Google Drive Accessibility and Usability Information
Google Drive is a file storage and synchronization service. Google Drive allows users to store files on their servers, synchronize files across devices, and share files with others for viewing and collaboration.
Last evaluated: 9/1/26
Device: MacBook Pro 16”
Operating system: Tahoe 26.6.2
Web browser: Chrome
Screen reader: VoiceOver
Resources
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Contact the DoIT Help Desk for general assistance or to report an accessibility or usability barrier.
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Contact the Google Disability Support Team for answers to questions regarding accessibility features, functionalities, and assistive technology in Google products.
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For more information regarding Google Drive and Google Workspace, refer to Get Started with Google Drive and the UW-Madison Google Apps KnowledgeBase.
Accessibility and usability barriers
The following barriers were identified in a September 2026 evaluation of Google Drive. This is not an exhaustive list of the barriers a user may encounter.
Some keyboard navigation barriers may cause difficulty for people with vision or motor disabilities
The focus style, which shows the user where the keyboard navigation has moved to, is low contrast in some instances.
Some items cannot be accessed by a keyboard, such as "Title only" and "To Do" in "Search results".
Magnification and interface barriers may cause difficulty for people with low vision
Pages do not reflow when the page is magnified, making it difficult for users with low vision who need to increase magnification for readability. When the screen is magnified to 200% or higher, users are forced to use horizontal scrolling to access all page content. At 400%, the viewport becomes too small to use meaningfully.
Some screen reader barriers may cause difficulty for people with vision disabilities
Page regions use tables to lay out content despite a lack of tabular data. There are blank cells and no header rows which makes it confusing to listen to. The tester was not able to access files when using the screen reader (VoiceOver) while Drive is in "Grid" mode. The screen reader announced that all of the table cells were blank and wouldn't read the content.
Color contrast barriers may cause difficulty for people with color blindness
Some text, icons, links, and buttons have low color contrast and may be difficult for users to read or use if they have low vision or color blindness.