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MS Excel Data Tab With Screen Readers

by | Jan 15, 2024 | MS Excel | 0 comments

Overview

The “Data” tab in Excel provides various tools and functionalities for working with data in your spreadsheet. Here are some commonly used features and options available within the “Data” tab:

  1. Get & Transform Data: This feature allows you to import and transform data from external sources, such as databases, websites, or other files. You can use it to connect to data sources, perform data cleansing, merging, and shaping operations.
  2. Sort: Sorting allows you to arrange your data in ascending or descending order based on one or multiple columns. It helps you organize and analyze data effectively.
  3. Filter: Filtering enables you to display specific data based on certain criteria. You can filter data by applying conditions to one or multiple columns, showing only the relevant information.
  4. Remove Duplicates: This feature allows you to eliminate duplicate values from your dataset. It helps ensure data integrity and avoids unnecessary repetitions.
  5. Data Validation: Data validation lets you define rules and restrictions for the data entered in specific cells. You can set criteria such as number ranges, text length limits, or select values from a dropdown list.
  6. What-If Analysis: This option includes tools like Data Tables, Scenario Manager, and Goal Seek. They allow you to perform simulations and analyze the impact of changing variables on formulas and calculations.
  7. Consolidate: Consolidating data allows you to combine information from multiple ranges or worksheets into a single summary. It can be useful for creating reports or analyzing data from different sources.
  8. Group: Grouping allows you to collapse and expand rows or columns to show or hide detailed information. It helps in creating organized and compact views of your data.
  9. Subtotal: Subtotaling enables you to calculate subtotals and grand totals for groups of data. It is helpful when you want to summarize information within a dataset.
  10. Data Analysis: This option provides various statistical and analytical tools, such as regression analysis, histogram, correlation, and more. It allows you to perform advanced data analysis within Excel.

These are just some of the features available in the “Data” tab of Excel. The specific options may vary depending on the version of Excel you are using, as Microsoft often introduces new features and improvements with each release.

Get & Transform Data in Excel with Screen Reader

To use the “Get & Transform Data” feature in Excel with a screen reader, you can follow these steps:

  1. Open Microsoft Excel and open the spreadsheet where you want to import and transform data.
  2. Navigate to the “Data” tab using the methods described earlier in the conversation, such as using Ctrl+Page Down to switch to the “Ribbon” view and arrow keys to reach the “Data” tab.
  3. Once inside the “Data” tab, navigate to the “Get & Transform Data” group using the Tab key. The screen reader will announce the name of the group.
  4. Press Enter to activate the “Get & Transform Data” group. It will open a submenu with various options for importing and transforming data.
  5. Use the Down Arrow key to explore the available options in the submenu. The screen reader will announce each option.
  6. To import data from an external source, such as a file or database, you can choose the “From File” or “From Database” option. Press Enter on the desired option.
  7. If you select “From File,” you will be prompted to choose the file format and location. Use the necessary keyboard shortcuts or navigate through the dialog boxes with the screen reader to select the file.
  8. Once you have selected the file, Excel will open the “Power Query Editor” window. Here, you can perform various transformations on the imported data.
  9. Use the Tab key to navigate through the different areas of the “Power Query Editor” window, such as the “Query Settings,” “Applied Steps,” and “Preview” sections.
  10. Within the “Power Query Editor,” you can perform transformations like filtering, sorting, merging, splitting columns, and applying formulas. The screen reader will announce the available options and guide you through the process.
  11. After applying the desired transformations, you can choose to load the data into a new worksheet or an existing worksheet. Use the appropriate keyboard shortcuts or navigate the options provided by the screen reader.
  12. Once the data is loaded, you can continue working with it in Excel as needed.

Remember to rely on the screen reader’s audio output to understand the options, dialog boxes, and transformations available within the “Get & Transform Data” feature. Excel’s “Power Query Editor” offers extensive capabilities, and the screen reader will provide you with the necessary information to navigate and utilize these features effectively.

