the content with someone using assistive technology or sharing your content publicly.

Additionally, while Google Docs is tremendously helpful for virtual collaboration, users of assistive technology may not be able to fully access these features. This particularly impacts screen reader users. While Google Docs is somewhat compatible with a screen reader, there are settings that must be adjusted and new shortcuts that must be learned in order for users to have an accessible experience.

In particular, interacting with comments and tracked changes (“suggestions”) can be particularly burdensome. If you are using comments, it is helpful to indicate in your comment which section of the document you are referring to. Due to these potential barriers, if you are collaborating with someone who uses assistive technology, it is best to ask what platform they feel most comfortable in for document collaboration.

8 of 17

Reading Order: Grackle

For a more visual and easier way to check and fix the read order, the Grackle Slides extension offers a 'Slides Structure' section that shows the layer stack of your content. You can drag and drop items in the stack to change their order.

How to Use Grackle Slides (Google Slides)

8

Some assistive technology users may have difficulty navigating and interacting with the Google Docs interface, so it is generally better to create content within Google Docs and then export to Microsoft Word if you will be sharing the content with someone using assistive technology or sharing your content publicly.

Additionally, while Google Docs is tremendously helpful for virtual collaboration, users of assistive technology may not be able to fully access these features. This particularly impacts screen reader users. While Google Docs is somewhat compatible with a screen reader, there are settings that must be adjusted and new shortcuts that must be learned in order for users to have an accessible experience.

In particular, interacting with comments and tracked changes (“suggestions”) can be particularly burdensome. If you are using comments, it is helpful to indicate in your comment which section of the document you are referring to. Due to these potential barriers, if you are collaborating with someone who uses assistive technology, it is best to ask what platform they feel most comfortable in for document collaboration.

9 of 17

Lists

Lists highlight a series of steps, requirements, or pieces of information in a visually clear way. Use lists to help your user focus on important material.

Lists are useful because they:

Highlight levels of importance
Help the reader understand the order in which things happen
Help readers skim and scan
Make it easy to identify all steps in a process
Add white space for easy reading
Are an ideal way to present items, conditions, and exceptions

9

10 of 17

Tables

If you need to display data, consider using a list. Lists can be easier to understand, and work well with screen readers.
If you determine that you need to use a table, use the insert table option to create a table.
Also, it's recommended to not use merged cells or empty cells.

Snow Conditions

Resort	24 Total	48 Total
Keystone	4”	6”
Whitefish	10”	14”

10

11 of 17

Tables: Grackle

You can use the Grackle Slides extension to tag tables, so screen readers can process them correctly. This involves selecting the table and clicking the '+TAG' button in the Grackle sidebar to mark the header rows and/or columns.

How to Use Grackle Slides (Google Slides)

11

12 of 17

Image Descriptions (Alt text)

All images that contain important information should include alt-text. The alt-text should be as concise as possible (up to 150 characters).

To add alternative text in Google Slides:

Select the image, right-click and select the Alt-text option.

12

13 of 17

Additional Considerations

Color Contrast

You should have a contrast ratio of at least 7:1 for normal text and 4.5:1 for large text. (This is the WCAG AA standard)

Embedding or Linking to Videos

Use a modern video player that supports synchronized captions

YouTube works best and allows for easy auto-captioning and editing
Provide a transcript

Avoid flashy animations and use the “one-click” transition option to allow the user to control the timing
Include transcripts or text in the slide to describe complex images

13

14 of 17

Web Publishing

You can use the “Publish to the Web” feature to offer your content in an easy to access format
Publishing can be a great finishing step if you want to offer your presentation to an audience in a view-only version in presentation mode with full-screen slides.
Steps to publish: File > Share > Publish to the web

14

15 of 17

Key Takeaways

Start with an accessible template
Write and speak in plain language
Use slide titles
Use alt-text for images and figures
Pay special attention to tables and charts
Make sure embedded or linked videos are accessible
Describe complex images, diagrams or dashboard content

15

16 of 17

Resources

For state employees with access to the extension, you can find detailed instructions and best practices in the 'How to Use Grackle Slides' deck
State employees can learn how to get a license through OIT’s TAP team

16

17 of 17

Questions?

17

If you’re thinking it… most likely someone else is as well.

Reach out to the Technology Accessibility Program at OIT_Accessibility@state.co.us.