Access to information is at the core of Google's mission – to make the world's information universally accessible and useful. That's why it's important to us to help make the billions of websites, images, videos, and other content available in accessible formats.
Even though Google Search is inherently simple and easy to access, we have taken some deliberate steps to further improve the accessibility and tools that are commonly used by people with disabilities such as blindness, visual impairment, color deficiency, deafness, hearing loss, and limited dexterity.
The basics of Google Search accessibility
The home page fade effect
When you first arrive at the Google homepage, you'll find a simple page with only a few elements visible: the Google logo, the search box, and two buttons ("Google Search" and "I'm Feeling Lucky"). The rest of the page's content is initially hidden for sighted users (through the use of JavaScript), but becomes visible once you move the mouse cursor or press the Tab key. To users accessing the home page with the aid of common screen readers, these links will appear and act as conventional links to the screen reader (even when not visible on the screen).
Accessing the search results with a screen reader
Once you perform a search, there are a number of important screen reader enhancements to the search results page. Here are a few:
- Section headings. The search results page contains a hierarchy of section headings, allowing common screen readers to quickly navigate the page. Here are the current heading levels:
- Heading level 1 (h1) - The Google logo and a link named "Google," pointing to the Google home page, have level 1 headings.
- Heading level 2 (h2) - There are two sections with level 2 headings: "Search Results" (a hidden label located just above the start of the search results) and "Ads" (visible text located just above the listed ads). Please note that there can be zero, one, or two ads sections depending on the search query, each a heading level 2.
- Heading level 3 (h3) - Each search result and each ad title is a heading level 3.
- Search result lists. Both the search results and ads are implemented as ordered lists and can be quickly accessed through keyboard commands supported in common screen readers.
Try Google search experiments for improved access
Google Accessible Search (Deprecated)
In July 2006, we launched a small search experiment called Accessible Search. Since then, accessibility on the Web has come a long way, with modern browsers and screen readers providing increased support for highly interactive Web applications via W3C ARIA. If you'd like to learn more about the decision to deprecate this experiment, including how to continue using it as an unsupported feature, see this post in the accessible@googlegroups.com discussion forum.
Keyboard shortcuts experiment
The keyboard shortcuts experiment allows you to navigate search results quickly and easily, minimizing the use of your mouse. To join this experiment, visit Google Labs for Experimental search and click the "Join this experiment" button in the Keyboard Shortcuts section. Once you've joined the experiment, it will automatically be active when you use Google Search.
Note that if you're using a common screen reader like JAWS, please try the Accessible View experiment instead.
Accessible View experiment
The Accessible View experiment allows you to navigate search results quickly and easily, with just your keyboard. As you navigate, items are magnified for easier viewing. If you use a screen reader or talking browser, the relevant information is spoken automatically as you navigate. To join this experiment, visit Google Labs for Experimental search and click the "Join this experiment" button in the Accessible View section.
Note that if you're using this experiment with a common screen reader like JAWS, the Virtual PC Cursor needs to be turned off (by pressing Insert+Z) to allow the keystrokes to propagate to the page.
Join the discussion
You might also be interested in joining our Google Accessibility user community. Discover new solutions, share tips on using Google services, and discuss accessibility issues with fellow Google users. You can also share feedback with us.
