Use a screen reader to add images and media to a sharepoint page

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 SharePoint in Microsoft 365 with your keyboard and a screen reader to easily add images from your local computer, SharePoint media libraries, or linked from other locations on your site or the web. We have tested it with Narrator and JAWS, 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.

• When you use SharePoint in Microsoft 365, we recommend that you use Microsoft Edge as your web browser. Because SharePoint in Microsoft 365 runs in your web browser, the keyboard shortcuts are different from those in the desktop program. For example, you'll use Ctrl+F6 instead of F6 for jumping in and out of the commands. Also, common shortcuts like F1 (Help) and Ctrl+O (Open) apply to the web browser – not SharePoint in Microsoft 365.

In this topic

• Add an Image web part

• Add a Hero web part

• Add an Image gallery web part

Add an Image web part

Use an Image web part to add images to your SharePoint page.

When using photos, images, clip art, or audio, you're responsible for respecting copyright. For images, the license filter in Bing can help.

1. Navigate to the SharePoint page where you want to add an image.

2. To switch to the edit mode, press the Tab key until you hear "New, menu item," and then press the Right arrow key until you hear: "Edit page, menu item." Press Enter to select.

3. Do one of the following:

   • To add the web part inside a section, press the Tab key until you find the section you want, and press Enter. Press the Tab key until you hear "Add a new web part," followed by the column number where you want to add the web part.

   • To add the web part outside a section, press the Tab key until you hear "Add a new web part," followed by the column number where you want to add the web part.

4. Press Enter. A dialog box for searching or selecting the web part opens.

5. Press the Tab key once. The focus moves to the Text web part option. Press the Right arrow key until you hear: "Image." Press Enter to select.

   Tip: You can use the dialog box to select other media files to be added to your page, such as embedded code to display content from other websites, Microsoft 365 videos, or videos or channels from your Microsoft Stream video portal.

6. A dialog box opens where you can select a recent image, or browse, upload, or use a link to insert the image you want. To select the source of the image, press the Up or Down arrow keys until you hear the source you want, and then press Enter. To browse the images or folders in the selected source, press the Tab key once and then use the arrow keys until you find the image you want. To select an item, press Enter.

7. To insert the selected image, press the Tab key until you hear "Open button" or "Add image button," and then press Enter. The image is added to the page, and the focus moves to the web part where the image was added.

8. In the edit mode, your page is automatically saved every 5 seconds. To save the page and exit the edit mode, press the Tab key or Shift+Tab until you hear "Command bar," use the Left arrow key until you reach the Save as draft menu item, and press Enter.

Add a Hero web part

Add a Hero web part to bring focus and visual interest to your SharePoint page. A Hero web part can include up to five items such as images, text, and links. The Hero web part is included by default on Communication sites, but you can also add the Hero web part to other pages.

1. Navigate to the SharePoint page where you want to add a Hero web part.

2. To switch to the edit mode, press the Tab key until you hear "New, menu item," and then press the Right arrow key until you hear: "Edit page, menu item." Press Enter to select.

3. Press the Tab key until you reach the location where you want to add the Hero web part. You hear: "Add a new web part, button." Press Enter. A dialog for searching or selecting the web part opens.

4. Press the Tab key once. The focus moves to the Text web part option. Press the Right arrow key until you hear "Hero," and press Enter to select. A Hero web part containing five placeholder items is added to the page.

5. To edit the web part, press Enter. Use the Right or Left arrow keys to move between the items. As you move you hear "Select a link," and the location within the web part. To add an image to one of the items, when on the item you want, press the Down arrow key. You hear: "Select link, button." Press Enter to select.

6. A dialog box opens where you can select a recent image, or browse, upload, or use a link to insert the image you want. To select the source of the image, use the Up or Down arrow keys until you hear the source you want, and then press Enter. To browse the images or folders in the selected source, press the Tab key once and then use the arrow keys. To select an item, press Enter.

7. To insert the selected image, press the Tab key until you hear "Open button" or "Add file button," and press Enter. The image is added to the item, and the focus moves to the Hero web part where the image was added. To add images to the remaining items, repeat steps 5-7.

8. To change the layout of the Hero web part, when on the web part, press Alt+P. The Hero pane opens. To select a layout option, press the Up or Down arrow keys until you hear the option you want, and then press Enter.

9. Press Esc to close the pane. The focus moves to the Hero web part.

10. In the edit mode, your page is automatically saved every 5 seconds. To save the page and exit the edit mode, press the Tab key or Shift+Tab until you hear "Command bar," use the Left arrow key until you reach the Save as draft menu item, and press Enter.

Add an Image gallery web part

Use the Image gallery web part to share collections of pictures on a page.

1. Navigate to the SharePoint page where you want to add a Image gallery web part.

2. To switch to the edit mode, press the Tab key until you hear "New, menu item," and then press the Right arrow key until you hear: "Edit page, menu item." Press Enter to select.

3. Do one of the following:

   • To add the web part inside a section, press the Tab key until you find the section you want, and press Enter. Press the Tab key until you hear "Add a new web part," followed by the column number where you want to add the web part.

   • To add the web part outside a section, press the Tab key until you hear "Add a new web part," followed by the column number where you want to add the web part.

4. Press the Tab key once. You hear: "Text." Press the Right arrow key until you hear "Image gallery," and press Enter to select. An Image gallery web part is added, and the Image gallery pane opens where you can change its properties.

5. To change the properties of the Image gallery web part, do one of the following:

   • To change the layout from the default Brick to Grid or Carousel, press the Tab key until you hear "Brick, radio button, Selected," and then press the Right arrow key until you hear either "Grid" or "Carousel," followed by "Radio button, selected."

   • To change the grid aspect ratio, with the Grid layout selected, press the Tab key until you hear "Aspect ratio," and press Spacebar to open the menu. Press the Down arrow key until you hear the option you want. Press Enter to select.

   • To automatically cycle through images in the gallery, select the Carousel layout, press the Tab key until you hear "Off," and press Enter to select. You hear: "On."

   When done, press Esc to close the pane. The focus moves to the Image gallery web part.

6. To add the first image to the Image gallery web part, press the Tab key until you hear "Add images," and press Enter.

7. A dialog box opens and you can select a recent image, or browse, upload, or use a link to insert the image you want. To select the source of the image use the Up or Down arrow keys until you hear the source you want, and then press Enter. To browse the images or folders in the selected source, press the Tab key once and then use the arrow keys. To select an item, press Enter.

8. To insert the selected image, press the Tab key until you hear "Open button" or "Add image button," and then press Enter. The image is added, and the focus moves to the web part where the image was added.

9. To add subsequent images, when on the Image gallery web part, press the Tab key or Shift+Tab until you hear "Add," and press Enter. The dialog box to pick an image reopens, and you can select an image as described previously.

10. In the edit mode, your page is automatically saved every 5 seconds. To save the page and exit the edit mode, press the Tab key or Shift+Tab until you hear "Command bar," use the Left arrow key until you reach the Save as draft menu item, and press Enter.

See also

Use a screen reader to add content and text to an accessible SharePoint page

Use a screen reader to create a team or communication Site in SharePoint

Keyboard shortcuts in SharePoint Online

Basic tasks using a screen reader with SharePoint Online

Use a screen reader to explore and navigate SharePoint Online

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.