This article is for people who use a screen reader program such as Windows Narrator, JAWS, or NVDA with Microsoft 365 products. This article is part of the Microsoft 365 screen reader support content set where you can find more accessibility information on our apps. For general help, visit Microsoft Support.
Use Project with your keyboard and a screen reader to do the essential basic tasks. We have tested it with Narrator and JAWS, but it might work with other screen readers as long as they follow common accessibility standards and techniques. You'll learn how to create a new project, add tasks, assign resources, print your project, and more.
Notes:
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New Microsoft 365 features are released gradually to Microsoft 365 subscribers, so your app might not have these features yet. To learn how you can get new features faster, join the Office Insider program.
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To learn more about screen readers, go to How screen readers work with Microsoft 365.
Open Project and create a blank project
Starting a new project in Project is simple.
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Press the Windows logo key. You hear: “Cortana, Search box.”
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Type the first few letters of Project, until you hear “Project, desktop app.”
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Press Enter to open Project. It opens to a list of recently used projects and project templates. You hear: “Blank Project button.”
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To create a new project, press Spacebar.
Add tasks and assign resources
Your new project opens in the Gantt Chart view, which is the simplest view to work in.
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When you open a blank project, the focus is in the top left corner of the chart. Press the Right arrow key until you hear “Column header, Task Name, selected,” and then type the name of your first task.
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Press the Right arrow key until you hear “Column header, Resource Names,” and then type the name of the resource who you want to handle this task.
Tip: The resource name is usually the name of a person or a team, but it can be anything you want.
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Press Enter to finish adding the task. The focus moves to the next row in the Resource Names column.
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To add another task, press the Left arrow key until you hear “Column header, Task Name,” and then type its name.
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To add a resource to this task, press the Right arrow key until you hear “Column header, Resource Names, selected,” type the name of the resource, and then press Enter.
Tip: If you are adding a resource you have already used on an earlier row, you only need to type the first few letters of its name for Project to suggest it. Pressing Enter automatically completes the suggested name.
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Repeat these steps until you have added every task and assigned resources to them.
Schedule tasks in the Team Planner view
You can use the Team Planner view to schedule the tasks you have defined.
Note: JAWS does not announce resource or task names properly in the Team Planner view, so you should use Narrator to schedule the tasks.
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To change into the Team Planner view, press Alt+H, G, and then press P. You hear: “Team Planner, view.”
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Press the Down arrow key to hear the name of the first resource. You can use the Down and Up arrow keys to navigate between the resources.
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Press the Right arrow key to move to the tasks assigned to the currently selected resource. You hear the task's name, followed by "Unscheduled task." If the resource has several tasks assigned to it, use the Right and Left arrow keys to navigate between them.
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Press Shift+F2 to open the Task Information window for the currently selected task.
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Press the Tab key until you hear "Start, editable, edit," and then press Alt+Down arrow key to open the date picker.
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Press T to set today as the start date, or use the arrow keys to find the right date. Press Spacebar to confirm the selection. Narrator announces the selected date.
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Press the Tab key until you hear "Finish, editable, edit," and then press Alt+Down arrow key to open the date picker.
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Press T to set today as the finish date, or use the arrow keys to find the right date. Press Spacebar to confirm the selection. Narrator announces the selected date.
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Press Enter to finish editing the task. Your screen reader announces the resource name, task name, and the start and finish dates you just selected.
Tip: If you accidentally schedule tasks to overlap, you hear "Overallocated." Press Shift+F2 again and reschedule the task.
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Repeat the above steps for all unscheduled tasks.
Tip: To return to the Gantt Chart view, press Alt+H, G, and then press G.
Save a project
You can save your project on your own computer, or in a shared network location.
Note: JAWS does not announce the save locations properly, so you should use Narrator to save your project for the first time.
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Press Alt+F, A.
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Do one of the following depending on where you want to save the project:
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Press N to sync the project with SharePoint.
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Press K to sign in to OneDrive.
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Press S to save the project in your OneDrive or SharePoint site.
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Press C to save the project on your PC.
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Press Spacebar twice to confirm the save location, then press the Down and Up arrow keys to select where exactly in the selected location the project is saved – for example, which folder on your computer do you want to use. When you find the right option, press Enter.
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Type the file name you want to use.
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Press Tab until you hear “Save button,” and then press Enter to save the file.
Tip: After you have saved your project once, you can quickly save any changes to it by pressing Ctrl+S.
Print a project
You may need to print your project chart to show it to someone.
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Press Alt+F, P, I. You hear: “Which printer."
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Press the Up and Down arrow keys to move between the available printers. When you find the right option, press Spacebar to select the printer.
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Press Alt+P, P to print your project.
See also
Use a screen reader to review or edit an existing project in Project
Keyboard shortcuts for Project
Set up your device to work with accessibility in Microsoft 365
Use Project for the web with your keyboard and a screen reader to create a new project, add tasks, and assign resources. We have tested it with Narrator in Microsoft Edge and JAWS in Chrome, but it might work with other screen readers and web browsers as long as they follow common accessibility standards and techniques.
