[NFBCS] Jaws and Google Docs spreadsheet

[Curtis Chong]

Greetings to everyone:
 
In the Google Workspace applications using a web browser, the best functionality can only be achieved if both Braille Support (Alt Control H) and Accessibility Print support (Alt Control Z)are both active. This is so even if you do not use a Braille display.
 
While, in Google Docs, Alt F can take you to the File menu (as long as your screen reader’s virtual cursor is off), this is not true in Google Sheets. In Google Sheets, Alt Shift F is the keyboard command to get you the file menu where you can then choose to download the sheet as an Excel file. At least, this is true if one is using browsers like Chrome and Edge. In my immediate testing with Firefox, I found that in my case, I also had to use Alt Shift F to open the Google Sheets File menu. How Alt F worked for Tracy to facilitate her downloading the sheet is a mystery to me, but then, I am not on her system😊.
 
While some Excel-type keyboard commands do work in Google Sheets, this is not universally true. People who are deeply familiar with Excel will always find it simpler to move the sheet to a place where it can be opened in Excel.
 
Yours sincerely,
 
Curtis Chong
 
 
 
 
 
 
From: NFBCS <nfbcs-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Steve Jacobson via NFBCS
Sent: Wednesday, August 12, 2026 6:29 AM
To: NFB in Computer Science Mailing List <nfbcs at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Steve Jacobson <steve.jacobson at outlook.com>
Subject: Re: [NFBCS] Jaws and Google Docs spreadsheet
 
Tracy,
 
I understand that you have the problem solved, but did you try pressing JAWS KEY with Z to turn off the Quick Keys mode?  Sometimes you have to do that to give complete control to web pages with screen reader support.  
 
Best regards,
 
Steve Jacobson
 
 
From: NFBCS <nfbcs-bounces at nfbnet.org <mailto:nfbcs-bounces at nfbnet.org> > On Behalf Of Tracy Carcione via NFBCS
Sent: Wednesday, August 12, 2026 7:10 AM
To: 'NFB in Computer Science Mailing List' <nfbcs at nfbnet.org <mailto:nfbcs at nfbnet.org> >
Cc: carcione at access.net <mailto:carcione at access.net> 
Subject: Re: [NFBCS] Jaws and Google Docs spreadsheet
 
People have suggested that I go to the file menu and download the sheet, but, in Chrome,  the file menu has a submenu, and, when I hit enter on it, my cursor stops responding.  And, if I don’t hit enter but instead use right-arrow, it just reads the letters in “file menu”.
The “screen reader support” option doesn’t seem to do much, either.
Firefox behaves much better, and I was able to download the sheet from there.  The spreadsheet on my PC works very well.
I think it’s odd that Google Chrome isn’t playing well with Google Docs, but at least I found a solution and have what I need.
Thanks for all the help.
Tracy
 
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