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 Outlook for Mac with your keyboard and VoiceOver, the built-in macOS screen reader, to schedule appointments or schedule meetings with other people. You'll also learn how to create recurring meetings and Microsoft Teams meetings in Outlook for Mac.

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.

  • This topic assumes that you are using the built-in macOS screen reader, VoiceOver. To learn more about using VoiceOver, go to VoiceOver Getting Started Guide.

In this topic

Schedule a new appointment

  1. In Outlook for Mac, press Command+N. A new appointment window opens with the focus in the Subject text field. Type a subject for the appointment.

  2. To set a location for the appointment, press the Tab key until you hear "Location, edit text," and type the location you want.

  3. To set the start and end date and time for the appointment, press the Tab key until you hear the default date and time. To change the values, type the new values you want.

    Tip: To create an all-day event, press the Tab key or Shift+Tab until you hear "All day event, unticked," and then press Control+Option+Spacebar.

  4. To add more information about the appointment, for example, an agenda, press the Tab key until you hear "Entering body," and type the details you want.

  5. To set the reminder time for the appointment, press Shift+Tab repeatedly until you hear "Reminder, pop-up button," and then press Control+Option+Spacebar. Press the Down arrow key until you hear the option you want, and press Return.

  6. To save your appointment, press Shift+Tab until you hear "Save and close, button," and press Control+Option+Spacebar. The new appointment window closes.

Schedule a new meeting

  1. In Outlook for Mac, press Control+Option+M. You hear: "Menu bar, Apple." Press the Right arrow key until you hear: "File." Press Control+Option+Spacebar to open the File menu.

  2. To open the New submenu, press the Down arrow key once, and press Control+Option+Spacebar. Then press the Down arrow key until you hear "Meeting," and press Return. A new meeting window opens with the focus in the To: text field.

  3. To invite people, type the names of the contacts in the To: text field. Press Return after typing each name to make Outlook for Mac complete the entry.

  4. To give the meeting a name, press the Tab key until you hear "Subject, edit text," and then type the name.

  5. To set a location for the meeting, press the Tab key until you hear "Location, edit text," and type the location you want.

  6. To set the start and end date and time for the meeting, press the Tab key until you hear the default date and time. To change the values, type the new values you want.

    Tip: To create an all-day event, press the Tab key or Shift+Tab until you hear "All day event, unticked," and then press Control+Option+Spacebar.

  7. To add more information about the meeting, for example, an agenda, press the Tab key until you hear "Entering body," and type the details you want.

  8. To set the reminder time for the meeting, press Shift+Tab repeatedly until you hear "Reminder, pop-up button," and then press Control+Option+Spacebar. Press the Down arrow key until you hear the option you want, and press Control+Option+Spacebar.

  9. To send your meeting invitation, press Shift+Tab until you hear "Send, button," and press Control+Option+Spacebar. The new meeting window closes.

Let people know your availability

Show others your availability during the time of a meeting or appointment.

  1. When scheduling an event, press the Tab key or Shift+Tab until you hear the current availability status (for example, "Busy") and "Show as, pop-up button," and then press Control+Option+Spacebar.

  2. To select the availability, press the Down arrow key until you hear the availability you want to show to others during the event. To select, press Control+Option+Spacebar.

Turn an appointment into a meeting

Invite others to join you and turn an appointment into a meeting.

  1. In the appointment window, press Shift+Tab until you hear "Invite, button," and then press Control+Option+Spacebar to make it a meeting.

  2. The focus moves to a newly created To text field. Type the names of the contacts you want to invite to the meeting. Press Return after typing each name to make Outlook for Mac complete the entry.

  3. When done, to send the invitations, press Shift+Tab until you hear "Send, button," and press Control+Option+Spacebar.

Make a recurring meeting

If you're scheduling, for example, a weekly meeting, you can easily turn your meeting into a recurring meeting. This way you don't have to add a meeting for every week separately.

  1. When scheduling an event, press the Tab key or Shift+Tab until you hear "Recurrence, button," and then press Control+Option+Spacebar. A new window opens, where you can select the options for the recurring event, with the focus on the Repeats drop-down menu.

  2. To select the frequency of the meeting, press Control+Option+Spacebar, and then use the Up or Down arrow key to find the frequency you want the appointment to recur (Daily, Weekly, Monthly, Yearly). To select, press Control+Option+Spacebar.

  3. To browse the other date and time options, press the Tab key or Shift+Tab. When done, press the Tab key until you hear "OK, button," and then press Control+Option+Spacebar.

Make a Microsoft Teams meeting

You can easily turn your meeting into an online Microsoft Teams meeting.

  1. When scheduling a meeting, press the Tab key or Shift+Tab until you hear "Teams meeting, toggle button," and then press Control+Option+Spacebar.

  2. Add any remaining meeting details and send the invitation. Microsoft Teams meeting details are added to the invitation when you send it.

See also

Use a screen reader to read and reply to a meeting request in Outlook

Use a screen reader to set up your email account in Outlook

Keyboard shortcuts for Outlook

Basic tasks using a screen reader with the calendar in Outlook

Use a screen reader to join a meeting in Microsoft Teams

Set up your device to work with accessibility in Microsoft 365

Use a screen reader to explore and navigate Outlook Calendar​​​​​​​

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.

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