Screen Reader and Braille Support
| Task | Keyboard Command |
|---|---|
| Enable/disable Screen Reader Support | Ctrl + Alt + Z |
| Enable/disable Braille Support | Ctrl + Alt + H |
Your screen reader won’t be able to read anything without Screen Reader Support enabled. Whether or not you have a braille display connected, enabling Braille Support will help your screen reader better interact with different elements in your document.
If you don’t want to memorize the keyboard commands, there are a couple other ways to enable these features.
- Both features can be found in the Tools menu, under Accessibility.
- You can also use the “Search the Menus” feature in the Help menu.
Turn Off Virtual PC Cursor
| Task | Keyboard Command |
|---|---|
| Enable/disable Virtual PC Cursor | JAWS + Z |
Before you can start working in Google Docs, you’ll need to turn off the JAWS Virtual PC Cursor. The Virtual PC Cursor helps JAWS navigate web pages with shortcut keys. If you leave the Virtual Cursor on, JAWS will try to navigate Google Docs as if it is a web page, and you won’t be able to write any content. By turning the Virtual PC Cursor off, you’re letting JAWS know that you’re ready to start writing.
Most Useful Commands
| Task | Keyboard Command |
|---|---|
| Search the Menus | Alt + / |
| List of Keyboard Shortcuts | Ctrl + / |
The “Search the Menus” feature in the Google Docs Help menu is incredibly powerful. Not sure how to access a particular tool? No problem. Just press Alt + /, and write the name of the tool in the search field. Google Docs will provide you with a list of options that you can navigate with up and down arrows. Just press Enter to make a selection. This approach can be easier than navigating through menus or memorizing a long list of keyboard shortcuts.
But maybe you like memorizing keyboard shortcuts. No problem! Press Ctrl + /, and you’ll get a full list of keyboard shortcuts that can be used in Google Docs.