How to Disable Specific Word Shortcuts That Conflict With Screen Readers

When you use a screen reader in Word, built-in keyboard shortcuts like Ctrl+Alt+Arrow or Ctrl+Shift+F8 can trigger unwanted actions instead of passing through to the assistive technology. This conflict happens because Word assigns those key combinations to navigation or formatting commands that override the screen reader’s own gestures. This article explains how to identify the conflicting shortcuts and disable them using Word’s built-in Customize Keyboard dialog so your screen reader works without interruption.

Why Word Shortcuts Interfere With Screen Readers

Word assigns keyboard shortcuts to dozens of commands for document navigation, formatting, and editing. Screen readers such as NVDA, JAWS, and Windows Narrator also rely on the same key combinations to perform their own functions. For example, Ctrl+Alt+Arrow keys in Word moves between objects or table cells, but the screen reader may interpret those keys as a command to change virtual buffer mode or navigate by element. This conflict causes the screen reader to either ignore the keystroke or perform an unintended action.

The root cause is that Word processes keyboard input before the screen reader can intercept it. When a shortcut is already assigned to a Word command, the screen reader never receives the keystroke. The solution is to remove or reassign the conflicting shortcut from within Word’s Customize Keyboard dialog. This does not affect the screen reader’s own configuration.

Common Conflicting Shortcuts

The following shortcuts are frequently reported as problematic by screen reader users:

• Ctrl+Alt+Arrow keys: Navigate Document, Go to Next Object, Go to Previous Object
• Ctrl+Shift+F8: Extend Selection (or Block Select in some versions)
• Alt+Shift+Arrow keys: Move paragraph or table rows
• Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S: Open Styles pane (conflicts with some screen reader commands)

Steps to Disable Specific Shortcuts in Word

Follow these steps to open the Customize Keyboard dialog and remove the conflicting shortcut. The process is identical in Word 2019, Word 2021, and Microsoft 365.

1. Open the Customize Keyboard dialog
   In Word, click the File tab, then select Options. In the Word Options dialog, click Customize Ribbon on the left. At the bottom of that pane, click the Keyboard shortcuts: Customize button. This opens the Customize Keyboard dialog.
2. Locate the conflicting shortcut
   In the Customize Keyboard dialog, you can either search by command or by current keys. To find a shortcut by its key combination, click inside the Press new shortcut key box and press the key combination you want to disable. The box below will show Currently assigned to: followed by the command name.
3. Remove the shortcut assignment
   Once you see the command that owns the shortcut, click the Remove button. The shortcut will disappear from the Current keys list. If you want to reassign the shortcut to a different command, type a new command name in the Categories and Commands lists, then press the shortcut in the Press new shortcut key box and click Assign.
4. Save your changes
   Click Close to exit the Customize Keyboard dialog, then click OK in the Word Options dialog. The shortcut is now disabled for all documents in the current template. To apply the change globally, ensure Save changes in: shows Normal.dotm before closing.

Disabling Shortcuts for Specific Commands

If you know the command name but not the key combination, use the Categories list to narrow the search. For example, to disable Ctrl+Alt+Arrow for navigating objects:

1. In the Customize Keyboard dialog, select All Commands from the Categories list.
2. Scroll in the Commands list and select NavigateDocument or GoToNextObject.
3. The Current keys box shows all assigned shortcuts. Select the one you want to remove and click Remove.

If Word Still Has Conflicts After Disabling Shortcuts

Word Reassigns the Shortcut After Restart

If the shortcut returns after closing and reopening Word, the change was not saved to the Normal.dotm template. Repeat the steps and verify that Save changes in: is set to Normal.dotm before clicking Close. If you use a custom template, save the changes to that template instead.

Screen Reader Still Does Not Receive the Keystroke

Some screen readers require their own pass-through command to send a keystroke to the application. For example, in NVDA, press NVDA+2 to toggle input help mode and test whether the keystroke reaches the screen reader. In JAWS, use JAWS+Space then release to enable pass-through. If the shortcut still does not reach the screen reader, the conflict may be with an add-in or a Windows system shortcut rather than a Word shortcut.

Word Add-In Overrides the Shortcut

Third-party add-ins can register their own keyboard shortcuts that override both Word and screen reader commands. To test, disable all add-ins temporarily: go to File > Options > Add-ins, select COM Add-ins from the Manage list, and click Go. Clear all checkboxes and restart Word. If the conflict disappears, re-enable add-ins one at a time to find the offender.

Word Customize Keyboard vs Screen Reader Keyboard Settings

Item	Word Customize Keyboard	Screen Reader Keyboard Settings
Scope of change	Affects only Word commands	Affects the screen reader globally
Conflict resolution	Removes or reassigns the shortcut in Word	Changes the screen reader’s key map
Persistence	Saved to Normal.dotm template	Saved in screen reader configuration profile
Ease of reversal	Re-add the shortcut in the same dialog	Reset to default key map
Recommended approach	First step for Word-only conflicts	Use only if Word changes do not resolve

You can now disable any Word shortcut that interferes with your screen reader by using the Customize Keyboard dialog. Start by removing the most commonly reported shortcuts: Ctrl+Alt+Arrow keys and Ctrl+Shift+F8. If conflicts persist, check whether an add-in or the screen reader’s own pass-through mode is the cause. For advanced control, you can also reassign the freed shortcuts to commands that do not conflict with your assistive technology.