Hi, sorry I will keep looking. Here is something you can read for now. Making sense of HTML messages in Outlook 2007 Applies to: Microsoft Office Outlook 2007 02/15/2008
Rowena Portch (Accessibility Advocate) You sit down with your morning cup of coffee and eagerly anticipate reading your favorite newsletter. You open the e-mail message in Outlook 2007 and wait for your screen reader to read the information. However, all you hear is, "Table, table." With a sigh, you try to get your screen reader to read the contents of that table, but the information that you hear doesn't make sense. Don't fear, there is a solution! Applies to Microsoft Office Outlook 2007 Some e-mail messages that are created by using HTML are difficult for some screen readers to read, especially if tables are used. The reason this occurs is partly because Outlook uses Microsoft Office Word 2007 to translate hypertext markup language (HTML), instead of using your browser, and partly because of the screen reader's ability to understand the elements that are on the page. Because Word only supports a part of what HTML offers, the content that is displayed might not look the way that it was designed. For example, you might subscribe to a newsletter that is delivered to your Inbox. When you open the e-mail message, screen readers, such as JAWS, reads "Table, table." When you try to read the information in the table, JAWS continues to report that there is a table, but does not read the contents of the table. If you are a sighted user, the information in the e-mail message might not look as aesthetically pleasing as the sender had intended. If you are a visually impaired person, the content in the table is completely invisible and unreadable. The good news is that there is a workaround if you encounter an HTML e-mail message that your screen reader cannot understand. The following procedure only works for HTML e-mail messages, such as newsletters. Open the e-mail message in Outlook 2007. To view the e-mail message in a browser, press ALT, H, X, V. If a dialog box appears, and to make sure that it does not display every time that you view an e-mail message in a browser, press TAB until the Please do not show me this dialog again check box is active, press SPACEBAR to select it, and then press ENTER. To return to your e-mail message, close the browser by pressing ALT+F4. Note If you are using Windows Internet Explorer 7 and have multiple windows open, press CTRL+W to close the active window. Press ALT+TAB to return to your open e-mail message. Because you cannot view the information in the e-mail message in a browser by default, you must repeat these steps to read any HTML e-mail message that your screen reader cannot read. Personally, I have a hard time remembering the keyboard shortcuts used by the new Microsoft Office programs. As a result, I speak to my computer by using accessibility tools, instead of using the keyboard. When I open an HTML e-mail message that JAWS cannot interpret, I simply say, "View in browser," and voila, the e-mail message displays in a browser. The tools that I use are JAWS, Dragon Naturally Speaking, and J-Say Pro. I will talk about these tools in detail in my next article. Why is Outlook 2007 using Word 2007 to display HTML? In earlier versions of Outlook, you could use Word to compose and edit e-mail messages and use a browser to display HTML e-mail messages. Unfortunately, the HTML e-mail messages that were created by using Word looked very different from the e-mail messages that were displayed in a browser. This was because the earlier versions of Word did not support all the features that HTML offers. For most users, it was undesirable to use one application to create e-mail messages and another to read them. Because browsers are not designed to be text editors, Word 2007 was the most logical program to use for both creating and reading e-mail messages. Word 2007 does a good job with most HTML content, but it does present some limitations. The following features are not supported by Word 2007: Background images Flash or other plug-ins Cascade style sheets (CSS) positioning Forms CSS floats Animated Graphics Interchange Format (GIF) images Bullet images HTML authoring tips For those of you who enjoy composing HTML e-mail messages, there is hope. Microsoft has created a useful tool that checks for valid and supported HTML before you send an HTML e-mail message. To download the tool, go to HTML tool for e-mail messages. Microsoft continues to invest in HTML and CSS support based on customer feedback and works toward a complete solution. I will keep you posted of additional development as it becomes available. In the works Check back in two more weeks to read about accessibility tools that make the 2007 Microsoft Office system a bit less challenging. Read other articles by the Accessibility Advocate Introducing the Accessibility Advocate About the author After losing my sight three years ago to Retinitis Pigmentosa, I learned the value of accessibility features in the computer programs and applications that I use. Although learning to use a screen reader and a Braille display was challenging, it paled in comparison to learning to use keyboard shortcuts instead of the mouse. Many of the Microsoft tools that I use are not completely accessible. That gave me the chance to learn how to write small programs (scripts) that modify JAWS, my screen reader, and ignited a spark in me to champion the importance of accessible features in tools and applications. I became very passionate about accessibility guidelines, and I have worked with several teams to make sure that applications are truly accessible. Being involved in beta testing and writing this column is a perfect way for me to communicate valuable information. I began working for Microsoft as a Technical Editor. When my productivity began to decline along with my eyesight, I lost my confidence and felt my self esteem drop to an all-time low. I had to learn how to be productive, yet retain what little sanity I had remaining. It was a challenge, but I did it. Now, I want to share some of my experiences with you and support this community to the best of my ability. Send me your comments and input at [email protected] -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Kimsan Song Sent: Wednesday, December 30, 2009 1:42 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [Blind-Computing] email question I don't think that was it? Whoever sent it, included a keystroke. -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Ginger Roe Sent: Wednesday, December 30, 2009 10:56 AM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [Blind-Computing] email question Jacob Kruger Sent: Tuesday, December 15, 2009 11:12 AM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [Blind-Computing] getting outlook to read in HTML format Sorry only coming in now, but what version of outlook are you using? Problem with outlook 2007, for example, is that it actually uses an embedded word 2007 implementation to display HTML mails, so in order to get jaws virtual buffer to work for them properly, the way to do it is open it in internet explorer: alt key, then followed by the H key, then the X key and lastly the V key- all with a bit of a pause inbetween them. This counts as opening the menu, going into extra options or something like that, and then view in internet explorer. This will open it in a new browser window, with the message still open in the background. This is specific to outlook 2007 and it's new menu system/structure. Stay well Jacob Kruger Blind Biker Skype: BlindZA '...fate had broken his body, but not his spirit...' -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Kimsan Song Sent: Wednesday, December 30, 2009 11:46 AM To: [email protected] Subject: [Blind-Computing] email question Hi, Someone sent an email several weeks ago concerning opening up an email in your internet browser. I was wondering what was the key tip/keystroke again? For answers to frequently asked questions about this list visit: http://www.jaws-users.com/help/ For answers to frequently asked questions about this list visit: http://www.jaws-users.com/help/ For answers to frequently asked questions about this list visit: http://www.jaws-users.com/help/ For answers to frequently asked questions about this list visit: http://www.jaws-users.com/help/
