Using Microsoft Teams With a Screen Reader
Doug Lee
Last Revised September, 2020

This document is meant as an introduction and reference for using Microsoft Teams (Teams) with a screen reader. This document may more directly or frequently refer to JAWS but is not meant to exclude other screen readers in its coverage. For documentation and download of JAWS scripts for Teams, refer to Using the JAWS Scripts For Microsoft Teams.

This document was last revised against Teams version 1.3.00.21759 as tested on September 5, 2020. This Teams version is an Electron app. The active interface code comes directly from a Microsoft server and may change without notice and without changing the Teams version number just mentioned. As a result, user experience may vary.

A Quick Simplification of Terminology
Application Structure
General Tips
Quick Ways To Get Things Done
Available Microsoft Resources and Internal Application Help

A Quick Simplification of Terminology

In this document, "virtual navigation" refers to navigation using JAWS' virtual PC cursor, NVDA's Browse mode, Narrator's scan mode, or any similar system that involves navigating a screen-reader-crafted view of the document that causes many keystrokes to interact with the screen reader rather than with the application.

Application Structure

Teams is based on the division of conversations into teams of people, and within a team, channels for topics or focus areas. A channel may contain conversations, which can be "threaded" so that the first message in each thread is immediately visible and replies may be accessed at the user's discretion. The Teams screen can be opened via the Ctrl+3 shortcut.

Teams screens are divided into "apps," chosen from an app bar or with specific keystrokes for each app: Some included apps (besides Teams as already mentioned):

Chats (conversations among two or more people that are not in a channel) (Ctrl+2),
Calls (voice and/or video connections among two or more people) (Ctrl+5),
Meetings or Calendar (communication among several people that may include text chats, voice, video, and screen sharing) (Ctrl+4), and
Files shared among Teams users (Ctrl+6). Files are listed in the "Microsoft Teams" tab, and recent additions in the "Recents" tab. Your local downloads appear in the "Downloads" tab.

Finally, Teams includes a system for tracking your own activities or the activities of other users through "the Activities app." Ctrl+1 opens this screen.

Note that the specific effects of the keystrokes just mentioned may vary slightly among Teams installations, based on corporate policies.

General Tips

Especially when navigating lists such as messages in a conversation, it is often useful to avoid virtual navigation. The JAWS Insert+Z command may be useful here, for example.
Virtual navigation is likely to show more information in the Settings screens, accessed via Ctrl+Comma.

Quick Ways To Get Things Done

Review available Teams keystrokes by typing Ctrl+Period and then turning on virtual navigation to read the shortcut information.

Use Ctrl+Comma to open Settings. Virtual navigation may be useful on these screens.

To jump to a specific team, type Ctrl+G, type its name or type part of its name and select the full name via DownArrow, and press Enter.

To start a one-to-one chat, type Ctrl+N, type a partial name, use DownArrow to select a person, and press Enter. If this is a chat with just one person, type Enter a second time to open the chat. Otherwise continue adding new members until done, then press Enter an extra time to create the chat.

In a chat screen, use Tab and Shift+Tab to jump between the input edit box and the list of messages. When a chat is threaded, use Enter and Esc to switch between the thread level and the messages in a particular thread. When in the list of messages for a thread, the Down arrow will reach a Reply button that will allow you to send a reply.

Use the command edit box to accomplish many tasks very quickly. Type Ctrl+/ before each of the actions below, and make sure virtual navigation is turned off. In JAWS, use Insert+Z to do this if necessary.

To scroll through available commands, arrow down through the list.
To quickly change status, use the Available, Away, Busy, and DND commands.
For an alternative way to open a one-to-one chat, backspace over the / that the Ctrl+/ command placed in the box, then type @ followed by a partial contact's name, select the full name with Down, and press Enter.
Use the mentions, unread, and saved commands to review your mentions, unread activity, and saved chat messages, respectively.
To see someone's activity or org chart, use the activity or org commands. Tab to the edit box for selecting a person, type a partial name and use Down to select someone, and press Enter. (The accessibility of org charts in Teams has not been fully tested at this writing.)

There are more commands available than are listed here. For a better description of this feature and a list of the available commands provided by Microsoft, visit the "Use commands in Teams" page.

Available Microsoft Resources and Internal Application Help

Microsoft provides several useful resources for Teams users in general and screen reader users in particular:

Basic tasks using a screen reader with Microsoft Teams covers basic tasks in Teams using screen readers on various platforms, including Windows. The Windows information includes information for JAWS and NVDA users. This page includes instructions on how to download and install the Teams application.
Use a screen reader to chat in Microsoft Teams explains how to use Teams with a screen reader to chat. This page is written primarily for JAWS users. The "See also" section of this page includes links to further task-specific guidance pages for screen reader users than are listed here.
Keyboard shortcuts for Microsoft Teams lists Teams keyboard shortcuts available under Windows and MacOS.
Typing Ctrl+Period from within Teams brings up a list of keyboard shortcuts. Use virtual navigation to review the keystrokes and their descriptions.
Typing Ctrl+/ from within Teams moves focus to a command entry box and brings up a list of the available commands. Use up and down arrows, without enabling virtual navigation, to explore the command list. The first command, Activities, may not speak on first being encountered.
Typing F1 from within Teams opens a help screen where you can type a question to get an answer from a "bot," or automated chat responder.