This week Robert Hardy, our district website accessibility specialist, shares about how to install and use Grackle. Please call Robert with any accessibility questions at (360) 280-5978. He is more than happy to talk by phone or schedule a time to meet with you.

Grackle is a powerful add-on for Google Docs that acts as both an accessibility checker and a PDF exporter. Available to all Olympia School District employees, Grackle is, in many ways, the shortcut to creating accessible PDFs.

Installing Grackle

1. Open a document within Google Docs.
2. Go to Add-ons > Get add-ons
3. Click the magnifying glass and search for Grackle.
4. Select the + button

Running Grackle

1. Open a document within Google Docs.
2. Go to Add-ons > Grackle Docs > Launch. Grackle will launch on the right side of your document.
3. Select Sign In with Google and grant Grackle permissions to access your account.

When Grackle is launched, it will scan your document for accessibility issues. A complete list of Grackle errors and solutions can be found in the Google Docs Quick Start guide on the district’s Website Accessibility Resources page. When you have corrected an error, select Re-Check to verify the issue has been resolved.

Exporting to PDF

Once all accessibility issues have been addressed, an accessible PDF can be exported from Grackle. Simply select Export to PDF to begin the process. Users may choose to be notified via email once the corresponding PDF has been created. Grackle will also store a copy of the accessible PDF within your Google Drive.

PDFs created using Grackle are accessible and are ready to be posted to the district’s web platforms.

Thank you for your work in creating accessible documents. If you have any additional accessibility tips or questions, please reach out to Robert Hardy, the district’s website accessibility specialist at (360) 280-5978.