JAWS Navigation Quick Keys in Microsoft Word

JAWS® screen reading software has Navigation Quick Keys for Microsoft® Word that provide you with an easy and efficient way to move through a document. Quickly move the insertion point to a number of different page elements, including headings, footnotes, endnotes, comments, tables, form fields, pages, sections, and more, with simple keystrokes. This feature is similar to the Navigation Quick Keys JAWS uses in Internet Explorer, but is especially designed to help you navigate Word documents.

Navigation Quick Keys are automatically enabled while you are reading with the SayAll command. If you want to use this feature when not performing the SayAll command, press INSERT+Z. Then, use the keystrokes to move the insertion point to the next or previous page element of the given type. To turn off Navigation Quick Keys, press INSERT+Z again. JAWS also turns off Navigation Quick Keys if you switch to another document or program.

NOTE: While Navigation Quick Keys are enabled you cannot type text into the document. In addition, you can only use the TAB key to move to the next form field or table cell.


EXERCISE: Use the sample quick keys document to practice using Navigation Quick Keys. The sample document does not have form fields, but has everything else you can practice with. Use the table below to reference the Navigation Quick Keys available with Microsoft Word.


JAWS Navigation Quick Keys for use with Microsoft Word

Keystroke Description
A Grammatical Error
B Bookmark
C Combo Box
D Endnote
E Edit
F Form Field
G Graphic
H Heading
M Spelling Error
N Comment
O Footnote
P Paragraph
R Revision (when using Track Changes)
S Section
T Table
X Check Box
> Move forward out of element
< Move backward out of element
SPACEBAR Next Page
BACKSPACE Prior Page

Navigation Quick Key Manager

Introduced in JAWS 10, Navigation Quick Key manager is used to view, edit, or delete Navigation Quick Key assignments. To open Navigation Quick Key manager do the following:

  1. Press INSERT+J to switch to the JAWS window.
  2. From within the JAWS window press ALT+U to open the Utilities menu.
  3. Press N to open the Navigation Quick Key manager submenu. Focus moves to the first item of three, HTML/PDF.
  4. Press DOWN ARROW to move through the other two items. You find one for Microsoft Word and one for Microsoft Outlook 2007.

NOTE: You can also find Navigation Quick Key Manager in the list of JAWS managers by pressing INSERT+F2.



JAWS® is a registered trademark of Freedom Scientific, Inc., St. Petersburg, Florida and/or other countries.

Microsoft® is either a registered trademark or trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.

Last revised 2008/09/11