Basic tasks using a screen reader with the calendar in Outlook
Applies ToOutlook for Microsoft 365 Outlook 2024 Outlook 2021 Outlook 2019 Outlook 2016 Outlook.com Outlook for iOS Outlook on the web for Exchange Server 2016

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 the calendar in new Outlook with your keyboard and a screen reader to do the essential basic tasks. 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. You'll learn how to open and edit calendar events, join online meetings, and more.

Notes: 

In this topic

Set up your calendar view

You can set up your calendar to show a selected day, a work week, a full week, or a month—whichever is your preferred way of working.

  1. In Outlook, press Ctrl+2 to open the calendar. You hear "Calendar," followed by your name and the number of events in one selected calendar.

  2. Use the following keyboard shortcuts to select the calendar view:

    • Press Alt + a number key to show a number of days from 1 to 7, starting from today. For example, press Alt+7 to show 7 days.

    • To shift the calendar view between the day, work week, full week, and month views, first move the focus to the ribbon by pressing the Tab key or Shift+Tab until you hear "New event," then press the Right arrow key until you hear the view you want, and then press Enter.

Open, read, and edit calendar events

To keep up with your busy schedule, you can quickly read and edit event details.

Note: You can only edit events that you've created. For example, you cannot edit meeting requests that you've received from someone else.

  1. In Outlook, press Ctrl+2 to open the calendar. You hear "Loaded," followed by the number of events in one selected calendar.

  2. Do one of the following to move in the calendar:

    • To move to the previous day, week, or month, press the Tab key until you hear "Go to previous," followed by the unit of time, and then press Enter.

    • To move to the next day, week, or month, press the Tab key until you hear "Go to next," followed by the unit of time, and then press Enter.

  3. In any view, press the Tab key or Shift+Tab to browse the events for the time period displayed. As you move, you'll hear "Event," followed by the date, hours, event title, event location, and organizer of the selected event.

  4. To review the event in more detail, or open the event to edit it, press Enter. The event Details window opens. You hear: "Add details to the event."

  5. To browse the event details and options, press the Tab key. Your screen reader announces the details and options as you move.

  6. When finished, do one of the following:

    • If you are editing a meeting, press Shift+Tab until you hear "Send button," and then press Enter.

    • If you are editing an appointment, press Shift+Tab until you hear "Save button," and then press Spacebar.

    • If you didn't change anything in the event, to close the event Details window, press Esc.

    When you leave the Details window, the focus moves to Calendar.

Join an online meeting from Outlook calendar

You can easily join Skype for Business or Microsoft Teams online meetings.

Join a Skype for Business meeting

  1. In Outlook, press Ctrl+2 to open the calendar.

  2. Press the Tab key until you hear the event you want to join, and then press Enter to open the event.

  3. Press the Tab key until you hear the link to join the meeting, and then press Enter. The Join Meeting Audio dialog box opens.

  4. To join with full audio and video experience, press Enter. The Join Meeting Audio dialog box closes and you're connected to the meeting.

    Tip: To mute or unmute your microphone while in the meeting, press the Windows Logo key+F4. To hang up, press Ctrl+Enter.

Join a Microsoft Teams meeting

  1. In Outlook, press Ctrl+2 to open the calendar.

  2. Press the Tab key until you hear the event you want to join, and then press Enter to open the event.

  3. Press the Tab key until you hear "Join Teams meeting," and then press Enter. The meeting opens in Microsoft Teams. You hear: "Choose your audio and video settings."

  4. To change the meeting audio and video settings, press the Tab key until you hear the setting you want to change, and then press Enter to change it. To join the meeting, press Shift+Tab until you hear "Join the meeting button," and then press Enter.

  5. To change meeting settings or to hang up, press the Tab key until you hear the option you want, and then press Enter.

Set options for your calendar

In the calendar settings, you can change the appearance of your calendar or choose to receive notifications. You can also modify your out-of-office messages and how you want to send them.

  1. In Outlook, to open the Settings window, press the Tab key or Shift+Tab until you hear "Settings button," and then press Enter.

  2. Press the Right arrow key until you hear "View all Outlook settings," and then press Enter. The Settings window opens.

  3. Press the Tab key until you hear "Accounts, tab item," then press the Down arrow key until you hear "Calendar," and then press Enter.

  4. To navigate between the Calendar settings, press the Tab key until you hear "Calendar category subtab," then use the Up and Down arrow keys to move between the subtabs.

  5. To navigate settings in a subtab, press the Tab key once to move the focus to the list of settings, then move between the settings by pressing the Tab key or Shift+Tab. To select settings, press Enter.

  6. When done, to close the Settings window, press Alt+F4.

Print your calendar

Print out a selected day, week, or calendar month in Outlook.

  1. In Outlook, press Ctrl+2 to open the calendar.

  2. Select the calendar view you want to print.

  3. In the Calendar main window, press Ctrl+P. A print preview opens.

  4. Press the Tab key until you hear "Print button," and then press Enter. The Print dialog box opens.

  5. To choose a printer, press the Tab key or Shift+Tab until you hear: "Printer." Press Spacebar, and then press the Down arrow key until you hear the name of the printer you want to use. To select, press Spacebar.

  6. Press the Tab key or Shift+Tab to browse other printing options. When done, press the Tab key until you hear "Print button," and then press Spacebar. The calendar is printed.

See also

Use a screen reader to read and reply to a meeting request in Outlook

Use a screen reader to schedule appointments or meetings in Outlook

Basic tasks using a screen reader with email in Outlook

Keyboard shortcuts for Outlook

Use a screen reader to explore and navigate Outlook Calendar

Set up your device to work with accessibility in Microsoft 365

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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