Navigating in Microsoft Excel using a screen reader involves using a combination of keyboard shortcuts and screen reader-specific commands. Here are some common navigation techniques for Excel with screen readers:
General Navigation:
- Moving Between Cells: You can use the arrow keys (up, down, left, right) to move between cells in Excel. The screen reader will announce the content of the current cell as you navigate.
- Jumping to the Edge of Data: Press Ctrl + Arrow keys to quickly move to the edge of your data in any direction. For example, Ctrl + Down Arrow will take you to the last row with data in the current column.
- Cell References: Excel displays the current cell’s reference (e.g., A1) in the Name Box located to the left of the formula bar. You can use this box to navigate directly to a specific cell by typing its reference and pressing Enter.
Worksheets and Tabs:
- Switch Worksheets: To switch between worksheets in an Excel workbook, use Ctrl + Page Up (previous worksheet) and Ctrl + Page Down (next worksheet).
- Navigate Sheet Tabs: Use Ctrl + Page Up (previous tab) and Ctrl + Page Down (next tab) to move between sheet tabs when you are in the sheet tab area.
Tables and Data:
- Jump to Headers: If you’re in a table with headers, press Ctrl + (backtick/grave accent) to jump to the headers row. Pressing it again will return you to the data area.
- Navigate Tables: Use Ctrl + Alt + Arrow keys to navigate through tables in Excel. This command allows you to move from one cell to another while staying within the boundaries of the current table.
- Announce Data Types: Some screen readers offer specific commands to announce the data type in a cell. For example, JAWS users can press Insert + Space followed by 1 to announce the content type of a cell.
Formula Bar:
- Edit Cell Contents: To edit the contents of the currently selected cell, press F2. This will activate the formula bar, allowing you to edit the text.
Excel provides many keyboard shortcuts for various tasks. You can use these shortcuts in combination with your screen reader’s commands. For example, Ctrl + C for copying, Ctrl + V for pasting, Ctrl + S for saving, and so on.
Excel Shortcut Key Commands With NVDA
1. Navigation Shortcuts:
- Move to the next cell: Arrow keys
- Select cell: Shift + Arrow keys
- Move to the beginning of the row: Home
- Move to the last cell of the row: End
- Move to the first cell of the column: Ctrl + Arrow Up
- Move to the last cell of the column: Ctrl + Arrow Down
- Move to a specific cell: Press Ctrl + G and type the cell address
2. Reading and Navigation Commands:
- Read current cell contents: NVDA + Up arrow
- Read current row and column headers: Ctrl + Alt + R
- Read current cell coordinates: Ctrl + Alt + C
- Move to the next sheet: Ctrl + Page Down
- Move to the previous sheet: Ctrl + Page Up
3. Editing and Formatting Shortcuts:
- Edit the current cell: F2
- Start a formula in the current cell: Equals (=)
- Fill down: Ctrl + D
- Fill to the right: Ctrl + R
- Insert a new row above the current row: Ctrl + Shift + Plus (+)
- Insert a new column to the left of the current column: Ctrl + Spacebar followed by Ctrl + Shift + Plus (+)
- Delete the current row: Ctrl + Shift + Minus (-)
- Delete the current column: Ctrl + Spacebar followed by Ctrl + Shift + Minus (-)
Set Reading of Current Row Headers:
Press “INSERT + SHIFT + R” to set NVDA to read the current row headers as you navigate through the rows in Excel.
Set Reading of Current Column Headers:
Press “INSERT + SHIFT + C” to set NVDA to read the current column headers as you navigate through the columns in Excel.
4. Formulas and Functions:
- Open the Formula Bar: F2 or Alt + Enter
- Calculate all formulas in the worksheet: F9
- Enter a formula as an array formula: Ctrl + Shift + Enter
5. NVDA-specific Shortcuts:
- NVDA key (Insert) to read: Press the NVDA key (Insert) and then any navigation key to read continuously.
- Toggle NVDA speech on/off: NVDA + S
- List available NVDA commands: NVDA + N (twice quickly)
Excel Shortcut Key Commands With JAWS
1. Navigation Shortcuts:
- Move to the next cell: Arrow keys
- Select cell: Shift + Arrow keys
- Move to the beginning of the row: Home
- Move to the last cell of the row: End
- Move to the first cell of the column: Ctrl + Arrow Up
- Move to the last cell of the column: Ctrl + Arrow Down
- Move to a specific cell: Press Ctrl + G and type the cell address
2. Reading and Navigation Commands:
- Read current cell contents: Insert + Numpad 5
- Read current row and column headers: Ctrl + Shift + R
- Read current cell coordinates: Ctrl + Shift + C
- Move to the next sheet: Ctrl + Page Down
- Move to the previous sheet: Ctrl + Page Up
- Move between sheets: Ctrl + Shift + S
- Rename sheet: Alt + O + H + R
3. Editing and Formatting Shortcuts:
- Edit the current cell: F2
- Start a formula in the current cell: Equals (=)
- Fill down: Ctrl + D
- Fill to the right: Ctrl + R
- Insert a new row above the current row: Ctrl + Shift + Plus (+)
- Insert a new column to the left of the current column: Ctrl + Shift + Plus (+)
- Delete the current row: Ctrl + Shift + Minus (-)
- Delete the current column: Ctrl + Shift + Minus (-)
Set Reading of Current Row Headers:
Press “INSERT + CTRL + ALT + R” to set JAWS to read the current row headers as you navigate through the rows in Excel.
Set Reading of Current Column Headers:
Press “INSERT + CTRL + ALT + C” to set JAWS to read the current column headers as you navigate through the columns in Excel.
By using these commands, JAWS will announce the row and column headers associated with the cell you are currently focused on while moving through the spreadsheet.
4. Formulas and Functions:
- Open the Formula Bar: F2 or Alt + Shift + F2
- Calculate all formulas in the worksheet: Ctrl + Alt + F9
- Enter a formula as an array formula: Ctrl + Shift + Enter
- Save Formula: Ctrl + F2
5. JAWS-specific Shortcuts:
- JAWS key (Insert) to read: Press the JAWS key (Insert) and then any navigation key to read continuously.
- Turn off Virtual Cursor: Insert + Z
- List available JAWS commands: Insert + H (twice quickly)