This article is for people who use a screen reader program such as Windows Narrator, JAWS, or NVDA with Microsoft 365 products. This article is part of the Microsoft 365 screen reader support content set where you can find more accessibility information on our apps. For general help, visit Microsoft Support.
Use Access with your keyboard and a screen reader to download and start using templates in an Access desktop database. We have tested it with Narrator, but it might work with other screen readers as long as they follow common accessibility standards and techniques. You'll learn how to download templates and how to start using the Asset Tracking and Students templates.
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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.
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To learn more about screen readers, go to How screen readers work with Microsoft 365.
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For the best experience, keep this help topic open in the Microsoft Edge browser, and then open the template you want.
In this topic
Download a template
If you don't want to spend time creating a database from scratch, you can use an Access desktop database template. The Asset Tracking and Students templates are used in this topic as examples.
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On the Access start screen, press Alt+S to move the focus to the search field.
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Type asset tracking or students, depending on which template you want to use, and then press Enter. When Access has completed the search, you hear the search term you typed again.
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Press the Tab key until you hear the name of the template you want to use, followed by the number of search results, for example "one of one." Then press Enter to open the template. Narrator reads the contents of the template preview pane. If you don't want to listen to the full description, press Ctrl to interrupt the narration.
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Press Shift+Tab twice to move the focus to the File Name field, and then type a name for your database.
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Press the Tab key until you hear "Create, button," and then press Enter to create a new database using the selected template.
Depending on which template you are using, continue with Start using the Asset Tracking template or Start using the Students template.
Start using the Asset Tracking template
Use the Asset Tracking template to keep track of computers, office equipment, or anything else that is owned or maintained by people. Follow these steps after first downloading a template to learn how to fill your database with assets.
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After Access has prepared the Asset Tracking database, depending on your screen reader, you might hear: "Security warning." To enable all content, press F6 until you hear the security warning again, press the Tab key until you hear "Enable content, button," and then press Enter.
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If you haven't used this template before, a Welcome window might open. To close it, press the Tab key until you hear "Get started, button," and then press Enter. Your screen reader announces the database's file name and location, the Asset List form opens, and the focus is in the search field.
: To stop the Welcome window from appearing every time you open the database, when you reach the Get Started button, press the Tab key once more. You hear: "Show Welcome when this database is opened." Press Spacebar to uncheck the option, and then press Shift+Tab to go back to the Get Started button.
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To start adding assets to the list, press Alt+N to open the Asset Details window, then type a name for the asset. For example, if you're making a list of computers and each of them has a unique four-number ID, you could type Desktop 1234.
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To move forward and backward in the Asset Details window, press the Tab key or Shift+Tab. There are two kinds of fields:
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In most fields, you can just type the information about that asset detail, for example Manufacturer or Purchase Price. In the Acquired Date and Retired Date fields, when you type the date and press Enter, for example 1 Sep 2015, Access automatically converts it to the right date format.
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If you hear "Combo box" or "Combo, edit" after the name of the field, for example Category or Condition, you can either type the information, or press Alt+Down arrow key to open the menu, use the Up and Down arrow keys to browse the available values, and then press Enter to select.
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If you want to add an attachment to the asset, press the Tab key until you hear "Add or remove attachments, button," press Enter, and then press Alt+A. Press the Tab key or Shift+Tab to move between different parts of the Choose File dialog box, use the arrow keys to navigate, and then press Enter to open a folder or select a file. To add the attachment, press the Tab key until you hear "OK, button," and then press Enter.
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To save the asset information and start adding the next asset, press Shift+F6, press the Tab key until you hear "Save and new, button," and then press Enter.
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To stop adding assets, press Shift+F6, press the Tab key until you hear "Close, button," and then press Enter. The focus returns to the Asset List form.
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To manually save your database, press Alt+F, S.
For more information about how you can use the template, go to Use the Access Asset Tracking template. For example, you can search asset details, show or hide columns, send email messages, and map asset owners’ addresses.
Start using the Students template
Use the Students template to keep track of information about your students, including their email address and information about their guardians. Follow these steps after first downloading a template to learn how to add your students to the database.
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After Access has prepared the Students template, you might hear: "Security warning." To enable all content, press F6 until you hear the security warning again, press the Tab key until you hear "Enable content, button," and then press Enter.
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Depending on your settings, a Welcome window might open. To close it, press the Tab key until you hear "Get started, button," and then press Enter. Your screen reader announces the database's file name and location, the Student List form opens, and the focus is in the search field.
: To stop the Welcome window from appearing every time you open the database, when you reach the Get Started button, press the Tab key once more. You hear: "Show Welcome when this database is opened." Press Spacebar to uncheck the option, and then press Shift+Tab to go back to the Get Started button.
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To start adding students to the list, press Alt+N to open the Student Details window, press the Tab key until you hear "First name," and then type the student's first name.
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Press the Tab key once. You hear: "Last name." Type the student's last name.
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To move forward and backward in the Student Details window, press the Tab key or Shift+Tab. There are two kinds of fields:
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In most fields, you can just type the information about that student detail, for example Student ID or Email address. In the Date of Birth field, when you type the date and then press Enter, for example 2 Feb 2006, Access automatically converts it to the right date format.
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If you hear "Combo box" or "Combo, edit" after the name of the field, for example Level or Special Circumstances, you can either type the information, or press Alt+Down arrow key to open the menu, use the Up and Down arrow keys to browse the available values, press Spacebar to check or uncheck a selection in the Special Circumstances menu, and then press Enter to select.
: The Click to Map button only works after you have entered the student's address information. It opens the location in Bing Maps in your browser.
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To save the student information and start adding the next student, press Shift+F6, press the Tab key until you hear "Save and new, button," and then press Enter.
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To stop adding students, press Shift+F6, press the Tab key until you hear "Close, button," and then press Enter. The focus returns to the Student List form.
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To manually save your database, press Alt+F, S.
For more information about how you can use the template, go to Use the Students Access database template. For example, you can search and filter students, track student attendance, show or hide columns, and map student addresses.
See also
Use a screen reader to start Access
Use a screen reader to create a form in Access desktop databases
Use a screen reader to create a report in Access desktop databases
Use a screen reader to create a query in Access desktop databases
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.