Notes:
-
New Microsoft 365 features are released gradually to Microsoft 365 subscribers, so your app might not have these features yet. To learn how you can get new features faster, join the Office Insider program.
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To learn more about screen readers, go to How screen readers work with Microsoft 365.
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When you use Project for the web, we recommend that you use Microsoft Edge as your web browser. Because Project for the web runs in your web browser, the keyboard shortcuts are different from those in the desktop program. For example, you’ll use Ctrl+F6 instead of F6 for jumping in and out of the commands. Also, common shortcuts like F1 (Help) and Ctrl+O (Open) apply to the web browser – not Project for the web.
Open Project and create a project
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In your web browser, go to portal.office.com or login.microsoftonline.com and sign in to your Microsoft 365 account.
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To open Project for the web, press the Tab key until you hear “Project link,” and then press Enter. Project opens in Project Home.
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To create a project, in Project Home, press the Tab key until you hear "Press Enter to create a project," and then press Enter. The Grid view of the new project is opened.
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Press the Tab key until you hear "Untitled project," and then press Enter. The project details pane opens with the focus on the project name field. Type a name for the new project.
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To enter a start date for the project, press the Tab key until you hear "Start," followed by the current date, and then press Enter to open the date picker. Use the Left and Right arrow keys to find the start date, and then press Enter to confirm it.
Add tasks and assign resources
One of the first steps to managing a project is to add the tasks that get your project done. Your list of tasks can be as simple as a checklist of things that need to get done, or it can be somewhat more involved, with start and finish dates, relationships with other tasks, and other associated task information. For more information about task details, refer to Use a screen reader to view and edit task details in Project.
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Open the project you want to add a task and assign resources to.
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Press the Tab key until you hear "Add new task, name," and type a name for your task.
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Press the Tab key until you hear "Assigned to," type the name of the user you want to assign the task to, press the Down arrow key to browse through the list of matching users, and then press Enter to assign the user to your project. Repeat this step until all the users you want are assigned, and then press Esc to close the dialog box.
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Press the Tab key until you hear "Duration," and enter the duration for the task, such as 90 minutes or 2 weeks.
Note: Task durations can be entered in minutes, hours, days, weeks, or months, or their abbreviated forms, such as 2d or 4h. If you do not include a unit of time with the duration, it defaults to days.
See also
Use a screen reader to view and edit task details in Project
Use a screen reader to build a team in Project
Keyboard shortcuts for Project
Use Project Online with your keyboard and a screen reader to create a new project, add tasks, assign resources, print your project, and more. We have tested it with Narrator and JAWS, but it might work with other screen readers as long as they follow common accessibility standards and techniques.
Notes:
-
New Microsoft 365 features are released gradually to Microsoft 365 subscribers, so your app might not have these features yet. To learn how you can get new features faster, join the Office Insider program.
-
To learn more about screen readers, go to How screen readers work with Microsoft 365.
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When you use Project Online, we recommend that you use Microsoft Edge as your web browser. Because Project Online runs in your web browser, the keyboard shortcuts are different from those in the desktop program. For example, you’ll use Ctrl+F6 instead of F6 for jumping in and out of the commands. Also, common shortcuts like F1 (Help) and Ctrl+O (Open) apply to the web browser – not Project Online.
Open Project Online and create a project
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In your web browser go to portal.office.com or login.microsoftonline.com and sign in to your Microsoft 365 account.
Note: To learn more on how to sign in to Project Online, refer to Sign in to Project Online.
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To open the Project Online app, press the Tab key until you hear “Project link,” and then press Enter. Project opens on the Home page.
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To create a project, in the Home page, press the Tab key until you hear "Table, create or import projects," and then press Enter. The Create a new project page opens, and you hear: "Enterprise project, for when you want more control over the project."
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Do one of the following:
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To create an Enterprise Project, press the Tab key until you hear "Next, link" and then press Enter.
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To create a Sharepoint Tasks List, press Shift+Tab until you hear "Sharepoint Tasks List, for when you want everyone to be able to create and edit tasks," and then press Enter. Then, press the Tab key until you hear "Next, link," and then press Enter.
Note: To learn more about each project, refer to Create a project in Project Web App.
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Type the project name, or other details (if required). To move between fields press the Tab key or Shift+Tab. Your screen reader announces the field's description as you move.
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When done, press the Tab key until you hear "Finish, link," and then press Enter.
Open an existing project
Open any of your existing projects from the Project Center to edit it and, for example, add new tasks.
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On the Project OnlineHome page, to open the Project Center, press the Tab key until you hear "Projects link," and then press Enter.
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In the Project Center, press the Tab key until you hear the project you want to open, and then press Enter to select. Narrator announces the project name, followed by "Open on menu."
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After selecting the project, press Ctrl+F6. You hear: "Browse tab."
