Keyboard shortcutsMicrosoft is committed to making products that are accessible and usable by all people, including those with disabilities.
Many accessibility features are built right into Microsoft Outlook. These features are available to everyone, without the need for additional accessibility aids.
Keyboard shortcuts
Many features and commands are available directly from the keyboard. If a command you want doesn't have a shortcut key, you can assign one to it. For example, you can create a shortcut key that adds colors of your choice to appointments on your Calendar. You can also view and print lists of all the shortcut keys available.
Customization options
You can customize Outlook to better suit your needs.
Size options You can increase the size of text in items that you create or read, as well as in lists of items, called views. You can change the font and style of text in items that you create or receive to make them easier to read, including changing the message format of items that you receive to plain text. If you use the Windows high contrast setting, e-mail you compose and receive in Rich Text format will now be shown in draft font. If you have Microsoft Internet Explorer installed on your computer, you can gain more control over the display of messages that use HTML as their format by setting font and color options and applying custom style sheets in the Accessibility dialog box in Internet Explorer (Tools menu, Internet Options command). And, you can make toolbar buttons and list boxes larger so that they're easier to see and use.
Tips for working more efficiently
Outlook includes features that can help you automate repetitive tasks or work more effectively. For example, you can create a toolbar button that will automatically address mail to a person or group of people and complete the subject line.
When you start typing an e-mail address in the To, Cc, or Bcc boxes of a message, Outlook offers a list of names that match what you've typed so far. You can click an address in the list instead of continuing to type. This feature works for any address you have previously sent a message to.
You can create AutoText entries to speed up writing e-mail messages. Save any text that you want in an entry, and insert it into subsequent messages.
New in-place buttons let you immediately adjust how information is pasted. For example, after you paste text or a graphic, a button appears that offers options for formatting your pasted item.
Instead of entering e-mail addresses individually in the To box of messages, you can create distribution lists that let you send a message to any number of people by entering only one address.
You can organize your Inbox automatically by using the Rules Wizard to create rules that take actions like deleting or moving those messages that meet conditions you set.
You can also set options to automatically send read receipts when they are requested of you and to automatically move or delete read receipts that you request, as well as voting and meeting responses.
You can use the preview pane to view the contents of any item in your Inbox. You can open attachments, follow hyperlinks, and respond to meeting requests, all without opening the item.
You can copy text and graphics from any other Office programs and paste them all into an Outlook item with once click.
Information on the Web
If you have access to the World Wide Web, you can learn more about the accessibility features included in Microsoft products from the Microsoft Accessibility Web site. To learn about creating accessible content for your Web pages, refer to the accessibility standards developed by the World Wide Web Consortium
Note The hyperlinks in this topic go to the Web. You can switch back to Help at any time.
Printed information about Microsoft services
More information about Microsoft services for people with disabilities is available in an appendix in the book Discovering Microsoft Office, which comes with Microsoft Office. For example, you'll find information about how people who are deaf or hard-of-hearing can contact the Microsoft Sales and Information Center or the Microsoft Support Network. You'll also find information about obtaining Microsoft documentation from Recording for the Blind, Inc., for those who have difficulty reading or handling printed documentation. The appendix also describes third-party hardware and software products that make personal computers easier to use for people with disabilities, and lists organizations to contact for more information.
System accessibility options
If you own a Microsoft Windows-based computer, you can set or change system accessibility options. Many of these options affect the way you work in Microsoft Office programs. For example, the Windows StickyKeys feature is designed for people who have difficulty holding down two or more keys at a time. When a shortcut in an Office program requires a key combination, such as CTRL+P, StickyKeys will enable you to press one key at a time instead of pressing them simultaneously.