Using Meetings in Outlook for JAWS Users

Introduction

Microsoft Outlook is a powerful tool for managing emails, calendars, and meetings. For JAWS (Job Access With Speech) users, Outlook offers several features that make scheduling, responding to, and managing meetings accessible and efficient. This tutorial will guide you through the process of using meetings in Outlook, focusing on scheduling meetings, responding to meeting requests, editing existing meetings, and deleting or canceling meetings.

Scheduling Meetings

The primary difference between a meeting and an appointment in Outlook is that a meeting involves other participants. There are several ways to schedule a meeting in Outlook:

1. From anywhere in Outlook, press Ctrl+Shift+Q to start a new meeting request.

2. You can respond to an email message with a meeting request by pressing Alt, followed by H, M, R, while in a message.

3. When creating a new appointment, you can invite attendees by pressing Alt, followed by H, I.

The New Meeting Window is almost identical to the New Appointment window, with the exception of the To field, which allows you to enter the names of the people you want to invite to the meeting. You can fill in the To field just as you would when composing a new email. If you know the exact date and time for the meeting and are sure the invitees are available, fill out the form as you would for a normal appointment and press Alt+S to send the request.

If you need to check the availability of your attendees, you can use the Room Finder feature in Outlook. When filling in the start date, enter the date you want to start searching for free time. For the start and end times, enter times that reflect the duration of the meeting. For example, if you are scheduling a 90-minute meeting, set the start time as 9:00 A.M. and the end time as 10:30 A.M. Press F6 to switch to the Room Finder pane (JAWS does not announce this action). Press Tab twice to enter a list of available times. Use the Home key to jump to the top of the list and the down arrow to move through the choices. The time with the least conflicts is at the top of the list. If there are no free times on the selected day, press Tab to move to a calendar view where you can choose a different day. Use the left and right arrows to navigate different days. Press Shift+Tab to return to the list of available times for the selected day. Once you locate an available time, press Shift+F6 to switch back to the appointment details pane and press Alt+S to save your appointment.

Responding to Meeting Requests

To read the details and accept a meeting request, locate the meeting request in your inbox. JAWS will announce something like “Meeting Request, Reminder Yes, Jason Fayre, Lunch with Bob, Fri 2/20/2015 9:03 AM.” Press Enter to open the meeting request. Use the up and down arrows to review any notes added to the request. To hear the date and time of the meeting, press Alt+4. The quickest way to accept the meeting and add it to your calendar is to press the Escape key to close the request and return to your inbox. While still focused on the request in your inbox, press the applications key (or Shift+F10) and arrow down to “accept,” then press Enter. You can also decline a meeting request from this menu.

Editing an Existing Meeting

To make changes to a meeting you have scheduled, locate the meeting on your calendar. For instructions on locating a meeting, refer to the document: Calendar Basics. Once you have located the meeting, press Enter to edit it. After making the required changes, press Alt+S to resend the request.

Deleting or Cancelling a Meeting

To delete meetings from your calendar, press Ctrl+2 to open the calendar in Outlook. Use the left and right arrows to locate the day of the appointment you want to delete. Alternatively, press Ctrl+G to open the Go To Date dialog and enter the date of the appointment. Press Tab until you hear the details of the appointment you want to delete, then press the Delete key.

If the appointment is a recurring appointment, you will be placed in a dialog asking if you want to delete this occurrence or the entire series. Tab to the radio button and use the up and down arrows to select the option you want, then press Enter. If the appointment is a meeting you have scheduled with others, you will be placed in the appointment details window, as if you were editing the appointment. This allows you to add any notes regarding the cancellation. Once you have entered any relevant information, press Alt+S to save and send the cancellation.

Using Outlook for managing meetings can be straightforward and efficient for JAWS users with the right knowledge and techniques. By following the steps outlined in this tutorial, you can schedule, respond to, edit, and delete meetings with ease, ensuring that you stay organized and on top of your commitments.