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Using Google Docs with a Screen Reader

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You can use Google Docs with a screen reader, but it is a relatively unique experience that will take some time to learn.

Resources

Here are some resources for screen reader users about Google Docs. The first few links are Google’s official documentation for screen reader users. Please review Google’s documentation for more details than this page can cover.

  1. Use Google editors with a screen reader (Google Support)
  2. Use Google Docs with a screen reader (Google Support)
  3. Collaborate & comment with a screen reader (Google Support)
  4. Google Workspace Webinars on Demand (Freedom Scientific)
  5. Google Docs and Sheets with a Screen Reader: Resources (Perkins)

Why is Google Docs unique?

First, unlike typical web pages, Google Docs won’t work for screen reader users until you specifically turn on screen reader support.

Second, with typical web pages, you can read the whole page using your screen reader’s virtual cursor in browse mode. However, this may not work for Google Docs. Instead, Google Docs may use ARIA live regions to announce the document as you navigate it, similar to how your screen reader will announce text in Notepad or Microsoft Word when you’re in forms or focus mode. If you want to navigate between headings or links, you need to use the keyboard commands that Google Docs provides, rather than the ones your screen reader typically provides.

How is Google Docs structured?

At the top of the page, there is a menu area with several controls. After the menu is a side panel, and after the side panel is the document proper.

You can use the tab key and the virtual cursor or browse mode to access controls in the menu area and the side panel. If you are navigating through the menu or side panel, you should be able to press the Escape key to return focus to the document proper.

Visually, the menu area includes a few distinct sections:

  1. The first section begins with a “Docs home” link and ends with a “Google Account” button. In this section, you can check the name of the document (and rename it), find out who else currently has the document open, and access share controls.
  2. The second section is a menubar with items for File, Edit, View, Insert, Format, Tools, Extensions, Help, and Accessibility. The Accessibility menu item only appears if you have first enabled accessibility.
  3. The third section has a toolbar with options for customizing text (choosing heading styles, inserting lists, and more). After the toolbar, there are controls that let you switch between editing/suggesting/viewing modes, and a button that lets you hide/show the first two rows in the menu.

First, enable accessibility in Google Docs

Importantly, you won’t be able to use Google Docs with a screen reader until you specifically enable accessibility support. To enable accessibility support, navigate to the Tools menu, then select “Accessibility,” and ensure you have checked the “Turn on screen reader support” checkbox. Here’s a more detailed breakdown.

Step Windows Keyboard Command Mac Keyboard Command
1. Open the Tools menu. Alt + Shift + t Control + Option + t
2. Navigate to and activate the Accessibility menu item. This will open an Accessibility Settings dialog. Arrow keys and Enter key Arrow keys and Return key
3. Ensure the checkbox is checked for “Turn on screen reader support.” Optionally, check the checkbox for “Turn on braille support.” Then, navigate to and activate the “OK” button. Tab key, spacebar, and Enter key Tab key, spacebar, and Return key

Second, prepare your screen reader for Google Docs

For Google Docs to work properly, you’ll want to shift your screen reader into forms/focus mode. Here’s how you do that using JAWS, NVDA, and VoiceOver.

  • If you use JAWS, press JAWS + z to turn off the virtual PC cursor.
  • If you use NVDA, press NVDA + space to toggle on focus mode.
  • If you use VoiceOver on Mac, press the Left arrow and Right arrow keys at the same time until you hear “Quick Nav off.”

For more details, check out Configure your screen reader from Google.

On Mac with VoiceOver, some keyboard commands for Google Docs may be intercepted by VoiceOver. For example, Control + Option + f will trigger VoiceOver’s search feature. If you instead want to trigger the relevant Google Docs command, first use VoiceOver + Tab to let VoiceOver know that you want to pass-through your next command to Google Docs, then go ahead and enter whichever Google Docs keyboard command you wish.

Basic Troubleshooting

If you’re having trouble with Google Docs, here are a couple things you can try:

  1. Refresh the page.
  2. Make sure your screen reader is in forms/focus mode.
  3. Press the Escape key. If your focus is in a menu, this returns your focus to the document proper. Some Google Docs keyboard commands won’t work if your focus is on one of the controls in the menus and will only work if your focus is in the document proper.
  4. Try turning on (or off) braille support. This changes how Google Docs behaves in subtle ways. If you don’t need this setting for braille hardware, turning it on (or off) might help. Here's the path the access this setting: Google Docs > Tools > Accessibility > Turn on Braille support.

Essential Keyboard Shortcuts

Keyboard Shortcuts: Explanations

Some keyboard shortcuts for Google Docs are multistep. For example, to navigate to the next heading on Windows, you’ll need to hold down Control and Alt and press n, and then hold down Control and Alt and press h. When the modifiers are the same as in this case, you can also hold down Control and Alt while you press n and h in quick succession.

Comments are shown in a dialog where you can read the comment, see who posted it, edit the comment if you posted it, reply to the comment, delete it, or mark it as resolved. When you’re in the document proper, Google Docs will indicate where a comment begins and ends, but it won’t tell you what the comment says. To read the comment, you’ll need to use the command to enter the dialog for that specific comment (see the table below). When you’re in the dialog for a comment, you should be able to turn on the virtual cursor (or switch back to browse mode) if you’d like. If your focus is in a comment dialog and you’d like to return to the document proper, press the Escape key.

Keyboard Shortcuts: Table

Shortcut Windows Mac
Navigate to the next key landmark (menu, side panel, document proper) Control + Alt + period Command + Option + period
Navigate to the previous key landmark Control + Alt + comma Command + Option + comma
Open the File menu. You can then navigate between menu items with your arrow keys. Alt + Shift + f Control + Option + f
Open the Accessibility menu Alt + Shift + a Control + Option + a
Navigate to the outline panel

Control + Alt + a
Control + Alt + h

Control + Command + a
Control + Command + h
Navigate to the next heading

Control + Alt + n
Control + Alt + h

Control + Command + n
Control + Command + h
Navigate to the previous heading

Control + Alt + p
Control + Alt + h

Control + Command + p
Control + Command + h
Insert comment Control + Alt + m Option + Command + m
Navigate to the next comment

Control + Alt + n
Control + Alt + c

Control + Command + n
Control + Command + c
Navigate to the previous comment

Control + Alt + p
Control + Alt + c

Control + Command + p
Control + Command + c
Enter dialog for current comment

Control + Alt + e
Control + Alt + c

Control + Command + e
Control + Command + c
Search menus Alt + forward slash Option + forward slash
Open Keyboard Shortcuts dialog Control + forward slash Command + forward slash