Hi,

What is the fastest way to get familiar with a large spreadsheet for the first time using JAWS, if you have no idea what is in it? My co-worker told me that as soon as she opens a spreadsheet, she can immediately see everything she needs to know on screen. I am trying to learn if there is a way to use a computer as fast as someone who can see in every situation. I am totally blind.

Thanks,

Mike

Whether the below way is as fast as a sighted person, Idon’t know. There may be other ways to figure out quickly the content of a spreadsheet you’re not familiar with but the below way is how I like to do it.

Typically, I will just start pressing control with the arrow keys to start navigating regions. I’m looking for how big this spreadsheet actually is. If it only goes out for a few regions, this method will be extremely quick. But if there are dozens or hundreds of regions, then after awhile I will use the go to key to go to the edge of the spreadsheet and then control left arrow or control up arrow to get to the last populated cell. There are key combinations that JAWS has to tell you which cells are populated but they don’t help me as I think very spatially and to see what’s at the far right of a spreadsheet, it’s more difficult for me to conceptualize it when I had to press down arrow to get there.

I’ve gotten fairly quick at the above steps and I can typicaly pick up how big a large spreadsheet is in about 10-15 seconds. It’s probably not as fast as a sighted person can get that information by just looking at the screen but it works for me.

Once I’ve gotten my boundaries I begin looking at how they have it laid out. Where are column and row headers, formulas, inserted data and so on.

Again, there are other methods and keystrokes that JAWS has of getting this information but if you’re one who needs to think spatially by pressing the arrow keys with control, this method has worked for me.    

Mike,

Spreadsheets can be written in formats from the sublime to the ridiculous.  As a totally blind user, I try to write down the headings and so get an idea of the organization of the spreadsheet.  However, since your co-worker is looking at a full screen and you are accessing the spreadsheet cell by cell, what you can learn depends entirely on the complexity of the spreadsheet itself.  No matter how you choose to learn about the functions of the spreadsheet, it’s going to take you longer than it would take a sighted person.  For complicated financial spreadsheets, even looking at the screen can be a daunting experience.

Greg

This may be a case for using AIRA or asking the person who sent the file for a basic overview.  For example, my manager’s main file she uses for tracking each year’s group of interns has a list of all interns and multiple columns of data across the bottom, but the top of the worksheet has small tables where she is calculating various things like metrics on of hires by gender and school.  It took me a while to navigate around and try to determine each section of information.

Also note  I have found certain JAWS commands do not work if freeze panes is turned on.  Many sighted users use this feature to keep the left column visible as they navigate through the various columns to the right.  Similarly, they might turn this on to keep column headers visible.  JAWS wasn’t able to show me all cell comments while freze panes was on.  There must be a technical reason for this, as JAWS actually told me to unfreeze panes to make it work.  I need to email Vispero and ask why this is. 

Robin