Use a screen reader to read and reply to a meeting request in calendar

This article is for people with visual impairments who use a screen reader program with the Office products and is part of the Office Accessibility content set. For more general help, see Office Support home.

Use Calendar for Windows 10 with your keyboard and a screen reader to read and respond to meeting requests. We have tested it with Narrator, but it might work with other screen readers as long as they follow common accessibility standards and techniques.

Notes: 

• New Microsoft 365 features are released gradually to Microsoft 365 subscribers, so your app might not have these features yet. To learn how you can get new features faster, join the Office Insider program.

• To learn more about screen readers, go to How screen readers work with Microsoft Office.

Read and respond to meeting requests

1. In the main content area, use the arrow keys to browse to the day you want, press the Tab key until you hear the meeting request you want, and then press Enter to open the item.

2. To browse the meeting details window, press the Tab key (forward) or Shift+Tab (backward). Your screen reader announces the details as you move, including the proposed meeting date and time, location, and names and contacts of the attendees.

3. Press Alt to move the focus to the ribbon, and then press the Down arrow key once to move the focus to the Home tab.

4. To respond to the meeting request, do one of the following:

   • To accept, press the Right arrow key until you hear "Accept button," and then press Enter.

   • To reject, press the Right arrow key until you hear "Decline button," and then press Enter.

   • If you are unsure if you can attend, press the Right arrow key until you hear "Tentative button," and then press Enter.

5. Press the Up and Down arrow keys to select what kind of email response you want to send to the meeting organizer, and then press Enter to confirm your selection. The focus returns to the Calendar main content area.

Tips: You can also respond to a meeting request directly from the main content area:

• Navigate to the meeting request. in the main content area with the arrow keys.

• Press Shift+F10 to open the context menu for the event.

• Press the Down arrow key until you hear "Respond," and press Enter.

• Press the Down arrow key until you hear the response you want, and press Enter.

• Press the Down arrow key until you hear the email notification option you want, and press Enter.

See also

Basic tasks using a screen reader with Calendar

Use a screen reader to explore and navigate Calendar

Keyboard shortcuts in Calendar

Use a screen reader to schedule events in Calendar

Technical support for customers with disabilities

Microsoft wants to provide the best possible experience for all our customers. If you have a disability or questions related to accessibility, please contact the Microsoft Disability Answer Desk for technical assistance. The Disability Answer Desk support team is trained in using many popular assistive technologies and can offer assistance in English, Spanish, French, and American Sign Language. Please go to the Microsoft Disability Answer Desk site to find out the contact details for your region.

If you are a government, commercial, or enterprise user, please contact the enterprise Disability Answer Desk.