Grackle Sheets

A document title is crucial for a number of reasons, primarily because it enhances accessibility, usability, and comprehension for all readers, including those with disabilities or those who are simply trying to quickly find information.

To set the document title:

1. Click and edit: Simply click on the current title of the spreadsheet, which is located in the top-left corner of the application. The name will become editable, and you can type in your new title.
2. File menu: Go to File in the top menu bar, and from the drop-down menu, select Rename. A pop-up box will appear, allowing you to enter the new title.

Descriptive sheet names are crucial for accessibility and user comprehension, as they provide context and help all users, including those using screen readers, navigate and understand the content of the sheets within a spreadsheet quickly.

Review your sheet names, if they are generic like “Sheet 1” or “Sheet 2” then update the name with the following steps:

1. Locate the Sheet Tab or Tabs at the very bottom of your spreadsheet
2. Either right click the sheet you want to rename and select Rename from the options, or double-click the sheet tab
3. Type the new descriptive name
4. Press the Enter key on your keyboard or click anywhere else in the spreadsheet to save the new name
5. Repeat as necessary

Tip! Keep your sheet names short, concise, and consistent. For example: Q1_Sales, Q2_Sales, and Q3_Sales is much clearer than Q1, Quarter 2 Sales, and Sales for Q3.

An excessive number of sheets makes a spreadsheet difficult to navigate and manage, reducing usability for all users and making it harder for those with assistive technology to find the information they need.

While there is no single ideal number, a reasonable spreadsheet typically contains only as many sheets as are necessary to organize distinct data sets, which is generally under 10. However, keep in mind that Grackle Sheets may only alert you about number of sheets when they exceed 50.

If you receive this alert review your data and consider moving some of the content to a new spreadsheet.

To avoid performance issues and make a spreadsheet easier to navigate, sheets should not be too large, as oversized sheets can slow down loading times and make it difficult for users to find information efficiently.

If you have sheets that are too large:

1. Review your data
2. Look for ways to break up your content into smaller, logical chunks
3. Adjust by adding smaller data sets to new sheets within the same spreadsheet with descriptive names, or create a new spreadsheet
4. Run a new Grackle Sheets check on any new sheets or spreadsheets
5. Repeat as needed

Sheets shouldn’t be empty because they can cause confusion for users and can indicate an incomplete or disorganized spreadsheet.

This can be especially problematic for users with screen readers, who may be confused by an empty tab that lacks any content or purpose.

If you receive this flag in your spreadsheet, either

1. Delete the blank sheet
2. Add content to the blank sheet
3. Recheck using Grackle Sheets

Tables must have header rows to provide context for screen readers and other assistive technologies. Grackle will flag tables that have missing or improperly structured headers. The simple visual action of “freezing” a row does NOT tag it for accessibility.

The only way to properly tag a header row in a Google Sheet for accessibility, ensuring it is preserved in the outputted document, is by using the Grackle Sheets tool.

1. Launch Grackle Sheets from the Extensions menu.
2. Select the Tables should have headers check.
3. Select the Table at [Cell range] button to identify the table with the missing headers.
4. Select the header option that best fits your table (with header row, with header column, or with both header types).
5. Select the Mark button to tag your header rows.
6. Repeat as needed to tag all tables.

When a single table spans hundreds or thousands of rows, it creates primary accessibility issues, especially for users relying on screen readers:

1. Loss of Context: Even if the header is correctly tagged, navigating thousands of data points without visual breaks is overwhelming.
2. Navigation Difficulties: Extremely long tables make it nearly impossible to quickly find a specific piece of information.

If you have this issue flagged:

1. Prioritize Chunking: The best fix is to ‘chunk’ your data by separating the massive table into smaller, logical, self-contained tables.
2. Move to New Sheets: Move each smaller, related table to its own sheet and give that sheet a descriptive name (e.g., “Q1_Sales,” “Q2_Sales”). This provides a logical, navigable structure for all users.
3. Tag New Tables: Run the Grackle Sheets check on the new sheets to ensure the headers on all newly created tables are tagged.

This check focuses on the overall organization and cognitive load of your data, flagging a sheet that has too many unrelated data sets or an excessive number of tables.

The fix for this is identical to the “chunking” method above:

1. Isolate Data Sets: Separate different data sets onto their own sheets.
2. Move to New Sheets: Move each unique data set to its own sheet and give that sheet a descriptive name for a logical, navigable structure.
3. Tag Headers: Run the Grackle check again to properly tag the headers on the newly separated tables.

Merging cells is bad for accessibility because it breaks the grid structure of a table, which makes it incredibly difficult for people who use assistive technologies like screen readers to understand the data.

Screen readers navigate tables by counting rows and columns and reading header information for each cell, but merged cells disrupt this logical structure, causing them to get “lost” and present information out of order or without the proper context.

If your table contains merged cells:

1. Launch Grackle Sheets
2. Select The use of merged cells is not recommended
3.  Select Locate to identify the tables with merged cells
4. Highlight the merged cells, right-click and select Unmerge
5. Repeat as needed

“Isolated cells” refers to important pieces of data or labels that are placed in a single cell, far away from any column or row headers, or disconnected from the main data table.

