Use a screen reader to explore and navigate Outlook Calendar
Applies ToOutlook for Microsoft 365 Outlook 2024 Outlook 2021 Outlook 2019 Outlook 2016 Outlook Calendar for Windows 10 Outlook for iOS Outlook Web App

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.

Note: Outlook for Mac information on this topic is available here.

Use Outlook Calendar with your keyboard and a screen reader to explore and navigate the different views and move between them. 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: 

In this topic

Navigate the main view and screen elements

When you open the calendar in new Outlook, the main view is displayed. You hear the current date and whether there are events for that day. You also hear the total number of events for the current month. To navigate through and within the main view and screen elements, do the following:

  • To move the focus through the screen elements, press the Tab key.

  • To cycle through the main regions of the screen only, press Ctrl+F6. You hear: "Jump to date selection." You can then press Enter to move the focus to the date selection or press the Tab key until you hear the landmark you want, and press Enter to move there.

  • When the focus is on a button or selectable element, press Enter to perform the action or select the element.

Main regions

The calendar in new Outlook contains the following main regions:

  • Horizontal navigation bar at the top

  • Ribbon tabs below the navigation bar

  • Navigation pane on the left

  • Current calendar

Horizontal navigation bar

The horizontal navigation bar is at the top of the screen. It contains the Search text field in the middle, and access to general information, such as My Day, NotificationsHelp, and Settings on the right.

Ribbon tabs

Outlook Calendar opens with the Home tab selected. The Home tab has buttons, for example, for creating a new appointment or a meeting request and sharing a calendar.

  • To navigate to the row of ribbon tabs, press the Tab key or Shift+Tab. You hear “Ribbon,” followed by the currently selected tab.

  • To move between the ribbon tabs, press the Left or Right arrow key and then press the Tab key once to move to the options on the ribbon.

  • To navigate inside a ribbon tab, press the Tab key or Shift+Tab.

Navigation pane

The navigation pane contains the New event button at the top, and a date selector and a calendar list below it. On the left side of the pane, you can find the view switcher, which contains quick access buttons for Mail, Calendar, Contacts, and To Do.

To move between the items in the navigation pane, press the Tab key or Shift+Tab.

Current calendar

The current calendar shows the selected view of the current calendar, such as week or month. To browse the calendar, press the Up or Down arrow key.

At the top of the current calendar, there's a toolbar where you can explore the current month and year, select the previous or next month, use a month picker to select the view for the current calendar (Day, Work week, Week, Month, or Today), and share calendars. Press the Left, Right, Up, or Down arrow key to move between the toolbar items, and then press Enter to select an item.

To start creating a new event from the current calendar, do the following:

  1. Press Ctrl+N. The event composer opens in a new window.

  2. Press the Tab key to move between the event fields.

  3. To save the event, press Shift+Tab until you hear “Save button,” and then press Enter. To exit the event composer without saving, press Alt+F4. The focus returns to the current calendar.

Move between views

Switch between a new event window and the main calendar view

  1. Press Ctrl+N to open a blank appointment window. The focus is on the Subject text field. You hear: “Add a title.”

  2. To switch back to the main calendar view, press and hold the Alt key, and then press the Tab key repeatedly to cycle through the active apps. You hear the names of the open apps.

  3. Release the Tab key when you hear: “Calendar.”

Navigate to the calendar settings

You can modify calendar settings in the Outlook Settings window. You can, for example, set your working hours and working days, set out-of-office replies, and define the default reminders time.

  1. Press the Tab key or Shift+Tab until you hear: "Ribbon tabs."

  2. Press the Right arrow key until you hear: "View."

  3. Press the Tab key once to move the focus to the ribbon, then press the Right arrow key until you hear "Calendar settings," and press Enter. The Settings window opens, with the Calendar > View tab open.

  4. To navigate between the calendar settings subtabs, press the Tab key until you hear "Calendar category subtab," then press the Up or Down arrow key until you hear the subtab you want, and press Enter.

  5. Navigate between settings with the Tab key and Shift+Tab. To select options, press Enter.

  6. To save the changes you've made to the calendar settings, press the Tab key until you hear "Save, button," and press Enter. 

  7. To close the Settings window, press Alt+F4.

Navigate between the main views of Outlook

  • To navigate to Mail, press Ctrl+1.

  • To navigate to Calendar, press Ctrl+2.

  • To navigate to Contacts, press Ctrl+3.

  • To navigate to To Do, press Ctrl+4.

Use Search

To find an option or perform an action quickly, use the Search text field. To learn more about the Search feature, go to Find what you need with Microsoft Search.

  1. Select the item or place in your calendar or event where you want to perform an action.

  2. To go to the Search text field, press the Tab key or Shift+Tab until you hear: "Search."

  3. Type the search words for the action that you want to perform. For example, if you want to add a bulleted list, type bullets.

  4. Press the Down arrow key to browse through the search results.

  5. When you've found the result you want, press Enter to select it and to perform the action.

See also

Use a screen reader to schedule appointments or meetings in Outlook

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

Keyboard shortcuts for Outlook

Basic tasks using a screen reader with the calendar in Outlook

Set up your device to work with accessibility in Microsoft 365

Make your Outlook email accessible to people with disabilities

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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