Sort Data in Excel with Screen Reader

To sort data in Excel using a screen reader, you can follow these steps:

  1. Open the Excel file containing the data you want to sort.
  2. Navigate to the “Data” tab in the Excel ribbon using the arrow keys on your keyboard. The screen reader will announce the tab names as you move through them.
  3. Once you’re on the “Data” tab, use the arrow keys to move to the “Sort” button. Press Enter to activate it. The screen reader will announce the button name.
  4. Excel will open the “Sort” dialog box. The screen reader will read the dialog box elements as you navigate through them.
  5. Use the arrow keys to select the column you want to sort by in the “Sort by” drop-down list. The screen reader will read the available column names.
  6. Choose the sort order (ascending or descending) in the “Order” drop-down list. The screen reader will announce the available options.
  7. If your data has headers, make sure the “Header row” checkbox is checked. This ensures that Excel treats the top row as headers and doesn’t include it in the sorting process.
  8. Optionally, you can add additional sort levels using the “Then by” options. This allows you to sort by multiple columns.
  9. Once you’ve set your sorting preferences, use the Tab key to navigate to the “OK” button and press Enter to apply the sorting. The screen reader will confirm the action.
  10. Excel will sort the data according to your chosen criteria. You can use the arrow keys to navigate through the sorted data and hear the screen reader announce the changes.

By following these steps, you should be able to sort data in Excel using a screen reader effectively.

Filter Data in Excel with Screen Reader

To filter data in Excel using a screen reader, you can follow these steps:

  1. Open the Excel file containing the data you want to filter.
  2. Navigate to the “Data” tab in the Excel ribbon using the arrow keys on your keyboard. The screen reader will announce the tab names as you move through them.
  3. Once you’re on the “Data” tab, use the arrow keys to move to the “Filter” button. Press Enter to activate it. The screen reader will announce the button name.
  4. Excel will apply the filter to the data, and the screen reader will read the headers of each column.
  5. Use the arrow keys to move to the header of the column you want to filter by. Press the Applications key (also known as the Context Menu key) on your keyboard. This key is usually located to the right of the right-hand Windows key or between the right-hand Windows key and the right-hand Control key.
  6. The screen reader will open a context menu. Use the arrow keys to navigate the menu options and locate the “Filter” or “Filter by Selected Cell’s Value” option. Press Enter to activate it.
  7. Excel will display a drop-down list with various filter options depending on the data in the selected column. The screen reader will read the available options.
  8. Use the arrow keys to navigate the filter options and select the one you want to filter by. Press Enter to apply the filter. The screen reader will announce the filter selection.
  9. Excel will filter the data based on your chosen criteria, hiding rows that don’t match the filter. The screen reader will announce the changes in the data.
  10. To remove the filter and display all the data again, you can repeat the steps above and choose the “All” or “Clear Filter” option in the context menu.

By following these steps, you should be able to filter data in Excel using a screen reader effectively.

Remove Duplicates in Excel with Screen Reader

To remove duplicates in Excel using a screen reader, you can follow these steps:

  1. Open the Excel file containing the data with duplicates.
  2. Navigate to the “Data” tab in the Excel ribbon using the arrow keys on your keyboard. The screen reader will announce the tab names as you move through them.
  3. Once you’re on the “Data” tab, use the arrow keys to move to the “Remove Duplicates” button. Press Enter to activate it. The screen reader will announce the button name.
  4. Excel will open the “Remove Duplicates” dialog box. The screen reader will read the dialog box elements as you navigate through them.
  5. By default, all columns are selected for duplicate removal. If you want to remove duplicates based on specific columns, use the arrow keys to navigate the list of column headers and press the Spacebar to toggle the selection of each column. The screen reader will announce the column headers.
  6. Once you’ve selected the columns for duplicate removal, use the Tab key to navigate to the “OK” button and press Enter to apply the removal. The screen reader will confirm the action.
  7. Excel will remove the duplicate values based on your selected criteria. The screen reader will announce the changes in the data.
  8. You can navigate through the filtered data using the arrow keys to verify that the duplicates have been removed.

By following these steps, you should be able to remove duplicates in Excel using a screen reader effectively.

Flash Fill in Excel with Screen Reader

To use Flash Fill in Excel using a screen reader, you can follow these steps:

  1. Open the Excel file containing the data.
  2. Navigate to the “Data” tab in the Excel ribbon using the arrow keys on your keyboard. The screen reader will announce the tab names as you move through them.
  3. Once you’re on the “Data” tab, use the arrow keys to move to the cell that contains the desired pattern for the Flash Fill operation.
  4. Press Enter to activate the cell’s edit mode.
  5. Manually type the desired pattern for the Flash Fill operation. As you type, Excel will attempt to recognize the pattern and suggest the remaining values.
  6. Use the arrow keys to move to the cell where you want to apply the Flash Fill.
  7. Press the Applications key (also known as the Context Menu key) on your keyboard. This key is usually located to the right of the right-hand Windows key or between the right-hand Windows key and the right-hand Control key.
  8. The screen reader will open a context menu. Use the arrow keys to navigate the menu options and locate the “Flash Fill” option. Press Enter to activate it.
  9. Excel will automatically fill the remaining values based on the recognized pattern. The screen reader will announce the changes in the data.
  10. You can navigate through the filled data using the arrow keys to verify the Flash Fill results.