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To open the project, press the Tab key until you hear "Open, button," and then press Spacebar. Then press the Tab key until you hear "In browser for editing, button," and press Spacebar.
The project page opens.
Add tasks and assign resources
One of the first steps to managing a project is to add the tasks that get your project done. Your list of tasks can be as simple as a checklist of things that need to get done, or it can be somewhat more involved, with start and finish dates, relationships with other tasks, and other associated task information.
Create a new task in a Sharepoint Tasks List project
Add a simple checklist of tasks in a Sharepoint Tasks List project.
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Open the project for editing as instructed in Open an existing project. The project Home page opens, and you hear: "Home," followed by the project name.
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On the project Home page, press the Tab key until you hear "Add task, link," and then press Enter.
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The focus moves to the Task Name field and you hear: "Task name required field." Type the task name you want.
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To add a starting date, press the Tab key until you hear "Start date, editing," and type the date.
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To add a due date, press the Tab key until you hear "Due date, editing," and type the date.
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To assign the task to a resource, press the Tab key until you hear "Assigned to, editing," and type the name of the resource that will work on the task.
This list of suggested resources appear while you type. To select a suggestion from the list, press the Tab key until you hear the suggestion you want, and then press Enter.
Tip: The resource name is usually the name of a person or a team, but it can be anything you want.
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When done, press the Tab key until you hear "Save button," and then press Enter.
The task is added to your Tasks list, and the focus moves to the project Home page.
Create a new task in an Enterprise Project
If you have the appropriate permissions in Project Online, you can easily create a new task in an Enterprise Project.
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Open your Enterprise Project for editing as instructed in Open an existing project. The project Schedule page opens listing all your current tasks, and you hear: "Project details, page, schedule."
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To create a new task, enter the task information in the blank row at the bottom of the tasks list.
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To add a task name in a blank row, press the Tab key until you hear "Selected, editable, column header, task name," press Enter, and then type the task name.
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To set the duration of the task, press the Tab key until you hear "Selected, editable, column header, duration," press Enter, and then type the duration.
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To set the start date of the task, press the Tab key until you hear "Selected, editable, column header, start," press Enter, and then type the start day.
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To set the end date of the task, press the Tab key until you hear "Selected, editable, column header, finish," press Enter, and then type the due day.
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To assign resources to the task, press the Tab key until you hear "Selected, editable, column header, resource names," then press Alt+Down arrow key to browse the resource list. To select a resource, press Spacebar. After selecting the resources you want, press Enter.
Note: Before assigning resources, make sure you have created a team. To learn how to create a team in Project Online, refer to Use a screen reader to build a team in Project.
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To choose between automatically or manually scheduling a task, do one of the following:
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To manually schedule the task, press Ctrl+Shift+M.
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To automatically schedule the task, press Ctrl+Shift+A.
Note: To learn more about automatically or manually scheduling a task in Project Online, refer to Choose between automatically or manually scheduling a task.
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When you have finished adding the task, to close and check the project back in, press Ctrl+F6. You hear: "Browse tab." Press the Tab key until you hear "Close button," and press Enter. A dialog opens and you hear "Dialog close." Press Enter again.
The focus moves to the Project Center.
Save and publish a project
After you have created an Enterprise Project in Project Online, or after you have made changes to it, you need to publish the project. Publishing the project makes the most current information available to others, including the team members assigned to the project’s tasks. You can also save your changes without publishing them for others to view.
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Open your Enterprise Project for editing as instructed in Open an existing project. The project Schedule page opens.
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After making changes to your project, to save, press Ctrl+S. The project is saved, and you hear: "Save completed successfully."
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If you are ready to publish the changes, press Ctrl+F6 until you hear: "Browse tab." Press the Tab key until you hear "Publish, button," and then press Enter. The project is published.
Print a project
You may need to print your project schedule from an Enterprise Project to show it to someone.
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Open your Enterprise Project as instructed in Open an existing project. The project Schedule page opens.
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To print your project schedule, press Ctrl+Shift+O. The Print dialog opens. You hear the project name, followed by "Print dialog."
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To select a printing option, press Enter, and then use the Up or Down arrow keys until you hear the option you want. To select, press Enter.
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To move through the options in the dialog, press the Tab key. To expand option menus, press Alt+Down arrow key. To make a selection, press Enter.
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To print, press the Tab key until you hear "Print button," and then press Enter.
See also
Use a screen reader to review or edit an existing project in Project
Use a screen reader to build a team in Project
Technical support for customers with disabilities
Microsoft wants to provide the best possible experience for all our customers. If you have a disability or questions related to accessibility, please contact the Microsoft Disability Answer Desk for technical assistance. The Disability Answer Desk support team is trained in using many popular assistive technologies and can offer assistance in English, Spanish, French, and American Sign Language. Please go to the Microsoft Disability Answer Desk site to find out the contact details for your region.
If you are a government, commercial, or enterprise user, please contact the enterprise Disability Answer Desk.
