Customising your online experience – Microsoft applications
This article focuses on the Microsoft 365 apps which, generally speaking, are more up to date in the web versions than in the desktop apps. Experiment with the options available to you to create the set-up that works best for you and the work you are doing and, if something isn’t working in the desktop app, try opening it in the web version.
We’ve linked throughout to further information should you want to explore more. Many of these links lead to ‘accessibility settings’ as they can be used to address a specific need, but they can also just improve your experience of working with a system, browser, or app.
Excel
Excel documents shared with you
When an Excel document is shared with you, you can customise it using the functions within Excel to make it easier for you to digest the information.
Visuals
You can add alternative text to images in Excel workbooks. If an image fails to load, this text is displayed alongside a broken image icon, ensuring the content is still understood. If the image isn’t broken, hovering the mouse over the image will show the alternative text, and text to speech tools and screen readers will read the description.
Keyboard
Excel can be operated by keyboard only if needed.
Screen readers
Screen readers, including Microsoft’s Narrator, JAWS, and NVDA are supported by Excel.
Excel documents you create
Excel documents can be created using keyboard shortcuts and you can use the accessibility checker to ensure your workbooks and sheets are accessible for everyone else. Remember to use all the tools available to you within the app including styles and formatting options.
Microsoft Teams
There are many ways to customise your experience in Teams but here are a few you may find most useful.
Keyboard
Teams can be operated by keyboard only if required.
Visuals
You can change the theme, chat density, and layout to suit you.
You can change your view and change your background in Teams meetings for privacy.
Sound
You can reduce background noise, including dogs barking, slamming doors, fire alarm tests etc, to help everyone concentrate better.
Captions
Auto-generated captions are available live in Teams meetings as well as for recorded meetings which will be edited for accuracy before being released to you.
Transcripts
Auto-generated transcripts are available live in Teams meetings as well as for recorded meetings which will be also edited for accuracy before being released to you.
Screen readers
The most common screen readers are supported by Teams.
Voice control
Cortana can be used with Teams for hands-free control though that is being phased out and replaced with Voice access in Windows 11 which can be used to control everything on your PC and Laptop, including Teams.
Microsoft Word
Word documents shared with you
There are a lot of options for customising Word documents that are shared with you; you may be familiar with some of them already. Remember to use all the tools available to you within the app including styles and formatting options to make it easier for you to digest the information.
Visuals
You can add alternative text to images in Word documents. This ensures that if an image doesn’t display properly, you can still understand what it was through the alternative text, which is accessible by hovering over the image icon, using text-to-speech, or with screen readers
Keyboard
Word can be operated by keyboard only if required.
Screen readers
As with the other Microsoft apps, screen readers are supported by Word.
Word documents you create
Word documents can be created using keyboard shortcuts and you can use the accessibility checker to ensure your documents are accessible for everyone else.
OneNote
OneNote Notebooks shared with you
OneNote has a large range of features and an equally large number of options to help customise your experience using the app to help you store and digest information.
Keyboard
OneNote can be operated by keyboard only if you need to do so.
Screen readers
Again, screen readers are supported by OneNote.
OneNote Notebooks you create
OneNote has a variety of tools available to you within the app to format the pages, sections, and Notebooks. You can create Notebooks using keyboard shortcuts. You can use the accessibility checker to ensure your documents are accessible for everyone else as well.
Outlook
Emails shared with you
Outlook is a frequently used app but also frequently overlooked in terms of customising the viewing experience to make it easier for you to digest the information.
Visuals
Any images in an email can have alternative text so that, even if something breaks in the email, you’ll still know what the image was for the reasons mentioned above.
Keyboard
Outlook can be operated by keyboard only if you need to do so.
Screen readers
Screen readers are supported by Outlook.
Emails you create
Using all the tools available to you within the app, including styles and formatting options, means it isn’t necessary to know the preferences and needs of your audience to make sure you get your message across. Emails can also be created using keyboard shortcuts and you can use the accessibility checker to ensure your documents are accessible for everyone else.
PowerPoint
PowerPoints shared with you
When a PowerPoint is shared with you, you can customise it however you want using the functions within PowerPoint to make it easier for you to digest the information.
Visuals
Any images in presentations should have alternative text so that, even if something breaks in the PowerPoint, you’ll still know what the image was.
Keyboard
PowerPoint can be operated by keyboard only if you need to do so.
Captions
Captions can be added to slides along with media and should be available to you.
Transcripts
Transcripts can be added to slides along with media and should be available to you.
Screen readers
Again, the most popular screen readers are supported by PowerPoint.
PowerPoints you create
PowerPoint presentations can be created using keyboard shortcuts and you can use the accessibility checker to ensure your presentations are accessible for everyone else. Remember to use all the tools available to you within the app including styles and formatting options.
Narrated PowerPoints
Narrated PowerPoints are slightly different to videos in that the video and/or audio is embedded into each slide automatically within PowerPoint app.
Captions
Opening a narrated PowerPoint presentation using the web will enable auto generated captions.
A video of the presentation with captions edited for accuracy can also be created using Microsoft Stream and should be made available to you.
Further help
Articles on Customising your online experience – Operating systems and Customising your online experience – Browser tools and functions have also been created.
If you’ve had a play with these settings and still need help with specific needs you have due to a disability, long-term medical condition or a specific learning difference (SpLD), you can access support at Coventry University through the Disability Team who are part of Health and Wellbeing.