By following these steps, you should be able to use Flash Fill in Excel using a screen reader effectively.

Split Text into Columns in Excel with Screen Reader

To split text into columns in Excel using a screen reader, you can follow these steps:

  1. Open the Excel file containing the text you want to split.
  2. Navigate to the “Data” tab in the Excel ribbon using the arrow keys on your keyboard. The screen reader will announce the tab names as you move through them.
  3. Once you’re on the “Data” tab, use the arrow keys to move to the “Text to Columns” button. Press Enter to activate it. The screen reader will announce the button name.
  4. Excel will open the “Convert Text to Columns Wizard” dialog box. The screen reader will read the dialog box elements as you navigate through them.
  5. In the first step of the wizard, choose the “Delimited” option if your text is separated by a specific character, such as a comma or a tab. If your text is in fixed-width columns, choose the “Fixed width” option. Use the Tab key to navigate between the options and press Enter to select the desired option.
  6. Depending on the option you chose, you may need to adjust the settings in the subsequent steps of the wizard.
    • If you chose “Delimited,” in the next step, select the delimiter character(s) used to separate the text columns (e.g., comma, tab, space). Use the arrow keys to navigate through the delimiter options and press Spacebar to toggle the selection. The screen reader will announce the selected delimiter.
    • If you chose “Fixed width,” in the next step, you can manually set the column break positions by using the arrow keys to move the cursor to the desired position and pressing the Spacebar to set the break. The screen reader will announce the column positions as you set them.
  7. Once you’ve adjusted the settings in the wizard, use the Tab key to navigate to the “Next” button and press Enter to proceed. The screen reader will confirm the action.
  8. In the next step, you may have additional options to customize the column data format. Use the Tab key to navigate through the options and make any necessary adjustments.
  9. Once you’ve made all the desired adjustments, use the Tab key to navigate to the “Finish” button and press Enter to apply the text-to-columns operation. The screen reader will confirm the action.
  10. Excel will split the text into columns based on your chosen settings. The screen reader will announce the changes in the data.
  11. You can navigate through the split columns using the arrow keys to verify the results.

By following these steps, you should be able to split text into columns in Excel using a screen reader effectively.

Consolidation in Excel with Screen Reader

Consolidation in Excel refers to the process of combining data from multiple ranges or worksheets into a single summary. It allows you to aggregate data and perform calculations on the consolidated data.

To perform consolidation in Excel using a screen reader, you can follow these steps:

  1. Open the Excel file containing the data you want to consolidate.
  2. Navigate to the “Data” tab in the Excel ribbon using the arrow keys on your keyboard. The screen reader will announce the tab names as you move through them.
  3. Once you’re on the “Data” tab, use the arrow keys to move to the “Consolidate” button. Press Enter to activate it. The screen reader will announce the button name.
  4. Excel will open the “Consolidate” dialog box. The screen reader will read the dialog box elements as you navigate through them.
  5. In the “Consolidate” dialog box, you have several options for consolidating your data:
    • Use the Tab key to navigate to the “Function” drop-down list. This allows you to choose the type of summary calculation you want to perform on the consolidated data, such as sum, average, count, etc. Use the arrow keys to select the desired function.
    • Use the Tab key to navigate to the “References” field. Here you can specify the ranges or worksheets that contain the data you want to consolidate. You can manually type the range addresses or use the arrow keys to navigate to the range selection field and choose the desired ranges or worksheets. The screen reader will announce the selected ranges or worksheets.
    • Optionally, you can check the “Top row” and “Left column” checkboxes if your data has headers. This will include the top row or left column as labels in the consolidation.
  6. Once you’ve set your consolidation options, use the Tab key to navigate to the “Add” button and press Enter to add the consolidation. The screen reader will confirm the action.
  7. Repeat steps 5 and 6 if you have additional ranges or worksheets to include in the consolidation.
  8. Once you’ve added all the desired consolidations, use the Tab key to navigate to the “OK” button and press Enter to perform the consolidation. The screen reader will confirm the action.
  9. Excel will consolidate the data based on your chosen settings and place the consolidated results in the specified location. The screen reader will announce the changes in the data.
  10. You can navigate through the consolidated data using the arrow keys to verify the results.

By following these steps, you should be able to perform consolidation in Excel using a screen reader effectively.

