Introduction

Below you will learn how to manage row and column headings and configure SuperNova and Dolphin ScreenReader to automatically announce Headings as you navigate cells.

Reading time: 10 minutes approx.

What is a heading?

By default, as you navigate a worksheet, SuperNova and Dolphin ScreenReader tells you the content of the current cell and its co-ordinates. Knowing the cell co-ordinates enables you to identify your position in the worksheet, which can help you make selections, create formulas, and develop charts.

Headings can also be part of a worksheet. Row and column headings are important because they provide structure to the data, making it easier to understand the information presented in each cell.

For example, if a worksheet was presenting a company’s monthly sales figures for each of the products they sell, the column headings may state each month while the row heading may list each product.

How headings are presented will differ between worksheets. In the example above, the headings are presented in bold text. Other people may prefer to use italicised text, or underlined text, or change the text or cell background colour to make them more striking to the reader.

Working with large amounts of data

Generally, people are able to keep themselves orientated by glancing at the row and column headings as they read the data in a worksheet.

Often, for users of a screen reader, you may try and memorise the headings for the rows and columns. However, when you are reading worksheets with a large amount of data, it is quite easy to become disorientated. Am I in the column for July or August? Am I in the row for toothbrush or toothpaste?

To resolve this issue, you can configure SuperNova and Dolphin ScreenReader to detect and announce the row and column headings in a worksheet.

To do this:

• Press CAPS LOCK + H to speak the row and column heading.
• Press LEFT SHIFT + CAPS LOCK + H To present the row and column heading in a popup edit box.

Changing heading detection mode

By default, SuperNova and Dolphin ScreenReader considers bold text as heading text. When you press the Speak headings hotkey, SuperNova and Dolphin ScreenReader searches for bold text above and to the left of the current cell.

If the worksheet you are reading uses a different attribute to identify row and column headings, then you can configure SuperNova and Dolphin ScreenReader to search for the alternative attribute.

Tip: You can identify a cell’s font attributes by Moving the focus to the cell and pressing the Speak focus hotkey four times. The Speak focus hotkey is NUMPAD 0 or, if you are using the Laptop Universal Hotkey Set, press CAPS LOCK + UP ARROW.

Other detection methods include:

• Use first text cell in contiguous range.
• Use first text cell in row/column.
• Use different cell colour background.
• Use different cell pattern.
• Use underlined text.
• Use italicized text.
• Use different sized text.
• Use different coloured text.

To change the heading detection method:

1. Identify the heading attributes.
2. Press CAPS LOCK + X. The "Headings Announcement Configuration" dialog box opens.
   
    
3. Select "Change Heading Detection Method".
   
    
4. Use the "Add" button to select the heading detection method you want to use.
5. If required, use the "Remove" button to remove detection methods, and the "Up" and "Down" buttons to change the priority of the detection methods. If the first method is unsuccessful in detecting a heading, then method two will be tried, and so on.
6. When done, select the "OK" button. The dialog box closes, and focus goes back to the previous dialog box.
7. Select the "Close" button. The focus goes back to the worksheet.

Tip: For large worksheets, you can increase the default search margin for headings by selecting "Change Search Margin Beyond Visible Cells" in the "Headings Announcement Configuration" dialog box. The maximum value for the search margin beyond visible cells is 99. Note that a large search margin can have a detrimental impact on your system performance because it increases the number of cells SuperNova and Dolphin ScreenReader must scan as you navigate your worksheet.

Automating heading announcement

You can automatically read the row and column headings as you navigate through a worksheet by turning on automatic heading announcement.

You can do this through the "Heading Announcement Configuration" dialog box (CAPS LOCK + X) or by pressing LEFT CONTROL + CAPS LOCK + H. You repeat the keypress to turn off automatic heading announcement.

When automatic heading announcement is enabled; column headings are announced when you move the focus across a row, and row headings are announced when you move the focus within a column.

Use CAPS LOCK + H or LEFT SHIFT + CAPS LOCK + H to review both row and column heading for the current cell.

Working with Excel tables

New in SuperNova and Dolphin ScreenReader Version 23, if your data regions are presented as Excel tables, the column and row headings will be automatically announced as you navigate the table. This is dependent on the use of a Medium or High Verbosity Scheme and that the table headings are correctly stipulated.

To convert a data region to a table, simply select the range of cells and press CONTROL + T. A dialog box will appear stipulating your selected range. TAB through, ensuring the "Heading" checkbox is selected, and choose the "OK" button.

If you want to customise the appearance of the table further, you can do so through the "Table Design" page in the Ribbon. This Ribbon tab appears when the focus is inside the table.

You can learn more about creating and using Excel tables at Microsoft Support - Overview of Excel tables.

Summary

Here, you discovered how to review a cell’s row and column heading. You learnt how to change the detection method, and automate the announcement of headings as you navigate a worksheet.

The essential hotkeys are:

• CAPS LOCK + H to speak the current cell’s row and column heading.
• LEFT SHIFT + CAPS LOCK + H to show the current cell’s row and column heading in a popup edit box.
• LEFT CONTROL + CAPS LOCK + H to toggle the automatic announcement of headings as you navigate a worksheet.
• CAPS LOCK + X to configure heading detection.

Quiz

1. You press CAPS LOCK + X to speak the current row and column heading. Is this statement true?
2. SuperNova is only able to identify headings in bold text. Other attributes are not supported. Is this statement true?
3. SuperNova requires headings to be visible on the screen for them to be spoken. Is this statement true?

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