Basic tasks using a screen reader with SharePoint Online
Applies ToSharePoint in Microsoft 365

This article is for people who use a screen reader program such as Windows Narrator, JAWS, or NVDA with Windows tools or features and Microsoft 365 products. This article is part of the Accessibility help & learning content set where you can find more accessibility information on our apps. For general help, visit Microsoft Support.

Use SharePoint in Microsoft 365 with your keyboard and a screen reader to move around and do basic tasks on the home page. We have tested it with Narrator, JAWS, and NVDA, but it might work with other screen readers as long as they follow common accessibility standards and techniques.

Notes: 

  • New Microsoft 365 features are released gradually to Microsoft 365 subscribers, so your app might not have these features yet. To learn how you can get new features faster, join the Office Insider program.

  • To learn more about screen readers, go to How screen readers work with Microsoft 365.

  • When you use SharePoint in Microsoft 365, we recommend that you use Microsoft Edge as your web browser. Because SharePoint in Microsoft 365 runs in your web browser, the keyboard shortcuts are different from those in the desktop program. For example, you’ll use Ctrl+F6 instead of F6 for jumping in and out of the commands. Also, common shortcuts like F1 (Help) and Ctrl+O (Open) apply to the web browser – not SharePoint in Microsoft 365.

  • Some functionality in SharePoint in Microsoft 365 is introduced gradually to organizations that have opted in to the First Release program. Organizations that do not participate in the First Release program may see a different user interface than the one described in this topic.

In this topic

Start SharePoint Online

  1. Go to portal.office.com or login.microsoftonline.com and sign in to your Microsoft 365 account.

  2. To open the SharePoint Home page, press the Tab key until you hear: “Go to SharePoint, Link.” Press Enter.

By default, the SharePoint in Microsoft 365 home page includes a left navigation pane made up of a search box, a list of SharePoint sites you are following (the Following group), a list of sites you have visited (the Recent group), and a list of links. At the top of the main screen is the Frequent group, which lists SharePoint sites you have visited or edited frequently. Below the Frequent group is the Suggested group, which lists related SharePoint sites.

Note: To learn more about navigation options and keyboard shortcuts in SharePoint in Microsoft 365, refer to Use a screen reader to explore and navigate SharePoint Online.

Select sites to follow

The Suggested group on the main page includes a list of sites recommended for you. From this list, you can select sites you want to add to the Following group in the left pane.

  1. On the SharePoint home page, press the Tab key until you reach the Suggested group. You hear: “Use the arrows to navigate to the Follow this site check box.”

  2. To move to a different suggested site, press the Right or Left arrow key.

  3. To move the focus to the Follow this site check box, press the Up or Down arrow key. You hear: “Follow site” followed by the name of the selected site; for example, “Follow site: Team site.”

  4. To select the Follow this site check box, press Spacebar.

See also

Use a screen reader to explore Following and Recent sites list in SharePoint Online

Keyboard shortcuts in SharePoint Online

Use a screen reader to explore and navigate SharePoint Online

Technical support for customers with disabilities

Microsoft wants to provide the best possible experience for all our customers. If you have a disability or questions related to accessibility, please contact the Microsoft Disability Answer Desk for technical assistance. The Disability Answer Desk support team is trained in using many popular assistive technologies and can offer assistance in English, Spanish, French, and American Sign Language. Please go to the Microsoft Disability Answer Desk site to find out the contact details for your region.

If you are a government, commercial, or enterprise user, please contact the enterprise Disability Answer Desk.

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