Numbers with Mac: Any tips for using it with VO?

By Kira McCall, 22 July, 2013

Forum
macOS and Mac Apps
Do any of you have tips for using Numbers on the Mac? I bought it a year ago and can't seem to figure out how to use it. The way that the table is laid out makes it seem counterintuitive with VoiceOver. I also can't figure out how to use the formulas. Tips, anyone? Thanks.

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Comments

By walkseasy on Friday, July 26, 2013 - 07:30

Using Numbers with VoiceOver takes more than just a few comments. Would there be any interest in a book on using the Mac with VoiceOver? Topics would include general use of the computer, preferences, email, finder, itunes, Pages, and Numbers. If so would a book available in the IBookstore be acceptable?

By Cliff on Friday, July 26, 2013 - 07:30

Oh yeah! Count me in! That's an awesome idea! Especially if it covers using Pages and Numbers, and also more advanced features than used for everyday tasks... Yupp, I'm in! :)

By Sheri w-j on Tuesday, November 26, 2013 - 07:30

To expand on the original question if I may: can anybody give me a piece of advice on numbers and a braille display? I can't seem to get the braille display to follow VO when I arrow around the spread sheet rows and columns. I've tried both a focus 14 and an Apex and although both behave themselves nicely in general with VO, neither will follow along with the voice when I'm using numbers. thanks for any wisdom: I'm hoping it's something silly I'm overlooking.

By Roland on Tuesday, November 26, 2013 - 07:30

Hi, first of all, I suggest that you update to the latest version of Numbers - and this also holds for iWork apps in general. There are lots of accessibility improvements. I agree that numbers used to be quite inaccessible - and so was pages by the way. But: This has changed. The new iWork apps are out for about a week and I find myself using them more and more. Numbers has become one of the apps where the sometimes complicated concept of interacting is rather helpful. VO+t is the key combination you might miss at first glance since VO does not speak the cell coordinates all the time. But: It tells you the row and column titles as you navigate. This is a bit unusual to frequent PC and NVDA users like me - but it turns out to be quite efficient. I also like the sheet navigator allowing you to quickly switch sheets in a complex worksheet. From what I have seen and used so far, Numbers with VO compares well with NVDA in Excel or LibreOffice Calc. In order to get started, just open an empty document, interact with the table and fill in the first row and the first column with titles. As you fill out the table you'll hear these titles spoken. Hope this helps. /Roland

I'm sure lots of people will think that a book like that sounds like a good idea. I have an idea of what sort of time it would take to produce. Unless your intending doing it for your own gratification, in which case there seems to be far more easier ways of communicating such information, I'd ask a different question first. Something like - would people be willing to purchase such a book and how much would they be willing to pay for it? I heard on a podcast recently an estimation that there may be around a thousand Mac users worldwide, so the target audience isn't that great. I think the series of articles and individual articles on this sight, along with the podcasts, are great and that would be the way I would go, if I was firstly a millionaire and secondly immortal. Sadly, I am neither right now, so I will wish you very good luck and give you my word that I will purchase a comprehensive iWork guide for around $30. Good luck.