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<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-fareast-language:EN-US">Hi all, the reason the assignment of the CTRL+number keys has changed for many people of late is that
</span><span class="citation-5">Microsoft recently rolled out a new <b>"Combined"</b> view that merges Chats and Teams into a single hub.</span> Because this changes the order and number of "apps" in your sidebar, the
<code><span style="font-size:10.0pt">Ctrl</span></code> + <code><span style="font-size:10.0pt">number</span></code> shortcuts (which navigate to items in the sidebar sequentially) no longer land where you expect them to.<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-fareast-language:EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-fareast-language:EN-US">Microsoft tells me that this new view is better, but if you want the old behavior back, you can press CTRL+Comma to go to Settings, Select Chats and Channels if you
are running a relatively recent version of Teams, and change the radio button from combined view to separate. The number keys will then revert to their previous assignments.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-fareast-language:EN-US">Brian Hartgen is almost complete with a revamp of his course called “Winning Teams”, and this is the most thorough Teams audio tutorial I have come across.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-fareast-language:EN-US">At CENA, we also did a webinar last year which included a look at hosting meetings using Teams, but it is not a full Teams tutorial.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-fareast-language:EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Jonathan Mosen<br>
Executive Director for Accessibility Excellence<br>
National Federation of the Blind <br>
410-659-9314 ex 2233 <br>
<a href="mailto:jmosen@nfb.org"><span style="color:#467886">jmosen@nfb.org</span></a><o:p></o:p></p>
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Reminder: Attend <a href="https://nfb.org/convention" target="_blank"><span style="color:#467886">National Convention</span></a>, July 3-8, 2026, in Austin, Texas.<br>
“It’s the time of year where blind people are the majority.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://nfb.org/"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;color:windowtext;text-decoration:none"><img border="0" width="298" height="133" style="width:3.1041in;height:1.3854in" id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image001.jpg@01DCBF52.6DDA7890" alt="National Federation of the Blind logo, Live the life you want tagline, nfb.org"></span></a><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-fareast-language:EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">From:</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> NFBCS <nfbcs-bounces@nfbnet.org>
<b>On Behalf Of </b>Christopher Chaltain via NFBCS<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Sunday, March 29, 2026 7:30 AM<br>
<b>To:</b> NFB in Computer Science Mailing List <nfbcs@nfbnet.org><br>
<b>Cc:</b> Christopher Chaltain <chaltain@outlook.com><br>
<b>Subject:</b> Re: [NFBCS] making an audio call in Microsoft Teams and other Teams tasks<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black">I'll forward this to my work account and take a look at these steps when I'm in teams, but I do have a few tips below. Also, what tasks are you interested in performing in Teams?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black">The hot key to take you to different channels in Teams is control+number-key. The number represents its position in the channels you have open, similar to the task bar in Windows or the tabs in Outlook. If the
shortcut key for your calendar changed from control+4 to control+3 then that means a channel was removed before the calendar channel. At the office, control+4 takes me to the calendar channel since my employer added the learning channel as the first channel
in the list of channels. Note you can configure this order yourself. Note this is just informational and doesn't change any of your steps below.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black">When joining a meeting from the calendar channel, instead of "To join a meeting press enter on a meeting," I hit the applications key when on a meeting and and then select join the meeting. I think this is the
default when you bring up the context menu, so you just need to hit enter after hitting the applications key. Note that in the context menu, the next item is to chat with the participants in the meeting. This will open up a chat without joining the meeting.
