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4.19 MICROSOFT WORD TABLES

If you need to present a lot of information which is of a similar nature such as a list of names, addresses and phone numbers, tables make the appearance logical and easy to handle.

You will need to use columns, rows and cells.

A column is a vertical block like a lamp-post.

A row is a horizontal block like a crossbar.

A cell is where you write.

For instance, you could show your year's expenditure month by month. In this case, the top row would need 13 cells, the first cell would be "item", then a month in each cell, Jan in the second cell on the left and Dec on the right. Going down the left-hand column, you might use the first cell with the headings rent, fuel, shopping, credit card etc. The bottom column might be headed on the left as total and you could put the total amount for each month in the 12 remaining cells.

SETTING UP A TABLE

If you seriously want to work with tables, we recommend you use MS Office 2010 or later. Earlier versions are rather complicated and not so reliable with screenreader software.

With an MS Word document on screen, press ALT and RIGHT ARROW to "insert". Press ENTER and RIGHT ARROW to "table". Press ENTER.

Use the DOWN ARROW and RIGHT ARROW to hear the size of the table you want: the number of columns is given first then the number of rows. This may be something like 5 columns across and four rows down. It could be a much larger table. When you have chosen your table size, press ALT I to hear "insert table" and you are faced with a small dialog box which lets you make a few more decisions. You will hear "number of columns" and you use the Up and Down Arrows to confirm your choice. Now TAB to "number of rows". ARROW UP AND DOWN to make any changes. TAB again and you will hear "fix column width". This can be very restricting unless you are dealing only with numbers so you may want to press the DOWN or UP ARROW keys and choose "auto-fit" or "fit to Window". Auto-fit allows the cell to grow in size as you type into it, and fit to window is more about on screen appearance.

Nearly done now. TAB to a tickbox where you can choose this table size to be remembered for your next table - handy, of course, if you always need the same size. Press SPACEBAR to "check" it to be remembered. Finally press TAB to "OK" and press ENTER and your created table is on the screen and ready for you to fill the cells.

Move between cells with the TAB or Shift TAB.

Move from one row to another with the UP and DOWN ARROWS.

To hear which column and which row you are focused on press ALT 3.

To hear the contents of the cell as well as the column and row of the cell Press ALT 9. To hear the contents of each cell as you move around the table, press TAB and then Capslock H (select).

To go to the beginning of the cell, press HOME.

To go to the end of the cell, press END.

To go to the start of the table, press CONTROL HOME.

You can read along a row with the LEFT or RIGHT ARROW keys and if you have Musical Tones on, you will hear a lower tone as you move from one cell to the next.

You can use the MS Word "Find" routine, and also use CAPSLOCK L to read the line.

You don't need to see how tables look because MS Word sorts out the size of cells.

Nearly done now. TAB to a tickbox where you can choose this table size to be remembered for your next table - handy, of course, if you always need the same size. Press SPACEBAR to "check" it to be remembered. Finally press TAB to "OK" and press ENTER and your created table is on the screen and ready for you to fill the cells.

Move between cells with the TAB or Shift TAB.

Move from one row to another with the UP and DOWN ARROWS.

To hear which column and which row you are focused on press ALT 3.

To hear the contents of the cell as well as the column and row of the cell Press ALT 9. To hear the contents of each cell as you move around the table, press TAB and then Capslock H (select).

To go to the beginning of the cell, press HOME.

To go to the end of the cell, press END.

To go to the start of the table, press CONTROL HOME.

You can read along a row with the LEFT or RIGHT ARROW keys and if you have Musical Tones on, you will hear a lower tone as you move from one cell to the next.

You can use the MS Word "Find" routine, and also use CAPSLOCK L to read the line.

You don't need to see how tables look because MS Word sorts out the size of cells.

Here is a sample table to experiment with:

ITEM

 

NEEDED

Books

1

Magazines

3

Notebooks

1

Paper pads

1

Pens

3

Pencils

2

Highlighter

2 colours

Scissors

1 pair

 

 

The Free Internet Cafe for the Blind & Visually Impaired, the first in the whole of Africa, which opens the World Wide Web, making The Gambia a leading light in Africa, with this technology by allowing free and total access to surf the net send and receive emails and for students to enhace their studies with the aid of this pioneering software. No more do they need to rely on a third party to read to them newspapers, magazines, books, letters and world wide information.