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MS Excel View Tab With Screen Readers

by | Feb 9, 2024 | MS Excel | 0 comments

Overview

The “View” tab in Microsoft Excel provides various options for customizing the way your spreadsheet is displayed. Here are some of the key features and options you can find under the “View” tab:

Workbook Views:

  • Normal: Displays the spreadsheet with gridlines and column and row headers.
  • Page Layout: Shows the spreadsheet as it would appear when printed, including margins and page breaks.
  • Page Break Preview: Allows you to view and adjust page breaks before printing.

When using a screen reader in Microsoft Excel, the “Workbook Views” feature under the “View” tab provides different ways to navigate and interact with your spreadsheet. Here’s how you can access and utilize these views using a screen reader:

  1. Open Excel and navigate to the “View” tab. You can use the arrow keys to move between the tabs.
  2. Locate the “Workbook Views” group. The screen reader will announce the group name.
  3. To switch between the available views (Normal, Page Layout, and Page Break Preview), use the left or right arrow key to navigate through the options. The screen reader will announce the selected view.
  4. Once you’ve selected a view, press Enter or Spacebar to activate it. The screen reader will announce the view change, and the spreadsheet display will be adjusted accordingly.

Zoom:

  • Zoom In and Zoom Out buttons: Adjusts the zoom level of the spreadsheet.
  • Zoom Slider: Provides a visual representation of the zoom level and allows you to adjust it by dragging the slider.

To use the “Zoom” feature in Microsoft Excel’s “View” tab with a screen reader, you can follow these steps:

  1. Open Excel and navigate to the “View” tab using the arrow keys.
  2. Locate the “Zoom” group within the “View” tab. The screen reader will announce the group name.
  3. Within the “Zoom” group, you’ll typically find the following options:
    • “Zoom In” button: Increases the zoom level.
    • “Zoom Out” button: Decreases the zoom level.
    • “Zoom Slider”: Adjusts the zoom level using a slider.
  4. Use the arrow keys to move to the desired zoom option, such as “Zoom In” or “Zoom Out.”
  5. Press Enter or Spacebar to activate the selected zoom option. The screen reader will announce the change in zoom level.
  6. If you want to use the “Zoom Slider,” navigate to it using the arrow keys. The screen reader should announce the current zoom level.
  7. To adjust the zoom level with the slider, you may need to activate it by pressing Enter or Spacebar. Once activated, you can use the arrow keys to increase or decrease the zoom level. The screen reader should provide feedback on the current zoom level as you make adjustments.
  8. Press Enter or Spacebar again to set the desired zoom level. The screen reader will announce the new zoom level.

Window:

  • New Window: Opens a new window with a view of the same workbook, allowing you to view different parts of the spreadsheet simultaneously.
  • Arrange All: Arranges all open workbook windows on the screen.

To utilize the “Window” feature in Microsoft Excel’s “View” tab with a screen reader, you can follow these steps:

  1. Open Excel and navigate to the “View” tab using the arrow keys.
  2. Locate the “Window” group within the “View” tab. The screen reader will announce the group name.
  3. Within the “Window” group, you’ll typically find the following options:
    • “New Window” button: Opens a new window with a view of the same workbook.
    • “Arrange All” button: Arranges all open workbook windows on the screen.
  4. Use the arrow keys to move to the desired window option, such as “New Window” or “Arrange All.”
  5. Press Enter or Spacebar to activate the selected window option. The screen reader will provide information about the action taken.
  6. If you choose the “New Window” option, a new window with a duplicate view of the same workbook will open. You can use Alt+Tab (on Windows) or Command+Tab (on Mac) to switch between the different open windows.
  7. If you select the “Arrange All” option, Excel will arrange all open workbook windows on the screen, allowing you to view them side by side or in a tiled manner. The screen reader will announce the change in window arrangement.

Freeze Panes:

Allows you to freeze specific rows or columns to keep them visible while scrolling through the rest of the spreadsheet.

To use the “Freeze Panes” feature in Microsoft Excel’s “View” tab with a screen reader, you can follow these steps:

  1. Open Excel and navigate to the “View” tab using the arrow keys.
  2. Locate the “Window” group within the “View” tab. The screen reader will announce the group name.
  3. Within the “Window” group, you’ll typically find the “Freeze Panes” option.
  4. Use the arrow keys to move to the “Freeze Panes” option.
  5. Press Enter or Spacebar to activate the “Freeze Panes” option. The screen reader will provide information about the action.
  6. After activating the “Freeze Panes” option, you’ll need to specify which rows or columns you want to freeze:
    • To freeze specific rows, navigate to the row below the rows you want to freeze using the arrow keys.
    • To freeze specific columns, navigate to the column to the right of the columns you want to freeze.
    • If you want to freeze both rows and columns, navigate to the cell below and to the right of the rows and columns you want to freeze.
  7. Once you’ve positioned the cursor on the appropriate cell, press Alt+W followed by F to freeze the panes. The screen reader will announce the successful freezing of panes.

Show:

  • Gridlines: Toggles the display of gridlines on or off.
  • Headings: Toggles the display of column and row headers on or off.

