[stylist] Tech Writing: Ten StepsToMake AccessibleWord Documents For PDF Production

Mon Feb 24 18:27:43 UTC 2014

Ashley,
One way to find out if this works in 2013 is to try. In Word 2007 & 2010, if
you start  going to a menu (like alt+t) Jaws says something like "Continue
typing the Office 2003 menu find key sequence or press escape." alt+o, f is
supposed to open the font dialog; alt+o, p, the paragraph dialog, alt+t, o,
the options dialog, alt+t, w, the word count dialog (which I have to root
Jaws cursor to the PC cursor to use), alt+f, a for "Save As...,"  and there
are many others, which I wish I knew.

These are the things we heard when we used the old menus -- for instance if
you pressed alt+t for the tools menu and then downarrowed through the
choices. Sometimes there are hotkeys like control+c for copy ... X for cut,
v for paste. But, those aren't the things I'm talking about. After every
menu choice, there was a letter or sequence of letters which, if you had
used after your initial alt+ whatever, would have gotten you directly to
that particular option.

As for Microsoft hearing the cries of their customers/enslaved masses) and
bringing back the old menus, I wouldn't hold my breath. Intelligent,
tech-savvy writers are making a living pointing out decades of MS's
nightmarish "improvements" in magazines like "PC World" to no avail. If they
won't listen to those people, they certainly won't listen to us. But, we can
always hope. *grin*
Donna

-----Original Message-----
From: stylist [mailto:stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Ashley
Bramlett
Sent: Monday, February 24, 2014 12:16 AM
To: Writer's Division Mailing List
Subject: Re: [stylist] Tech Writing: Ten StepsToMake AccessibleWord
Documents For PDF Production

Donna,
I miss the menus too and so  do many people. Now, microsoft needs to listen
to customers and maybe they'll come back.
Great question. can we use the 2003 keystrokes in 2013 version?

-----Original Message-----
From: Applebutter Hill
Sent: Thursday, February 20, 2014 2:32 PM
To: 'Writer's Division Mailing List'
Subject: Re: [stylist] Tech Writing: Ten Steps ToMake AccessibleWord
Documents For PDF Production

Jim,
I have a lot of respect for what you do and the tremendous potential of the
field of tech writing in general. A lot of things would be a lot easier if
tech writers had more of an interest in being clear. This applies to
nonsoftware stuff too. Instructions are notorious for being impossible to
follow. My opinion, for what it's worth, is that in general people assume
too much and don't take the time to backtrack and start from the beginning.

As far as the different versions of Word ... My 2010 version & the 2007
version will tell you to "keep typing the key sequence for Word 2003" or
something to that effect. I had learned some of them -- like alt+t, o for
the options dialog and alt+t, w for Word count, but I never have found a
full list of them. I keep threatening to re install Word 2003 and just go
through the menus and write them up.

I've gotten more comfortable with the ribbons, but I don't like them. I
guess I was just going to ask if the 2013 Word still gives you the option to
use those keystrokes. If they're still doing it, you could include them and
have everything covered. What I hate is when I run across instructions that
tell me to go to the advanced tab of something I've never heard of and don't
give me any clue where it is in the ribbon.
Donna

-----Original Message-----
From: stylist [mailto:stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Homme, James
Sent: Thursday, February 20, 2014 12:22 PM
To: Writer's Division Mailing List
Subject: Re: [stylist] Tech Writing: Ten Steps To Make AccessibleWord
Documents For PDF Production

Hi Donna,
You hinted at part of the problem. My audience may be blind people, or a
combination of all kinds of people, who have Word 2003, 2007, 2010, and
2013. Since it's an article, I debated about making little sidebars with
procedures for doing some things, and to strike a balance, I think I will
put in enough text to help my audience get to the right places, at least
enough to discover how to do some things.

And as a reader, personally, I really hate articles with short descriptions
and hyperlinks to who knows where, just to learn how to do something. I'm OK
with enough hand-holding to allow me to get through learning something
without breaking my concentration on the task at hand. This kind of thing
has more to do with usability than good writing. Good writing in this field
is a far cry from the kinds of things we talk about on this list, and I'm OK
with that. I don't intend to do anything more, except here and there, other
than try to make my writing more clear. You should have seen my writing when
I was a new programmer. Oh boy.

Jim

-----Original Message-----
From: stylist [mailto:stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Applebutter
Hill
Sent: Thursday, February 20, 2014 10:04 AM
To: 'Writer's Division Mailing List'
Subject: Re: [stylist] Tech Writing: Ten Steps To Make AccessibleWord
Documents For PDF Production

Jim,
Do you mean adding more than "save" such as giving them the old Word 2003
keystroke alt+f,a, or do you mean just telling them to save it and not
assuming they are smart enough to know that?
Donna

-----Original Message-----
From: stylist [mailto:stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Homme, James
Sent: Thursday, February 20, 2014 7:06 AM
To: Writer's Division Mailing List
Subject: Re: [stylist] Tech Writing: Ten Steps To Make AccessibleWord
Documents For PDF Production

Hi,
I struggled with how much to assume my audience already knows. My manager
suggested that I fill it out with short procedures on how to do some of the
things I mention, such as when I say to save a template file, even if it is
a sentence or two to point the reader in the right direction. Does that
sound reasonable?

Thanks.

Jim

-----Original Message-----
From: stylist [mailto:stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Chris Kuell
Sent: Wednesday, February 19, 2014 7:33 PM
To: Writer's Division Mailing List
Subject: Re: [stylist] Tech Writing: Ten Steps To Make Accessible Word
Documents For PDF Production

Jim,

Although I'm not in any way an advanced (or even moderately advanced)
computer user (for instance, I've never even used, never mind made, a
template in word) your instructions seem logical and easy to follow to me.
My only editorial suggestion is to kill the comma after 'that' in:

c.       Save the document with a file name, that contains no spaces or
special characters.

chris

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