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Presenter:
Dan Clark
Freedom Scientific Training Department
Trainer & Tutorial/Curriculum Developer
danC@FreedomScientific.com
800-444-4443 ext 1016
http://www.FreedomScientific.com
Microsoft Excel and Word are two of the most commonly used applications in today's workforce and educational settings. Blind or visually impaired computer users can effectively compete with their sighted colleagues and even exceed expected job requirements by using JAWS for Windows. The presenter will demonstrate the following items:
A. Microsoft Excel:
* Setting up and naming multiple and single region Excel
workbooks; moving quickly to a named region with easy keystroke
navigation.
* Creation of and reading of charts within a workbook or
worksheet.
* Setting up row and column "title" reading and saving these
settings so that the spreadsheet and the accompanying JAWS Script
Initialization (JSI) file can be sent together so that once a
spreadsheet has been set up, a user who is blind or visually
impaired does not have to do this on their own each time. Files
can be created and shared, thus making more effective use of
time.
* Reading row and column totals. Row and column totals also do
not have to be visible on the screen to be read by JAWS.
* Setting up Braille display settings to optimize reading either
columns or rows of information within an Excel workbook. With a
single keystroke combination a speech or Braille user can get a
list of cells within a given row or column that contain data.
This list shows only those cells, so that the user knows that any
cells not contained in this list are blank cells. Information is
also given as to which cell numbers contain information.
* Setting up "monitored cells" that can be read from anywhere on
a worksheet with a list of monitored cells. JAWS can keep track
of and save the settings for up to 10 different monitored cells.
These cells do not have to be visible on the screen to be read by
JAWS.
* Creating and reading cell comments within a worksheet.
* Creating hyperlinks and opening up a list of hyperlinks within
Excel to move to the link or activate the link and go immediately
to a given web site.
B. Microsoft Word
* Creation of standard and non-standard tables
* Setting up row and column headers within both standard and
non-standard tables. (Or setting up only row or only column
titles to be read.)
* Demonstration of JAWS table-reading keys that work not only in
Word but in tables on the Internet as well.
* Applying Styles when creating documents
* Setting up row and column reading and saving these settings so
that the document and the accompanying JAWS Script Initialization
(JSI) file can be sent together so that once a Word document has
been set up, a user who is blind or visually impaired does not
have to do this on their own each time. Files can be created and
shared, thus making more effective use of time.
* A faster way for more experienced JAWS users to check
spelling
These and other techniques can give the blind or visually impaired user access to these powerful features of Microsoft Excel and Word, giving them a competitive advantage in the workplace of today's American economy.
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