If your table or sheet contains isolated cells:

1. Launch Grackle
2. Select Avoid Isolated Cells
3. Select Cell [range] on Sheet [name] to locate the isolated cell
4. Place content within a table structure and re-check with Grackle

Images should have alternative text or be marked as artifacts to provide context for users with screen readers and to ensure the document is accessible to everyone.

Marking an image as an artifact signals to assistive technologies, like screen readers, that the element is decorative or non-essential and should be completely ignored.

To add alternative text or mark as artifact:

1. Launch Grackle Sheets
2. Select Images should have alternate text
3. For each image listed, select Locate to find the image in the document
4. Select +Tag to access the Tag Image or Graphics window
5. Either select Mark as artifact if the image is purely decorative, or add an Alternative Text description
6. Repeat as needed

If all images are purely decorative, you can use the Artifact All button. Only do this if the images are truly decorative, as marking them as artifacts hides them from all assistive technology.

Charts and graphs are purely visual representations of data. Without a text alternative, users who are blind, have low vision, or rely on screen readers will miss the entire point of the chart.

If you have a chart in your sheet that needs alternative text:

1. Select the chart in the sheet
2. Select the chart options (three dots in the top-right corner)
3. Select Alt Text from the list of items
4. Add a concise alternative text description to the description field that identifies the chart type, data, and key conclusions (example: Bar chart comparing annual sales, showing consistent growth that peaked in year 3 at $1.2 million)
5. Expand Advanced Options and you can add an optional chart title

High color contrast should be used to ensure text and essential visual elements are easily distinguishable and readable for all users, especially those with visual impairments, low vision, or color blindness.

Use Grackle to locate the text with low contrast then review Brand Standards: Colors for tips on more accessible contrast options to use in your document.

Fine print should be avoided because it is difficult or impossible for many users to read, especially those with visual impairments or on smaller screens.

If Grackle identifies small print, change to 12pt or larger, and consider using bold or bullet points instead of small, dense text blocks.

• What it does: This action takes a selected table or range of data and copies it directly into a brand new, clean sheet within the same workbook.
• When to use it: You should use this to help chunk up your table data if you have tables that are too long or too many tables on a single sheet. If you have one sheet containing two or more distinct data sets (e.g., a table of employee information next to a table of department budgets), select the appropriate table within the table structure and use the action “Copy to New Sheet” to move one of those tables to its own, separate, descriptively named sheet.

• What it does: This function automatically removes blank rows and columns from the edges of your data, shrinking the sheet down to the boundaries of the actual content.
• When to use it: This is helpful for managing Table Length and preventing Isolated Cells. Sheets often accumulate blank space over time, which can confuse screen readers and lead Grackle to believe a sheet is larger than it should be. Trimming cleans up this unnecessary whitespace.

• What it does: This function combines the content of two or more sheets into a single, unified sheet.
• When to use it: Use this cautiously, primarily to fix data that was unnecessarily fragmented. If you previously split a single, unified data table across two sheets, “Merge Sheets” can bring that data back together so you can process it as one accessible table. If merging the sheets results in a sheet that is too large, you will need to re-chunk the data and ensure headers are properly tagged again.

• When Publishing to the Web: If you are going to put your sheet data on a public website, a course page, or embed it online, this is the required final step.
• To Preserve Accessibility: When you use the regular Google Sheets “Download” option, the resulting HTML file is not accessible to screen readers. The Grackle feature converts the sheet, making sure all the headers, Alt Text, and tags you fixed in the report are written correctly into the web code.

Always follow any specific accessibility guidelines for the platform where the sheet will be published or embedded (e.g., website, LMS, external client tool).

Here are some tips for working with users of assistive technology to resolve issues in your sheets that may not be flagged by a checker:

1. Actively Seek Feedback: Don’t wait for a user to report a problem. Proactively engage with users of assistive technology to get their feedback on your documents. Ask specific questions like: “Is the flow of information in this spreadsheet logical?” “Was it easy to navigate from sheet to sheet?” “Did the chart description make sense?”
2. Understand Common Failures: Even with a good check, things can go wrong. Be aware of issues that checkers might miss such as complex data relationships with visual cues (e.g., color, indentation) or “good” alt text that lacks context to help the user really understand the meaning.
3. Cognitive Load: The sheet might be technically accessible, but if the content is overwhelming or disorganized, it can still be difficult for users with cognitive disabilities to process.
4. Walk Through the Document with the User: If a user reports an issue, ask them to demonstrate the problem. This can be done by sharing screens or having them describe what they are experiencing. This will help you understand where the confusion occurs and help you identify ways to improve the data.
5. How their technology interprets the content: You might be surprised at how your spreadsheet is being read aloud.
6. Provide Multiple Ways to Get Help: Offer different channels for users to report issues. Some may prefer email, others a phone call, or a support ticket. Making it easy for users to provide feedback increases the likelihood that they will do so.