I use this quite a bit. For example, if I'm going to be late to a meeting, I'll use this to let everyone know I'm running behind.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black">Like I said, I'll take a look at these the next time I log into my office computer to double check these steps. Freedom Scientific also has some webinars on using Teams, so I'd suggest checking these out. Finally,
respond with any other questions you have or ations you want to know about in Teams. Teams has surpassed Outlook as the application I spend the most time in while at the office.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="elementtoproof"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos Display",sans-serif;color:black"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="elementtoproof"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Consolas;color:#002060">--</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="elementtoproof"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Consolas;color:#002060">Christopher (AKA CJ) =>÷</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="elementtoproof"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Consolas;color:#002060">Chaltain at Outlook, USA</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="elementtoproof"> <o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black">From:</span></b><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black"> NFBCS <<a href="mailto:nfbcs-bounces@nfbnet.org">nfbcs-bounces@nfbnet.org</a>> on behalf of John Miller
via NFBCS <<a href="mailto:nfbcs@nfbnet.org">nfbcs@nfbnet.org</a>><br>
<b>Sent:</b> Friday, March 27, 2026 6:29 PM<br>
<b>To:</b> NFB in Computer Science Mailing List <<a href="mailto:nfbcs@nfbnet.org">nfbcs@nfbnet.org</a>><br>
<b>Cc:</b> John Miller <<a href="mailto:johnmillerphd@hotmail.com">johnmillerphd@hotmail.com</a>><br>
<b>Subject:</b> [NFBCS] making an audio call in Microsoft Teams and other Teams tasks
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black">Hello,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black">I know quite a number of individuals on the NFB lists are quite proficient with Microsoft Teams including Teams chat.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black">I am more of a so-so individual in terms of my technical proficiency.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black">I would be interested in your feedback on the steps I provide below.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black">I would also like to hear about how you do activities in Microsoft Teams.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black">I have had some limited success using Microsoft Teams Windows desktop application for meetings, audio calls, and chats.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black">Here is a brief write-up of several activities I do in Teams and the keystrokes to get the job done.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black">For quite some time I have struggled with how to initiate an audio call in teams with a colleague.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black">Using JAWS I asked Vispero Companion at fscompanion.ai this question and got a quite useful response.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black">If a meeting is on my calendar, I have no trouble connecting with the meeting. This can be done from within the meeting reminder in Outlook or directly in Teams in the calendar
view.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black">Vispero provides training about how to join a Teams meeting from the meeting reminder.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black">To get to the calendar view in Teams, just press control-3 in Teams.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black">In 2025 this hotkey changed. It used to be control-4 and then one day it was control-3.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black">It may change again so be alert.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black">Once in the calendar view just up arrow or down arrow through the times. JAWS announces the time and the presence of a meeting at a particular timeslot.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black">You can also press tab or shift-tab to move between meetings in this view.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black">To join a meeting press enter on a meeting, tab quite a bit, press enter on join meeting, tab through audio and video choices while selecting or unselecting the checkboxes for things
like microphone, and then press enter on join.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black">I believe the final join button indicates whether the microphone and camera are on or not.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black">After joining the meeting, mute and unmute with control-shift-m.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black">Exit the meeting with control-shift-h.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black">During the meeting you can tab around and find a list of participants currently on the call.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black">To make an audio call to someone begin a chat with that individual.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black">You could for example press control-2 to go to a list of chats. Arrow through the chats and press enter on the chat of interest.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black">You could instead begin a new chat with control-n and type in the individual's name.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black">As you type Microsoft provides a list that shrinks as you type more and more characters of the individual's name.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black">You can arrow down through the choices provided by Teams and select one with enter.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black">Microsoft calls the field where you type your message the compose box. Microsoft calls who is in the chat the participants list.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black">The hotkey control-r returns to the compose box from many fields that are near the chat.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black">Once you are in the compose box Just press alt-shift-a to bring up an audio call to the individual in the chat.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black">For me this is the fewest number of steps to start an audio call I have found.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black">Before I send a message in chat that I am ready to send I like to first verify who it is going to. To do so I leave the compose box with shift-tab. After several shift-tabs I
land on the participant list.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black">After I verify the participant list I can return to the compose box with control-r. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black">When inside the compose box pressing enter sends the chat message.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black">Very best,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black">John Miller<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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