Office 2013 and Windows 8 with JAWS

This new five-day hands-on workshop is designed for anyone who wants to get specific training on how to use JAWS with Microsoft® Office 2013 and Windows® 8. Learn specific techniques in Windows 8, Microsoft Word, Excel®, PowerPoint®, and Outlook® using the keyboard with JAWS.

Heavy emphasis is placed throughout on using best techniques for accessible document design as part of the document creation process.

Windows 8 Introduction

JAWS is tested and developed with Windows 8 set up right out of the box. However, there are a few minor changes you may wish to make for personal preferences, including:

  • User Account Control settings
  • File Explorer details view
  • Showing known file extensions in File Explorer

Overview of the Office Ribbon and Office Backstage View

NOTE: Persons who attend this workshop should already have a working knowledge of JAWS and good keyboard skills.


The Office backstage view replaces the Office Button menu. It is not a menu, and not a ribbon. It offers one place that groups all of the things you can do to a document AFTER you have edited it, including printing, distribution, and document properties, just to name a few.

Outlook 2013

Discussion and use of Outlook 2013 occurs throughout the workshop, as students and instructor interact and send projects and documents to each other. In addition, items of discussion include:

  • Preferences
  • Sending and receiving messages and attachments
  • Calendar, appointments, and meeting requests
  • JAWS Navigation Quick Keys with Outlook messages
  • Categorizing messages
  • Instant search

Word 2013

Some of the topics covered in the section on Word 2013 include:

  • Preferences, such as Word Options ALT followed by F, T
  • Changing the default document template
  • Creating new templates
  • Styles in Microsoft Word
  • Inserting headers, footers, bookmarks, footnotes, endnotes, comments, hyperlinks, and images (with alternate text)
  • Page layout
  • Track changes for revisions
  • Mail merge
  • JAWS Navigation Quick Keys with Word
  • Creating forms in Microsoft Word
  • Save as PDF
  • Word to DAISY Translator

PowerPoint 2013

The class will create a PowerPoint 2013 presentation that demonstrates knowledge of the following tasks:

  • Use JAWS and the keyboard to create and present slide shows
  • Set a background color for all slides in the presentation
  • Use a photograph as a background for an entire slide
  • Use design templates in PowerPoint to choose a variety of different slides
  • Navigate at the object as well as the text entry level of slides
  • Insert a button to play a sound on a slide
  • Use slide animation effects to fly in bullet points one at a time
  • Rearrange animation effects for a more effective presentation
  • Set a delay in playing a sound to allow for a more effective presentation
  • Insert graphics that have alternate text
  • Insert and read speaker's notes
  • Use the spell checker in PowerPoint
  • Know how to use the outline and thumbnail views during the slide creation process
  • Be able to hand out notes from the presentation to your audience
  • Use the JAWS Help system to reference keystrokes and more information specific to PowerPoint

Excel 2013

Participants in this class will learn to use JAWS to accomplish the following:

  • Learn and use keyboard navigation and selection techniques
  • Insert and read comments
  • Create row and column headers for ranges that read automatically for JAWS users
  • Read row and column headers with JAWS
  • Insert hyperlinks for navigation
  • Select and move to worksheet objects
  • Create and modify charts
  • List or post row and column totals with JAWS
  • List cells with data in current column or row
  • List cells with comments or formulas
  • Set and use monitored cells
  • Create an accessible form in Excel
  • Create and use the Custom Summary feature of JAWS for Excel worksheets

JAWS® is a registered trademark of Freedom Scientific, Inc., St. Petersburg, Florida and/or other countries.

Microsoft®, Windows®, Excel®, PowerPoint®, and Outlook® are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.