To utilize the “Show” feature in Microsoft Excel’s “View” tab with a screen reader, you can follow these steps:

  1. Open Excel and navigate to the “View” tab using the arrow keys.
  2. Locate the “Show” group within the “View” tab. The screen reader will announce the group name.
  3. Within the “Show” group, you’ll typically find options like “Gridlines” and “Headings.”
  4. Use the arrow keys to move to the desired show option, such as “Gridlines” or “Headings.”
  5. Press Enter or Spacebar to toggle the selected show option. The screen reader will announce the change in the display.
    • If you select “Gridlines,” it will toggle the visibility of the gridlines on or off, making them either visible or hidden.
    • If you choose “Headings,” it will toggle the display of column and row headers on or off.
  6. You can navigate back to the “Show” group and select the other show option if desired.

Show:

  • Gridlines: Toggles the display of gridlines on or off.
  • Headings: Toggles the display of column and row headers on or off.

To utilize the “Show” feature in Microsoft Excel’s “View” tab with a screen reader, you can follow these steps:

  1. Open Excel and navigate to the “View” tab using the arrow keys.
  2. Locate the “Show” group within the “View” tab. The screen reader will announce the group name.
  3. Within the “Show” group, you’ll typically find options like “Gridlines” and “Headings.”
  4. Use the arrow keys to move to the desired show option, such as “Gridlines” or “Headings.”
  5. Press Enter or Spacebar to toggle the selected show option. The screen reader will announce the change in the display.
    • If you select “Gridlines,” it will toggle the visibility of the gridlines on or off, making them either visible or hidden.
    • If you choose “Headings,” it will toggle the display of column and row headers on or off.
  6. You can navigate back to the “Show” group and select the other show option if desired.

Macros:

Macros in Microsoft Excel allow you to automate repetitive tasks by recording your actions and then replaying them with a single click or shortcut key. Here’s how you can work with macros in Excel using a screen reader:

  1. Open Excel and navigate to the “View” tab using the arrow keys.
  2. Locate the “Macros” group within the “View” tab. The screen reader will announce the group name.
  3. Within the “Macros” group, you’ll typically find options like “Record Macro,” “Run Macro,” and “Macro Security.”
  4. To record a new macro:
    • Select “Record Macro” using the arrow keys and press Enter or Spacebar to activate it.
    • Follow the prompts to name your macro, choose where to store it (in the current workbook or in your Personal Macro Workbook), and assign a shortcut key if desired.
    • Once you’ve configured the settings, press Enter or Spacebar to start recording your actions.
    • Perform the actions you want to automate in Excel. The screen reader should announce your actions as you navigate and interact with the spreadsheet.
    • When you’re done recording, navigate back to the “Macros” group and select “Stop Recording” to finish recording your macro.
  5. To run an existing macro:
    • Select “Run Macro” using the arrow keys and press Enter or Spacebar to activate it.
    • A dialog box will appear listing the available macros in the workbook. Use the arrow keys to navigate through the list.
    • Once you’ve selected the desired macro, press Enter or Spacebar to run it.
    • The macro will execute, and the screen reader will announce any changes or actions performed by the macro.
  6. Ensure that you pay attention to “Macro Security” settings to prevent potentially harmful macros from running on your system.

Shortcut Key Commands:

In Microsoft Excel, the “View” tab contains various options for controlling how you view your worksheets, including zooming, arranging windows, and showing or hiding certain elements. Here are some commonly used shortcut key commands for functions related to the “View” tab in Excel. These shortcuts can help you adjust your view quickly without using the mouse:

Workbook Views:

  1. Normal View: To switch to Normal view (the default view), press Alt, W, N.
  2. Page Layout View: To switch to Page Layout view, press Alt, W, P.
  3. Page Break Preview: To switch to Page Break Preview, press Alt, W, B.

Show/Hide:

  1. Formula Bar: To show or hide the formula bar, press Ctrl + ~ (the grave accent key, usually located under the “Esc” key).
  2. Gridlines: To show or hide gridlines in the worksheet, press Ctrl + 8.
  3. Headings: To show or hide row and column headings, press Alt, W, H.
  4. Ruler: To show or hide the horizontal ruler, press Alt, W, R.

Zoom:

  1. Zoom In: To zoom in on the worksheet, press Ctrl + +.
  2. Zoom Out: To zoom out from the worksheet, press Ctrl + -.
  3. Zoom to Selection: To zoom to the selected range or cell, press Alt, W, S.

Windows:

  1. New Window: To open a new window with the same workbook, press Alt, W, N, W.
  2. Arrange All: To arrange all open workbook windows, press Alt, W, A.
  3. Switch Windows: To switch between open workbook windows, press Ctrl + F6 or Ctrl + Shift + F6 to go in reverse order.

Macros:

  1. Macros: To open the Macros dialog box, press Alt, W, M.

Custom Views:

  1. Custom Views: To open the Custom Views dialog box, press Alt, W, C.

Freeze Panes:

  1. Freeze Panes: To freeze or unfreeze panes in the worksheet, press Alt, W, F.

Split:

  1. Split: To split the worksheet into multiple panes, press Alt, W, S.