Data Validation in Excel with Screen Reader

To perform data validation in Excel using a screen reader, you can follow these steps:

  1. Open the Excel file where you want to apply data validation.
  2. Select the cell or range of cells where you want to apply data validation. You can use the arrow keys to move to the desired cell or range.
  3. Navigate to the “Data” tab in the Excel ribbon using the arrow keys on your keyboard. The screen reader will announce the tab names as you move through them.
  4. Once you’re on the “Data” tab, use the arrow keys to move to the “Data Validation” button. Press Enter to activate it. The screen reader will announce the button name.
  5. Excel will open the “Data Validation” dialog box. The screen reader will read the dialog box elements as you navigate through them.
  6. In the “Data Validation” dialog box, you have several options for setting up data validation:
    • Use the Tab key to navigate to the “Allow” drop-down list. This allows you to choose the type of data validation you want to apply, such as whole numbers, decimal numbers, dates, text length, etc. Use the arrow keys to select the desired option.
    • Depending on the data validation type you choose, additional options may appear. For example, if you choose “List” from the “Allow” drop-down list, you can specify a list of valid values in the “Source” field.
    • Use the Tab key to navigate to the “Data” tab within the dialog box. Here, you can set up additional criteria and custom error messages for the data validation.
  7. Once you’ve set up the data validation options, use the Tab key to navigate to the “OK” button and press Enter to apply the data validation. The screen reader will confirm the action.
  8. Excel will apply the data validation to the selected cell or range based on your chosen settings. The screen reader will announce the changes.
  9. You can navigate through the cells with data validation using the arrow keys to verify the validation rules and restrictions.

By following these steps, you should be able to apply data validation in Excel using a screen reader effectively.

Create Drop-Down List in Excel with Screen Reader

To create a drop-down list in Excel using a screen reader, you can follow these steps:

  1. Open the Excel file where you want to create the drop-down list.
  2. Select the cell or range of cells where you want to create the drop-down list. You can use the arrow keys to move to the desired cell or range.
  3. Navigate to the “Data” tab in the Excel ribbon using the arrow keys on your keyboard. The screen reader will announce the tab names as you move through them.
  4. Once you’re on the “Data” tab, use the arrow keys to move to the “Data Validation” button. Press Enter to activate it. The screen reader will announce the button name.
  5. Excel will open the “Data Validation” dialog box. The screen reader will read the dialog box elements as you navigate through them.
  6. In the “Data Validation” dialog box, use the Tab key to navigate to the “Allow” drop-down list. This allows you to choose the type of data validation you want to apply. Press Enter to open the list.
  7. Use the arrow keys to navigate to the “List” option and press Enter to select it. The screen reader will announce the selection.
  8. Use the Tab key to navigate to the “Source” field within the dialog box. Here, you can specify the list of values for the drop-down list.
    • You can manually type the list of values, separating them with commas (e.g., Option 1, Option 2, Option 3).
    • Alternatively, you can reference a range of cells that contains the list of values. To do this, press the F2 key to enter edit mode, then use the arrow keys to navigate to the range of cells that contains the values. Press Enter to select the range.
  9. Once you’ve specified the list of values, use the Tab key to navigate to the “OK” button and press Enter to apply the drop-down list. The screen reader will confirm the action.
  10. Excel will create the drop-down list in the selected cell or range based on your chosen settings. The screen reader will announce the changes.
  11. You can navigate through the cells with the drop-down list using the arrow keys to verify the presence of the drop-down arrow and access the available options.

By following these steps, you should be able to create a drop-down list in Excel using a screen reader effectively.

Excel Shortcut Key Commands for Data Tab

In Microsoft Excel, the “Data” tab contains various data-related functions and tools. Here are some commonly used shortcut key commands for functions related to the “Data” tab in Excel:

Data Tools:

Function Shortcut Key Command
Sort Ascending Alt + A, S, A
Sort Descending Alt + A, S, D
Filter Alt + A, T
Data Validation Alt + A, V
Remove Duplicates Alt + A, M
Text to Columns Alt + A, E
Flash Fill Ctrl + E

Data Analysis:

Function Shortcut Key Command
PivotTable Alt + A, P, T
PivotChart Alt + A, P, C
Data Analysis Tools Alt + A, A

Data Connections:

Function Shortcut Key Command
Refresh All Alt + A, R, A
Connections Alt + A, C

External Data:

Function Shortcut Key Command
Get Data Alt + A, G

Data Form:

Function Shortcut Key Command
Data Form Alt + A, O

What-If Analysis:

Function Shortcut Key Command
Goal Seek Alt + A, W, G
Scenario Manager Alt + A, W, S
Data Tables Alt + A, W, T