Use a screen reader to insert a table in an Excel worksheet

Office Accessibility Center > Accessibility support for Excel

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By using a keyboard and screen reader, you can organize data into a table in Excel 2016 for faster analysis. Tables provide easy sorting and filtering, in addition to calculated columns and total rows, which simplify calculations. You can quickly insert a table in the default table style, or format your data as a table in a style that you choose

Note: This topic assumes that JAWS users have the Virtual Ribbon Menu feature turned off.

In this topic

• Create a table

• Keyboard shortcuts for tables

• Add a row or column to a table

• Delete a row or column from a table

Create a table

1. On a worksheet, select the cells that you want to include in the table. The cells can be empty or can contain data.

2. Press Ctrl+T (or Ctrl+L). The Create Table dialog box opens and you hear "Create table dialog." (In Narrator, you hear "Create table window.")

3. Tab to the My table has headers check box.

   Important: Table headers are very important for accessibility. Screen readers use the information in the headers for navigation, and meaningful column headings can help readers understand the data.

   • If the selected range of cells contains data that you want to display as table headers, select the check box.

   • If you want to use the default names Excel provides (for example, Column 1, Column 2, and so on), do not select the check box.

   • To change the default names, select the text in a column header and type the name that you want.

4. To close the Create Table dialog box and return to the worksheet, tab to the OK button and press Enter.

Keyboard shortcuts for tables

Here is a handy reference for keyboard shortcuts that apply to tables in Excel 2016.

To do this	Press
Create a table in default style	Ctrl+T or Ctrl+L
Format data as a table Insert a row above	Alt+H, T
Insert a row above	Alt+H+I, A
Insert a column to the left	Alt+H+I, L
Delete a row or rows	Alt+H+D, L
Delete a column or columns	Alt+H+D, M
Open the Design tab	F10, J+T
Clear or select table headers	F10, J+T, and then O
Open a context menu	Shift+F10 or Windows Context key

Add a row or column to a table

1. Select the row above which you want to insert one or more blank rows, or select the column to the left of which you want to insert one or more blank columns.

2. Press Alt+H+I. The Insert menu opens and you hear "Menu, Insert cells." (In Narrator, you hear "Excel window, Insert cells.")

   • To insert a row above the selection, press A.

   • To insert a column to the left of the selection, press L.

Delete a row or column from a table

1. Select one or more rows or columns that you want to delete.

2. Press Alt+H+D. The Delete menu opens and you hear "Menu, Delete cells." (In Narrator, you hear "Delete items, Menu item, Menu.")

   • To delete selected rows, press L.

   • To delete selected columns, press M.

See also

Keyboard shortcuts in Excel 2016 for Windows

Use a screen reader to create a workbook in Excel 2016

Use a screen reader to sort or filter a table in Excel 2016

Let the Android screen reader, TalkBack, help you work with Excel for Android. With TalkBack, you can easily insert and modify a table. You can make your table more accessible by adding a title or highlighting parts of the table with different colors. You can expand the table with new rows and columns, or you can show your data as a chart.

Notes: 

• To learn about Microsoft Accessibility in general, refer to Microsoft Accessibility.

• To read about accessibility in Android in general, refer to Android accessibility overview.

• To check out the Accessibility Help for Android, refer to Android Accessibility Help.

• To learn about how to get going on Android with the TalkBack screen reader, refer to Get started on Android with TalkBack.

• To read about TalkBack settings, refer to Learn about all TalkBack settings.

• You may have to download the TalkBack app first from Google Play.

• For more info on TalkBack gestures, refer to Use TalkBack gestures.

In this topic

• Navigate to the tabs menu

• Navigate to a table in your worksheet

• Insert a table

• Add an alternative text title to a table

• Add a row or a column to a table

• Delete a row or a column from a table

• Highlight the data in your table

• Show your data in a chart

Navigate to the tabs menu

To access the options for editing your worksheet, you need to navigate to the tabs menu.

1. To move away from a selection in a worksheet and to the first item on the screen, first swipe up, then down. You hear the workbook title.

   Tip: If you have the shortcut menu open on top of your worksheet, to move away from the menu, tap anywhere on the screen with two fingers.

2. Swipe right with one finger until you hear: "More options button." Then double-tap the screen with one finger. You hear: "Tab menu, Home selected." Then double-tap the screen. You hear: "Home tab selected."

3. Swipe left or right until you hear the tab you want to select, for example: "Insert tab." Then double-tap the screen. The Insert ribbon opens.

   Note: Table, Picture, Shape, and Chart tabs become available only when the object is selected in the worksheet.

4. Swipe left or right until you hear the option you want to select, and then double-tap the screen.

Navigate to a table in your worksheet

1. Swipe left or right with one finger until you hear: "Entering table <table details and location of focus>."

2. Swipe left or right with one finger, until you hear the location in the table you want. Then double-tap the screen. The Table tab opens.

   Tip: You can also navigate to the Table tab as instructed in Navigate to the tabs menu.

Insert a table

Add a table to present your data in an effective and systematic way. You can insert a table on a blank worksheet and fill in your data. Alternatively, you can quickly create a table using data in your existing cell cluster.

1. In your Excel for Android worksheet, swipe left or right until you hear: "Sheet <sheet name>." Then double-tap the screen. You hear the current focus on the sheet, described in columns and rows.

