Accessibility

As part of the Texas A&M Google Apps at Texas A&M project, a Google Apps Accessibility Working Group was commissioned with members from Disability Services, Instructional Technology Services, IT Risk Management and University Risk and Compliance. After careful study and research on the accessibility of Google Apps for Education, they have provided the following recommendations:

• Gmail and Google Calendar are accessible with standard assistive technologies when used with the client interface of Outlook or Mac Mail.
• Google Drive, Chat, Sites and other applications in the Google suite do not always work well with standard assistive technologies, and students should not be required to use them in coursework.
• When using Google Apps for Education in your class, plan to allow the activity to be completed with an alternative accessible technology. You should have an accessible alternative available to students who have disabilities and may be at a disadvantage if the Google tool is the only available method of completing the work.

Google constantly updates their application suite with improvements and new features. The information in this site is kept as up-to-date as possible. If you believe some of the information needs to be updated please contact WebAccessibility@tamu.edu.

Campus Accessibility Resources

Faculty who need assistance in making courses or technology accessible to students with disabilities should contact the appropriate resource below.

Center for Teaching Excellence

cte@tamu.edu or 979-825-8392

The Center for Teaching Excellence can provide assistance with universal course design and pre-planning to ensure teaching is accessible and effective for all students

Technology Services Accessibility Team

itaccessibility@tamu.edu or 979-845-8300

The Technology Services Accessibility Team provides technical expertise regarding electronic and information resource (EIR) accessibility requirements and best practices.

Disability Resources

disability@tamu.edu or 979-845-1637

Students who use assistive technology to access Google Apps and have difficulties should contact Disability Resources.

Disability Resources promotes an inclusive environment and facilitates appropriate accommodations in order for students with disabilities to achieve equal access. Disability Resources staff will review the specific problem with the student and will consult with faculty and staff to work towards providing the student equal access or setting up accommodations, if needed.

Google Accessibility Resources