Special Keyboard Keys
After reading the following description of the non-alphabet keyboard keys, and practicing finding these keys, move to the link at the bottom of this page titled "BACK" to move to the "Keyboarding Lessons" web page.
Using a screenreader requires many different key commands, and key combinations. There five areas of a standard keyboard that you need to know well to make good use of any screenreader. These five areas are:
1. The keys surrounding the alphabet keys.
2. The function keys (F1 through F12) that run across the top of the keyboard, just above the number keys.
3. The 6-Pack keys, usually found just to the right of the backspace key, or just above the arrow keys.
4. The arrow keys, usually found just below the 6-Pack keys, or just to the right of the right side control key.
5. The numeric keypad, usually found just to the right of the 6-Pack and arrow keys. When the numeric keypad is turned on (tap top left button on the numeric keypad), it acts as a calculator or a way to write numbers and functions; when it is turned off (tap top left button) is becomes a way to use reading commands for your screenreader.
Let's start with the top row function keys. Move your left hand to the top left on the keyboard. This is the escape key. The key just to the right of the escape key is the F1 key. Just to the right of the F1 key is the F2 key. You will notice that the function keys are in groups of four, with a space between each group. The first group is F1 through F4, the next group is F5 through F8, and the final group is F9 through F12. Using other keys with some of these keys, make the computer do things like open help, bring up a links list, and so on. Did you know that if you are using the JAWS screenreader and want to know the time, all you have to do is hold down the insert key (top left on 6-Pack, or the bottom left on the numeric keypad, with the keypad turned off), and tap the F12 key one time. If you want to know the date, hold the insert key down and tap the F12 key two times quickly.
Now, let's look at the keys surrounding the alphabet keys. We will look at the left side of the keyboard first. Move your left hand to the top left of the keyboard, to the escape key. Now, move down one key. You are now touching the grove or tilde key. This key does play a role in the Outlook email, when using the JAWS screenreader. Move down to the next key. You are now touching the Tab key. The key just below the tab key is the caps lock key. This key is used to make all of the letters capitalized; when you want to go back to lower case letter, tap the caps lock to turn it off--JAWS will tell you when you turn this key on or off; also, JAWS will speak in a higher, squeaker voice when a letter is being capitalized. Move down one key. This is the left side shift key. Hold this key down and type a letter, and that letter will be capitalized. Let go of this key and continue typing, and the rest of the letter will be in lower case. Move down one key and you will be on the left side control key. This key is used in combination with other keys to give Windows commands, or screenreader commands.
Now, let's look at the bottom row of keys, just under the alphabet keys. There are two ways to learn this. You can learn the keys by going from left to right, or you can start at the spacebar, and work out to both the left and the right--how you learn this depends on how you feel most comfortable. Going from left to right, the keys are: left side control. Just to the right of the left side control is the Windows (also called Start) key. This key is used to either open the Windows Start menu, or in combination with other keys to give Windows, or your screenreader commands. Just to the right of the Windows key is the left side alt key. This key is used in combination with other keys to give Windows, programs, and your screenreader commands. Just to the right of the left side alt key is the spacebar. This is a long, rectangular key, going in a left to right direction. It is used to put spaces between letter or words, or in combination with other keys to give Windows or your screenreader commands. It is also how you will check things like check boxes, radio buttons, or submit/ok buttons on forms. Just to the right of the space bar is the right side alt key. Yes, there is an alt key just to the left, and just to the right sides of the spacebar. Just to the right of the right side alt key is going to be one of two keys. On some keyboards, there will be a right side Windows or start key, while on others there will not. This requires you to experiment to find out. If there is not a right side Windows or Start key, you will be on the Properities key. If you are in a program such as a word processor, and want to get to format and fonts quicly, tap the Properities key. This key has different menus, depending on which program you are in. Just to the right of the Properities key is the right side control key. The other way to think of these keys is going from the spacebar out. To either side are the alt keys. To the left of the left side alt key are the Windows key and the left side control key. To the right of the right side alt key is the Windows key (if present), the Properities key, and the right side control key.
Now, let's look at the keys going up the right side of the alphabet keys. Place your right hand on the right side control key. Just above this key is the right side shift key. Just above the right side shift key is the enter key. This key is used to open programs, go to a new line in a word processor, or other types of tasks. Just above the enter key is the backslash key (on most standard keyboards; yours might be different, so you will need to experiment). Just above the backslash key is the backspace key. This key is used to back up and erase a letter that you have mis-typed, to move back one web page, to move back one level of the folders you are in, and so on.
