Changing Outlook Views
Outlook has a number of views that can be used, from the simple list, to icons spread across the page. The calendar can be displayed by the month, week or day. It is important to have the view that works for your needs. Following are activities for changing the Calendar view to day, the Contacts to a list, and the Task to a list. Listing makes it easier to use the screen reader because you only need to be concerned with using the up and down arrow keys in a list, and not have to worry about using right and left arrow, and possibly missing important information. There are three headings on this page (letter h) to allow you to quickly move to the area you want to work with. When you are finished with the following activities move to the link titled "BACK" at the bottom of this page to go to the "Outlook Lessons" page.
Having the "Reading Pane" open in the Outlook Inbox displays the email you are on in the Inbox list of emails, even though you have not opened that email. It does not make a great different to the screen reader user whether the "Reading Pane" is open, but it has the potential to cause security issues. Do the following steps to turn off the "Reading Pane" in the Outlook Inbox.
1. Open Outlook.
2. Hit the Alt key one time.
3. Right arrow to the "View" tab of the ribbon.
4. Down arrow one time.
5. Hit the Tab key again-and-again until you hear "Reading Pane."
6. Hit the Enter key one time.
7. Down arrow to the "off" item.
8. Hit the Enter key one time and the "Reading Pane" will be turned off, and you emails will not be automatically viewed.
9. Down arrow through the list of emails and listen to the information spoken about each email.
1. Open Outlook.
2. Press and hold down the Control key and hit the number 2 (above the alphabet keys).
3. Release the keys.
4. Hit the Alt key one time.
5. Right arrow until you hear "Home."
6. Down arrow one time.
7. Hit the Tab key again and again until you hear "Today."
8. Hit the Enter key one time and a single day will be displayed, with times in thirty minute incriments.
9. Hit the left arrow key to move back one day.
10. Hit the right arrow key to move back to today.
11. Hit the right arrow a second time to move to tomorrow.
12. Hit the left arrow key one time to move back to today.
13. Hit the down arrow key to move forward through the day.
14. Hit the up arrow key to move backward through the day.
15. Hit the Alt key one time.
16. Right arrow to the "Home" tab of the ribbon.
17. Hit the Tab key again and again until you hear "Day."
18. Hit the Enter key one time.
19. Type a date using the mm/dd/yyyy format--for example 12/25/2013
20. Hit the Enter key one time to display that day.
21. Down arrow to move forward through the times for the day.
22. Up arrow to move backwards through the times for the day.
1. Open Outlook.
2. Press and hold down the Control key and hit the number 3 (above the alphabet keys).
3. Hit the Alt key.
4. Right arrow to the "View" tab of the ribbon.
5. Down arrow and you will hear "Change View."
6. Hit the Enter key one time.
7. You should hear the current view.
8. Up arrow one time.
9. Right arrow to see if there is a "List" item. If not, left arrow to the first item you heard when you hit up arrow, and then hit down arrow. The items in this area are: "People, Business Card, Card, Phone and List."
10. Hit the Enter key one time when you hear the word "List" and your Contacts will be put in a list with items such as phone numbers and email addresses.
11. Down arrow through the list to hear the information.
1. Open Outlook.
2. Hit the Alt key one time.
3. Right arrow to the "View" tab of the ribbon.
4. Down arrow one time and you will be in a box with eleven items. There are two rows of four items, and a bottom row of three items. These items are: "Detailed, Simple List, To Do List, and Prioritized" on the first row. On the second row there is: "Active, Completed, Today, and Next 7 Days." On the third row there is: "Overdue, Assigned and Server Tasks." Your right arrow will cycle through a row. To get to the row below the one you are on, hit the down arrow, then right arrow to cycle through that row. If you need to go back to the row above where you are, hit the up arrow key one time, and then right arrow through that row.
5. When you hear the item you want in number "4" above, hit the Enter key one time and the view will be set.
6. You can now down arrow to see how your selected view appears. If you do not like what you are hearing, repeat steps "2:" through "5" above to select a different view.