For a long time, Microsoft products were considered the most accessible products. When preparing for my accessibility certifications such as CPACC, WAS or ADS by IAAP, only Microsoft tools such as Words, Excel and PowerPoint were (usually) mentioned and tested.
But what about the other products that people use on a regular basis? Just because Word can be used to create probably the most accessible text file does not mean that everyone uses this tool, for various reasons such as cost, access or ease of use.
Especially for students, working with Google Apps is much more convenient as you can easily share files with fellow students and access them from anywhere.
So instead of trying to force everyone to use Microsoft tools to create the most accessible version possible, we (as accessibility specialists) should focus on the tools that exist, evaluate how accessible they are when they are created, and help improve them.
Follow this series as I begin to test Google Tools for accessibility and learn how you can create a better user experience for others when using them.
Top comments (2)
I don't think Google lacks in accessibility.
There is a concept of Next Billion Users that is used at Google when building any product. You should definitely give it a read.
For those looking to learn more about accessibility, read this.
I don't think so too. That's why it's time to promote their products and show users how to make their Docs, Sheets and Slide accessible for everyone.