Now, let's look at the 6-Pack keys. Move your right hand to the Backspace key. Now, move right. You should feel a small space, then a group of six keys. The top left key is the insert key. The key just below the insert key is the delete key. Move to the right of the insert key and you will be on the Home key. The key just below the Home key is the End key. Move to the right of the Home key and you will be on the Page Up key. The key just below the Page Up key is the Page Down key. These keys are used for many tasks that involve both Windows and its' programs, and your screenreader.
Now, let's move to the arrow keys. From the 6-Pack, move your right hand down. You will feel a space, then you will find four keys. Usually there will be a key in the middle, just above three keys below. This middle key that is just above the three keys is the Up Arrow key. The key just below the Up Arrow key is the Down Arrow key. The key just to the left of the Down Arrow key is the Left Arrow key. The key just to the right of the Down Arrow key is the Right Arrow key. These keys are used for moving through menus, documents, and so on. Used with the control key or other keys, they can speed up the movement through a document.
Now, let's look at the numeric keypad. This is a larger area, found just to the right of both the 6-Pack and the Arrow keys. At the top left of this section of keys is the num lock. Tap it to turn it on, and you have a way to use the Windows Calculator, or to enter number into a document, spreadsheet, and so on. Tap the num lock key to turn off the numeric keypad, and you have a way to navigate documents, spreadsheets, web pages, and so on. The nice thing about using the numeric keypad to work with Windows and its' programs, is that it is compact, or all there in one spot, except for the control key and the function keys.
With the num lock on, which makes the keys act as number and math operation keys, the bottom left key is the 0. The key jsut to the right of the 0 key is the decimal point. The key just to the right of the decimal point is the enter key. The key just above the left side of the 0 key is the 1 key. Just to the right of the 1 key is the 2 key. Just to the right of the 2 key is the 3 key. Just above the 1 key is the 4 key. Just to the right of the 4 key is the 5 key. This key should have a small bump on it, and it is where you usually place your right middle finger. Just to the right of the 5 key is the 6 key. Just to the right of the 6 key is the plus key. Just above the 4 key is the 7 key. Just to the right of the 7 key is the 8 key. Just to the right of the 8 key is the 9 key. Just to the right of the 9 key is the top part of the plus key. Just above the 7 key is the num lock key. Just to the right of the num lock key is the front slash (also called division) key. Just to the right of the division key is the star (also called the times) key. Just to the right of the times key is the minus key. Try putting your right middle finger on the 5 key, and using it to control the right side of the 0, the 2, 5, 8 and division keys. Use your right index (also called reading) finger to control the left side of the 0, the 1, 4, 7, and num lock keys. Try using your right ring finger to control the decimal, 3, 6, 9, and times keys. Use your right pinkie finger to control the enter, plus and minus keys.
Once you really know the numeric keypad, as described above, tap the top left key (the num lock) and turn it off. Now, you have a keypad that will allow you to navigate in documents, web pages, and so on. The 0 key becomes the insert key. The decimal key becomes the delete key. The enter key generally remains as the enter key. The 2 becomes the down arrow key, the 8 becomes the up arrow key, the 4 becomes the left arrow key, the 6 becomes the right arrow key, and the 5 generally reads the letter you are on, or used with the insert key reads (and can spell) the word you are on. The 1 becomes the end key, the 7 becomes the home key, the 3 becomes the page down key, the 9 becomes the page up key. The front slash or division key becomes the left mouse button, the star or division key becomes the right mouse button. The minus and plus keys generally control whether you are using the PC cursor or the JAWS cursor. These also control cursors in WinEyes. These are keys that you want to experiment with in a document, on the web, and even in menus.
Hint: If using JAWS, you can read from where you are in a document, to the end by pressing and hold the insert key, tapping the down arrow key one time, then letting them both go. You can read the letter you are on by tapping the 5 key one time. You can hear the phonetic representation of the key by tapping the 5 key two times quickly. Remember to tap the 5 one more time to go back into letter reading mode. You can hear the word you are on by pressing and holding the insert key and tapping the 5 key one time. You can hear that word spelled by pressing and holding the insert key and tapping the 5 key two times quickly. Remember to hold insert and tap the 5 key one more time to turn off spelling mode. Finally, you can quickly get to the top of a document or web page by pressing and holding the control key and tapping the home key.