2. To move to the cell where you want to insert a table, drag one finger across the screen. You hear the current location. Then double-tap the screen.

   Tip: To expand your selection from a single cell to multiple cells and insert a larger table, place two fingers on the screen and slide them apart to the direction where you want to expand your selection. You hear the selected area from the first cell on the top left to last cell in the bottom right.

3. Navigate to the Insert tab as instructed in Navigate to the tabs menu.

4. On the Insert tab, swipe right until you hear: "Table button." Then double-tap the screen. You hear: "Not checked, Table has headers, checkbox." If your table has headers, swipe left until you hear: "Not checked, Table has headers, checkbox." Then double-tap the screen. You hear: "Checked."

5. To move away from the checkbox, tap anywhere on the screen with two fingers.

Add an alternative text title to a table

To make your tables in Excel for Android accessible for all readers, you can add a short and descriptive title to the table and even write a more comprehensive text to describe the table in detail.

1. Navigate to the table in your worksheet as instructed in Navigate to a table in your worksheet. The focus can be anywhere in the table.

2. In the Table tab, swipe left or right until you hear: "Alt text menu." Then double-tap the screen. You hear: "Alt text."

3. In the Alt Text menu, swipe left or right until you hear: "Edit-box for title." Then double-tap the screen. You hear: "Showing <keyboard language> keyboard." Type a short title for your table.

4. To write a description for your table, swipe left or right until you hear: "Edit-box for description." Then double-tap the screen. You hear: "Showing <keyboard language> keyboard."

5. To return to the active sheet, swipe left or right until you hear: "Sheet <sheet number, sheet details>, selected." To activate the sheet, double-tap the screen.

Add a row or a column to a table

You can easily expand your table by adding rows above or below, or columns to the left or right of your current selection in a table.

1. Navigate to the table in your worksheet as instructed in Navigate to a table in your worksheet.

2. On the Table tab, add rows or columns:

   • To insert a row above the current selection, swipe left or right until you hear: "Insert above button." Then double-tap the screen

   • To insert a row below the current selection, swipe left or right until you hear: "Insert below button." Then double-tap the screen.

   • To insert a column to the left of the current selection, swipe left or right until you hear: "Insert left button." Then double-tap the screen.

   • To insert a column to the right of the current selection, swipe left or right until you hear: "Insert right button." Then double-tap the screen.

Delete a row or a column from a table

You can quickly delete entire unnecessary rows or columns from your table.

1. Navigate to the table in your worksheet as instructed in Navigate to a table in your worksheet.

2. On the Table tab, do one of the following:

   • To delete rows, swipe left or right until you hear: "Delete rows." Then double-tap the screen.

   • To delete columns, swipe left or right until you hear: "Delete columns." Then double-tap the screen.

Highlight the data in your table

To highlight the data in your table, you can add color in alternating rows or columns, or highlight only the first or the last column. You can also quickly spice up your tables by adding predefined styles.

1. Navigate to the table in your worksheet as instructed in Navigate to a table in your worksheet.

2. In the Table tab, do one of the following for alternate rows or columns:

   • To add color on alternate rows, swipe left or right until you hear: "Banded rows switch, unchecked." Then double-tap the screen.

   • To add color on alternate columns, swipe left or right until you hear: "Banded columns switch, unchecked." Then double-tap the screen.

   • To add or change a predefined style to a banded row or column, swipe left or right until you hear: "Table styles menu." Then double-tap the screen. You hear: "Table styles." In the list, swipe left or right. You hear a description of the style. To select a style, double-tap the screen.

3. In the Table tab, do one of the following for the first or the last row:

   • To add color on the first column, swipe left or right until you hear: "First column, unchecked." Then double-tap the screen.

   • To add color on the last column, swipe left or right until you hear: "Last column, unchecked." Then double-tap the screen.

   • To add or change a predefined style to the first or last column in the table, swipe left or right until you hear: "Table styles menu." Then double-tap the screen. You hear: "Table styles." In the list, swipe left or right until you hear either "Medium" or "Dark". In the Medium style list, swipe left or right until you hear: "Light gray, table style medium, eight list item." This and the following 13 styles can be applied to the first row / last columns. In the Dark style list, swipe left or right until you hear: "Dark gray, table style dark, one list item." This and the following six styles can be applied to first or last columns. To select an applicable style, double-tap the screen.

Show your data in a chart

You can show the data in your table in chart format.

1. Navigate to the table in your worksheet as instructed in Navigate to a table in your worksheet.

2. To select the table cells you want to use for the chart, place two fingers on the screen and slide them apart until you hear the selection you want.

3. Navigate to the Insert tab as instructed in Navigate to the tabs menu.

4. In the Insert ribbon, swipe left or right until you hear "Chart menu." Double-tap the screen. You hear: "Chart."

5. In the Chart menu, swipe left or right until you hear the chart type you want to select, for example: "Pie menu." Double-tap the screen. You hear the name of the selected chart type, for example: "Pie." The chart type list opens.

6. In the chart type list, swipe left or right to browse through the list. You hear the list item names, for example: "3D pie, list item." To select a chart type, double-tap the screen. The chart is generated on the worksheet.

See also

Accessibility in Excel for Android