[Trainer-Talk] Google Docs Now Supports Multiple Tabs

[Curtis Chong]

Greetings all:

 

I am writing to share experiences and questions raised as a result of those
experiences with the relatively new feature now available in Google Docs
which enables one to set up and use multiple "tabs" within a single Google
Docs file. I started down this road because a teacher of blind students, who
works in a school district where Google Docs is heavily used by teachers and
students, reported to me that a blind student was presented with a Google
Docs file but did not know how to switch between the tabs that were
contained in this single file using the JAWS screen reader.

 

Let me first share what I now know, admittedly, relying on help and
information shared with me by more than one individual perhaps with greater
persistence and tenacity than yours truly. All of this relates to
experiences using JAWS on a Windows computer.

 

1.         If a person is creating or editing a Google Docs file over which
he or she has full control, the way to create a new "tab" within this
document is simply to press SHIFT+F11. JAWS will simply say, "Tab added,"
but you are not told that you are now focused in the new tab that you just
created.

 

2.         If you hold down the ALT and CONTROL keys (do this with your
right hand if you can), you can quickly press the letter a then h (with your
left hand) to be taken to the Tabs area. JAWS will say, "Show tabs &
outlines," along with telling you how many tabs are in your document. In my
test case, I have one tab. If I had more than one tab, I could use my up or
down arrow keys to select a different tab within my document. By default,
the first tab will be called TAB1.

 

3.         The CTRL+SHIFT+PGUP or CTRL+SHIFT+PGDN key commands can be used
to move between multiple tabs within the Google Docs file. However, unless
you are highly confident about what you are doing, I don't recommend using
these shortcuts inasmuch as JAWS provides no verbal feedback to let you know
to what tab you are moving to.

 

4.         Assuming you have, say, two tabs in a Google Docs file, the best
way to get to the area to manage or move between these tabs is to hold down
both ALT and CTRL and then to quickly press a then h. After expanding the
button, you are now able to move up or down between the tabs you have in the
document. Pressing Enter moves you to the tab, but before doing that, you
might want to TAB to the Tab Options button, expand it with Space, and
review the choices you have for the tab--including renaming and/or deleting
the tab.

 

5.         Finally, if the Google Docs file is downloaded to the computer as
a Word document, only the tab that has focus is saved--not the entire Google
Docs file.

 

The frustration I experienced had to do with my inability (when bringing up
the Google Docs keyboard shortcuts) to find any tab-specific keyboard
commands. Perhaps these commands will be shown in a future version of Google
Chrome, but I am not seeing them at this point.

 

Kind regards,

 

Curtis Chong